Upskilling Program at Trent University to Expand Registered Nurse Capacity in Primary Care

Trent University is launching a new Primary Care Nursing Upskilling Program to build primary care expertise among registered nurses working in or preparing to transition into primary care.

photo courtesy of trent university.

The professional online program includes emphasis on Indigenous, rural and community health to strengthen nursing practice in primary care.

“This upskilling program reflects Trent’s long-standing commitment to community-focused health education and addressing system-level challenges,” said Dr. Cathy Bruce, President and Vice-Chancellor of Trent University. “By creating accessible advanced primary care education for registered nurses, we are helping strengthen care teams and improve access to healthcare services for people and communities across Ontario.” 

Trent University is leading one of four initiatives selected by the province to advance primary care nursing education and workforce capacity. Developed in collaboration between the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing and Queen's University, the program features online modules to equip RNs with interprofessional care expertise for working in team-based primary care models.  

The Trent program, starting at the end of March 2026, is supported with $1.1 million from the Government of Ontario’s Ministry of Health as part of its Primary Care Action Plan.  

Over three years, funding awarded to Trent University will support the delivery of a 12-week, fully online postgraduate program. Faculty from the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing will contribute expertise in primary care, rural health, and Indigenous health, to deliver interprofessional learning experiences that bring together experts from across the health-care system. The funding will also cover tuition costs for Ontario registered nurses enrolled in the program. Up to 350 nurses are expected to complete the program over the initial three years, with the first cohort of 30 nurses beginning classes at the end of March. 

Graduates of this program will be equipped to provide care for patients across the lifespan, including well-child visits, chronic disease management, pre- and post-natal care and care for older adults. 

“Registered nurses are well positioned to provide care for patients and families within the primary care sector,” said Dr. Suzanne Braithwaite, assistant professor in the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing and past president of the Canadian Family Practice Nurses Association. “Primary care registered nurses provide a wide range of services, including well-child care, chronic disease management, health promotion and episodic care. Strengthening primary care nursing expertise through targeted upskilling education supports nurses in working to their full capacity, eases pressure on interprofessional care teams and improves access to care for patients across the province.” 

Registered nurses who complete the 12-week online program will be eligible for priority admission to the RN-prescribing program through the University of Windsor. Up to 70 per cent of those nurses will have their tuition fees covered, further advancing nursing capacity among the interprofessional primary care team.

As Trent works to implement the upskilling program, faculty in the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing are also developing plans to embed these topics and primary care competencies more deeply into their undergraduate nursing curriculum to build workforce capacity in primary care for the long-term.  

Registration for Trent’s new Primary Care Upskilling Program is now open.

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