A former registered nurse left a massive legacy for nurses studying at Douglas College, which has campuses in Coquitlam and New Westminster.
Late last month, the estate of Mary Gordon donated $3 million to the post-secondary institute’s Faculty of Health Sciences for financial aid and to better the facilities for nursing students.
Specifically, the money will go each year to offset one-quarter of 10 students’ tuition in their first year at the college.
Dr. Kathy Denton, the president and CEO of Douglas College, said the gift comes at a crucial time as nursing is in high demand across the B.C., especially in rural and remote regions.
Last year, Statistics Canada reported that more than 34,000 registered and licensed practical nurse positions need to be filled.
At Douglas College, the nursing program takes four years to complete and includes about 1,000 hours of clinical work.
“Because the nursing program is so intensive, students like me don’t have much free time to pick up a job to pay for our tuition,” said Danna Domasig, a third-year student in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, in a news release.
“The financial support made possible by this donation will definitely help aspiring nurses stay on track with their education."
The funding will also launch a new post-degree program in gerontology — the study of aging — at the college.
As a result of the donation, the nursing simulation suite at the Coquitlam campus has been renamed the Mary Gordon Health Sciences Centre for Experimental Learning.
Who is Mary Gordon?
Born in Prince Rupert and raised in Sechelt, Gordon died in October 2021. She was the only daughter of Jim and Phyllis Parker, who were key to the business and social development of Sechelt.
She graduated from the Royal Columbian Hospital’s School of Nursing in 1959 and spent a year working in Bermuda before returning to B.C., where she was employed in hospitals in Pender Harbour, Powell River, Vancouver and Kitimat before retiring as director of nursing at Sechelt Hospital (formerly St. Mary’s Hospital).
Gordon, a member of the Order of the Eastern Star (Burrard and Elphinstone chapters) as well as a longtime member of the Daughters of the Nile (Zarah Temple #72), also ran Village Enterprises after her father died.
In 2018, following a stroke, Gordon established an annual nursing scholarship at Douglas College: a $10,000 award to an outstanding Bachelor of Nursing student.
In addition, she donated money toward the Royal Columbian Hospital alumnae nursing scholarships, the Holy Family Rehab Hospital and St. Paul's Hospital.
