Sault College and Algoma Public Health launch Northern Ontario Public Health Nursing elective

Wed, Jun 17, 2026

Sault College and Algoma Public Health (APH) are strengthening nursing education partnership through the introduction of the Northern Ontario Public Health Nursing elective, a new course designed to help prepare future nurses for careers in public health.

The new course gives students a closer look at how public health nurses help build healthier communities through disease prevention, health promotion, community engagement, and action on the social factors that shape health. It also reflects a shared commitment by Sault College and APH to prepare the next generation of nurses for meaningful careers that support the health of Northern Ontario communities.

“Through our partnership with Sault College, we are helping students better understand the important role public health nurses play in protecting and promoting community health,” said Kristy Harper, Chief Nursing Officer and Director of Health Promotion at Algoma Public Health. “This elective gives students the opportunity to see public health nursing as a meaningful career path and helps to strengthen the future public health workforce in Northern Ontario.

Developed through ongoing collaboration between APH and Sault College, the elective aligns academic programming with current public health practice and local workforce needs.

The six-week elective is delivered online in a self-paced format and includes 12 modules, along with a weekly one-hour virtual drop-in session with nursing faculty and, at times, APH public health nursing staff. The first offering ran from May 4 to June 15, 2026, with 22 students enrolled. The course is open to Bachelor of Science in Nursing students in years two through four, as well as learners in the RPN-to-BScN bridge program.

Public health nursing is a specialized area of practice focused on improving population health, advancing health equity, and addressing the factors that shape health in community settings. Students will explore key areas of public health nursing competencies, including public health and nursing sciences, community health assessment and analysis, policy and planning, partnerships and advocacy, diversity and inclusiveness, communication, leadership and professional responsibility.

“This initiative is an important example of how Sault College works with community partners to create responsive, relevant learning opportunities that meet regional needs,” said Rebecca Keown, Dean of Health, Sault College. “By introducing students to public health nursing in a Northern Ontario context, we are helping them see both the scope of the profession and the difference they can make in the communities they serve.”

APH and Sault College will continue to evaluate and refine the course based on student feedback, with the goal of sustaining the elective as an ongoing option within the Sault College Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

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