May 30, 2024 (New Westminster) -
Douglas College announced the largest philanthropic gift in its history - $3 million for its Faculty of Health Sciences Nursing Programs from the late Mary Gordon, a retired nurse, to help strengthen the ability of Douglas College to train future health-care professionals to address the most defining challenges of our time- the country’s shortage of primary care providers, a problem that has been severely exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Douglas College is thrilled to highlight the remarkable legacy of Mary Gordon, a name that may be unfamiliar to some, but whose impact on the field of nursing has been truly extraordinary.
Born and raised in Sechelt, Mary Gordon dedicated her life to the service of others as a registered nurse and a beacon of inspiration for countless nursing professionals. She graduated from the Royal Columbian Hospital School of Nursing in the 1950s and left an indelible mark on the local and international nursing landscape. Her exceptional work in providing healthcare to indigenous communities across Northern BC highlighted not only her unwavering commitment but also her unparalleled expertise.
She tirelessly emphasized the importance of well-educated and highly skilled nurses, leaving an enduring impact on the future of healthcare.
To celebrate the Estate of Mary Gordon’s generosity, Douglas College has renamed the Health Sciences Simulation Centre at the Douglas College’s Coquitlam campus to the "Mary Gordon Health Sciences Centre for Experiential Learning."
“At a time when the province is facing a persistent nursing shortage, funds like these are particularly critical to ensure a strong future nursing workforce,” said Dr. Kathy Denton, President and CEO of Douglas College. “The generosity of the late Mary Gordon will have an enormous impact on building a robust pipeline of early career nurses and future nursing professionals.”
“This gift allows us to expand our programming in response to evolving provincial and community health care needs,” said Dr. Pam Cawley, Dean of Health Sciences at Douglas College. “This will further enrich nursing students’ experience and build the expertise they need to adapt to an ever-changing health care system.”
“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. “The financial support made possible by this donation will definitely help aspiring nurses stay on track with their education."
“As a nursing professional, the late Mary Gordon led by example in her philanthropy, and this remarkable gift is a call to action to the philanthropic community to invest in the future of our province at Douglas,” said Cheryl Bosley, Director of Philanthropy at Douglas College.