A New Area of Collaboration for CHWN: Creating a Nursing Education Department at UQAM

A New Area of Collaboration for CHWN:

Creating a Nursing Education Department at UQAM

By Natalie Stake-Doucet | March, 2026

In October 2024, the University of Québec in Montreal (UQAM) established a new Faculty of Health Sciences. I joined the project in July 2025 to contribute to the development of nursing programs. Very quickly, it became clear that this initiative opened a unique opportunity to rethink nursing education within a health and social services system that is both fragile and undergoing significant transformation. I had already had the opportunity to participate in similar reflections within CHWN-RCPS, where collaboration, leadership, and workforce innovation are central themes.

Evidence shows that the quality of work environments directly influences the quality of care, as well as the mental health, well-being, and retention of nursing staff. We too often forget that the quality of care depends on the people who provide it. Taking care of their well-being also supports the quality of care delivered in a given setting. Budget cuts and austerity measures that have weakened the system for several decades have undermined both morale and working conditions for nurses. Rates of burnout, absenteeism, and disability have been rising in Canada for years. This reflection is one of the motivations behind the work at UQAM: integrating, from the very beginning of nursing education, a structured reflection on the creation of healthy work and learning environments as an essential condition for sustaining the provision of high-quality health care overall.

The thematic areas of CHWN resonate with several ideas that guide our work on the “nurse of the future” at UQAM. We are living in a pivotal moment in Quebec, in Canada, and globally. In a world marked by social, economic, and climate crises, the trust placed in the nursing profession can serve as an anchor. Nurses will increasingly become focal points of stability, listening, and support. The nurses of the future will need to understand and fully occupy their social role, a role that extends beyond hospital walls and reconnects with the community foundations of the profession.

UQAM is a particularly fitting place to carry this renewal forward. Although the Faculty of Health Sciences is very new, it is part of a university with a long tradition of social engagement. A product of the Quiet Revolution — which notably led to the nationalization of the health care system — UQAM holds an identity deeply rooted in social justice, democratizing access to knowledge, and community mobilization. Hundreds of UQAM researchers are already involved in research projects related to health and social services. This culture provides us with a strong foundation for developing a teaching model that pools expertise, encourages cooperation, and avoids reproducing dynamics within the health system that undermine the quality of care work environments.

In short, the future nursing department within UQAM’s Faculty of Health Sciences aspires to become a vibrant space for transformation — where education, research, innovation, and community engagement converge to build a health system that is more humane, more equitable, and more resilient.

To learn more, join us for our continuing education series "The Nurse of the Future":

*Please note that these webinars are offered in French only.

Natalie Stake-Doucet, RN, PhD, and CHWN Co-Lead for Healthy Work Environments and Retention theme