UPEI nursing students participate in Population Health Conference
Fourth-year UPEI nursing students in the Nursing and Population (N4010) course showcased the population health projects they worked on this semester at the Population Health Conference on December 2, 2025.
During the conference, held at UPEI’s W.A. Murphy Student Centre, students demonstrated how they applied theoretical knowledge to their population health projects. They also strengthened their professional presentation skills and connected with faculty, peers, and leaders from rural and urban communities across the province.
As part of their coursework, students partnered with 16 community agencies across PEI and one national organization, the Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse. Collaborating organizations included NGOs such as Special Olympics, Hospice PEI, Lungs NS/PEI, the Community Outreach Centre, and Island EMS, as well as departments within Health PEI and UPEI. Together, they developed projects that addressed needs within each agency and advanced the health of the populations they serve.
Throughout the project development process, students worked collaboratively in teams and also demonstrated their individual contributions. Each project focused on a specific population and was guided by a comprehensive population assessment, which helped students understand the agency’s mandate and the characteristics and circumstances of the people supported by the agency.
At the conference, the students presented their work either through a scientific poster or a PowerPoint presentation. These presentations summarized the key components of their projects, including population assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
In a social media post, Hospice PEI expressed gratitude for the hard work, compassion, and dedication of the students.
“Because of their efforts, we now have valuable resources that help us share who we are, what we do, and the people we proudly serve. Their professionalism, collaboration, and fresh perspectives helped bring our mission to life in a way that will continue to support our community long after their placement,” said the post.
The Honourable Mark MacLane, Minister of Health and Wellness, attended the conference. His department shared a social media post following the event that said the work of the UPEI nursing students addressed key health priorities, ranging from expanding Licensed Practical Nurse roles and creating an anonymous chat box for UPEI’s Sexual Violence and Response Office to developing a chronic disease screening protocol for Island EMS and improving code policy and documentation at the Community Outreach Centre.
The post also said, “The showcase was also a chance to recognize students just one semester from graduation, thank them for their contributions, and encourage them to begin their careers in PEI’s health system. These future nurses are already showing the creativity, compassion, and leadership that will strengthen care for Islanders.”
