UOIT’s RPN to BScN bridge program paves the way for alumna’s success in health-care leadership

Bahar Karbalaei graduated with a Registered Practical Nursing (RPN) diploma from Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario in 2006. After working for a few years as an RPN, she became interested in leadership, health policy and health systems.

“I wanted to make a bigger impact on the future of the province, Canada and internationally,” Karbalaei said. To achieve her career goals, she needed to earn a Master in Nursing degree, which meant she had to get her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) degree first.

In 2010, Karbalaei enrolled in the RPN to BScN bridge program at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT). After successfully completing two bridge courses, she entered directly into the third year of the BScN program.

The bridge and BScN programs build on the strong foundation students have already gained from their RPN diploma. Both are built on Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring, which emphasizes the establishment of a caring relationship with patients as well as thorough scientific knowledge. “All of the courses I took made me a stronger and better person, and added to my knowledge of nursing,” she said.

The calibre of UOIT’s Nursing faculty and staff was what made Karbalaei’s BScN experience exceptional. “They really try to help you individually,” she said. “Everything they do for you is personalized. I have never seen so many people working in the same place who go above and beyond their job expectations. We were like family, which helped create a community among the students, and we had role models to look up to.”

As part of the program, Karbalaei also had a unique opportunity to participate in a placement with the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO), as well as a four-month hands-on internship with the Chief Nursing Executive and Vice-President of the University Health Network in Toronto, Ontario instead of the usual clinical placement. She credits these opportunities with helping her fast-track her goals and quickly grow as a professional and leader.

Karbalaei currently works at the inpatient surgical unit at North York General Hospital in Toronto, and also teaches in the RPN program at Seneca College in Toronto. She is a Board Member of Downsview Services for Seniors, an Executive Network Officer of RNAO's Toronto West Chapter, and serves on multiple committees of the Iranian Women’s Organization of Ontario. In 2013, she was also the only individual to be admitted to the combined Master of Nursing/Master of Health Science in Health Administration at the University of Toronto.

Diploma or degree, Karbalaei believes Durham College and UOIT offer the best combination of nursing programs. The outstanding results from the most recent Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE) attest to the dedication of nursing students as well as the exceptional nursing education they receive.

"Extensive evaluation of the RPN-to-BScN programs reveals that these bridge students are often working full time, studying full time, managing complex demands of personal and professional lives, while at the same time consistently outperforming Collaborative BScN and Health Sciences student counterparts,” said Dr. Sue Coffey, Director of the UOIT-Durham College Collaborative Nursing program. “They are an inspiration to us and we are cheering them on every step of the way."

"Having had the privilege of teaching our RPN-to-BScN bridging students, I have found that their real-world experience, high degree of motivation and demonstrated caring for self and others, elevates the teaching and learning experience both inside and outside of the classroom,” added Dr. Ellen Vogel, Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences. “We are tremendously proud of our Pathways students' individual and collective accomplishments and confident they will serve as outstanding ambassadors of UOIT in the months and years ahead."