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Nunavut Arctic College practical-nursing program still absent from regulator’s approved-program list

In brief

The College of Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut’s current list of approved northern nursing programs includes Nunavut Arctic College’s bachelor of science in nursing program, but not its Practical Nursing program. The College’s newly posted 2025 annual report says approval of that program was incomplete at publication, leaving the status of a potential local licensed-practical-nurse training pathway unresolved.

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What happened

CNNN’s 2025 annual report says it reviewed RN and LPN programs at Nunavut Arctic College and Aurora College in 2025. It says Nunavut Arctic College’s BScN program was approved, while approval of its Practical Nursing program was not complete when the report was published. CNNN’s current approved-programs page likewise lists the NAC BScN program and Aurora College’s BScN and Practical Nurse programs, but does not list an NAC Practical Nursing program. Annual report Approved programs

Why it matters

CNNN says graduates must come from a Board-approved program to qualify for registration. Until an approval decision is published, the regulator’s public list does not show a CNNN-approved Nunavut Arctic College practical-nursing program. That matters for prospective students and for efforts to build locally trained nursing capacity, but it does not by itself show whether the program is operating, accepting students or when a decision will be made.

What happens next

CNNN says it posts program-approval decisions within two business days of a Board meeting. Atiilu should monitor the approved-programs page and CNNN board records for a decision on Nunavut Arctic College’s Practical Nursing program. Approved programs

Important details

The annual report also records 2,818 registrations across Nunavut and the Northwest Territories in 2025, not a count of nurses physically working in either territory. It reports 10 new Nunavut complaints in 2025. CNNN says 164 quality-assurance learning plans were audited as of April 30, 2026; 76 required revisions. These figures should not be treated as measures of current staffing or health-service availability. Annual report

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