$50,000 gift celebrates critical role of nurses, personal support workers during pandemic
Posted on Tuesday, February 8th, 2022
Algonquin College is announcing the launch of two new bursaries that will be available to students in the Practical Nursing and Personal Support Worker (PSW) programs.
The new bursaries — established by a generous gift of more than $50,000 from longtime community volunteer and philanthropist Susan Prior — support and encourage student enrolment in the PSW program and support health care workers who wish to upgrade their education to become a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN).
The “Semira Saba Kifle Practical Nursing Bursary” honours Semira Saba Kifle, who, after 18 years working as a PSW and with four children at home, returned to school to advance her education. She graduated from the Algonquin College Practical Nursing diploma program in 2018. The bursary will be awarded annually to a student in financial need who is a health care worker and enrolled in the first semester of the Practical Nursing program.
A second bursary, the “Thank You PSW Bursary,” will be awarded to a student with a financial need registered in the second semester of the Personal Support Worker program.
“Susan’s service in the community is impressive and makes a difference not only for our community members, but also for our learners. Her generosity and keen support for effective health care, the need of which she has long recognized, will transform the lives of many students for years to come,” said Algonquin College President and CEO, Claude Brulé. “In honouring one of our graduates and PSW workers everywhere, Susan makes the important connection between our students’ learning and the health of our communities. This has become especially important over the past two years as we cope with effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Susan’s own experience with health challenges and that of her late husband, Jack, a pioneer in the computer software industry, as well as witnessing the care her 99-year-old mother receives at her retirement home, drives her commitment to health care. She also recognizes that supporting student practical nurses and PSWs means more care in retirement homes, long-term care facilities, home care agencies and hospitals.
“These health care workers are phenomenal. They don’t have much time right now because of pandemic protocols, but they’re always really good to my mother,” she said. “We need more of them and providing bursaries will help them get the training they need.”
These new bursaries come at a time when the province is facing a critical shortage of RPNs and PSWs, especially in home and long-term care. The Ontario government recently announced an investment of up to $100 million to train an additional 2,000 nurses, RPNs and PSWs by 2024-2025.
Read more about these bursaries.
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