Integrated nursing access program: an approach to prepare aboriginal students for nursing careers

The challenge to transfer the health care of Aboriginal peoples of Canada from non-Aboriginal to predominantly Aboriginal health professionals, requires preliminary innovative approaches in post-secondary education. Described in this paper, is the background, development and progress to date of the Integrated Nursing Access Program (INAP) for Aboriginal students, and its phenomenological approach to curriculum design. Traditional indigenous knowledge and methodologies are embedded in process learning and university-level program activities. Learning in this INAP Bachelor of Nursing program occurs over three years, during which time students complete high school requirements together with some first year nursing courses. The program is followed by three additional years of exclusive baccalaureate level nursing education. To date, students have successfully completed the first half of this program.