Nurses seek summer U-Pass

By Emily Senger

Taking the bus could get a whole lot cheaper for some nursing students this spring and summer.

If a Students’ Union proposal is approved by Calgary Transit, students in the fast-track nursing program will have their U-Pass extended to include the spring and summer semesters. According to SU vice-president academic Paige Forsyth, this could save hundreds of dollars for undergraduate nursing students who attend classes or work in unpaid clinical placements for two years straight.

“We’re just starting with nursing students because it’s a requirement of their program,” said Forsyth. “Internships are by choice. Nursing students have to get back and forth to school on campus.”

Forsyth said the SU may consider extending the pass to other undergraduate programs if the nursing students’ pass is approved.

Like in fall and winter, the spring/summer U-Pass will not have an opt-out option. All fast-track nursing students will pay for it, whether they use transit or not.

Second-year nursing student Gail Sorenson said she approves of extending the U-Pass for nursing students, who spend at least part of their summer working in clinicals without pay.

“You pay for the clinical–it’s like another course,” explained Sorenson. “The fast-track program is intense. It’s school year-round.”

The SU will know if the proposal is approved late next week.