Jennifer McPhee
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Feb 04/02) - Arctic College's nursing program got off to a bumpy start in 1999. But things have calmed down since then.

Every student who entered the program in 2000 has made it to second year. And all this year's students are still enrolled.

First-year nursing student Sipporah Peterloosie checks out Deena Ootoovak's eyes. When she and other students graduate from Arctic College's four-year program, they will have a degree from Dalhousie University. - Jennifer McPhee/NNSL photo

Just one student remains from the program's tumultuous first year.

Anita Ludlow, co-ordinator of the nursing program, was not employed by the college in 1999. But she said a number of factors hindered student's progress that year, including a late starting date.

"And some students left for extremely personal reasons," she added.

Overall, 12 students now attend the nursing program, including students taking the one-year preparatory course.

The territorial government has committed roughly $600,000 a year for four years to fund the program, designed to infuse Nunavut's health care system with Inuit nurses.

If all goes well, four students will graduate in 2004. Considering there's just one Inuit nurse in Nunavut, that's a huge improvement.

"I think (having Inuit nurses) is really important because many Inuit don't speak English," said second-year student Martha Nowdlak. "They need a better understanding of how they are being treated."

Sipporah Peterloossie, a first-year student from Pond Inlet who has five children, said the program's close proximity made becoming a nurse an obtainable goal. "I wouldn't be able to go to Yellowknife or down south to achieve what I want to do," she said.

Peterloosie said she hopes more students will enrol next year. "I would like to have more Inuit colleagues ... then I wouldn't have to constantly explain our culture."