Cancelling university internships is a terrible decision
On November 3, 2020, Minister of Higher Education Danielle McCann requested that universities offering bachelors of nursing science programs cancel nurses’ upcoming internships so that they can give a hand in the health network. The FIQ denounces this decision which would condemn the 5,500 students enrolled in a bachelor’s of nursing science in Quebec to do forced labour.
Not only does this eliminate unpaid internships and force students to do overtime, it also, in many cases, tramples on career goals they have been working toward for years. They were at school to develop new skills and possibly develop an expertise in a specific area. This decision will force them to suspend their studies.
The Minister is sending the message that nursing science training isn’t important, not to mention the fact that this takes away their fundamental right to follow the academic path they chose.
How will this affect the appeal of our care training and nursing science programs? How will this bleak decision impact young students’ career choices? Are we sacrificing the next generation of nurses by exploiting them?
In closing, the FIQ would like to show solidarity with students affected by this decision and express that it stands with Audrey-Ann Bissonnette-Clermont, president of the Association étudiante en sciences infirmières du Québec (AÉSIQ).