SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Four nursing students from Aurora College's Yellowknife campus are headed to Hammerfest, Norway in May, as part of a circumpolar exchange program.

The program, Nurses International College Experience, will have the students working for three weeks with nurses at a hospital in Hammerfest - a hospital about the same size as Stanton Territorial Hospital.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for the students," said Dr. Pertice Moffit, senior instructor of the nursing program who is also travelling with the students as a supervisor.

"They are going to be ambassadors of our country and engage in another health care system which will broaden their abilities."

The trip is being paid for by North to North, a University of the Arctic program that funds education-related travel for students in northern countries. The University of the Arctic is a circumpolar organization based in several northern countries and educational facilitiesa.

The students are responsible for food and accommodations, which they are fundraising for.

This is the first time Aurora College is offering the exchange program.

"It gives me the opportunity to see how a health care system works in another country," said Candice Manuel, a third-year nursing student.

"I'm honoured to be chosen to be a part of the program."

Four students and two alternates - to go to Norway in case one of the others can't make it - were selected on the basis of academic excellence.

Rather than language, nursing student Soura Munroe-Rosen thinks the biggest challenge will be adapting to the culture.

"It's not like travelling when going somewhere for pleasure," said Munroe-Rosen.

"We are going to be working very intimately with people and have to learn about their social system, politics and work in partnership with them."

While in Norway, the student's time will go toward their consolidated practise experience and they will be working on assignments and journals.

Gwen Hysert, another nursing student travelling to Norway, was at first unsure whether or not she would be able to go. A mother of two, she was encouraged by her family to take the opportunity.

"Once I graduate I'm going to be living and working in the North," said Hysert.

"With this increased knowledge and awareness I can put it into practice."