Inaugural cohort of nursing students at U of T Mississauga to address region's evolving health-care needs
Published: September 23, 2026
Abeeha Shuja decided she wanted to pursue a career in health care while working at a group home supporting children with autism spectrum disorder, developmental delays, dual diagnosis and traumatic brain injuries.
Nervous about the responsibility at first, she quickly grew into the role and found herself wondering how she could better support the children in the home.
“That experience shaped me as a human being. It changed how I see the world and how I see the people who are on the front line of healthcare,” says Shuja. “It made me wonder how I can serve better and be a better person.”
Shuja is now a first-year nursing student in the University of Toronto’s bachelor of science in nursing (BScN) program at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, and a member of the faculty’s inaugural cohort at U of T Mississauga.
This expanded program, which launched this fall, creates a pathway for students in Peel and other regions west of Toronto to enter the nursing field. It’s expected that graduates are more likely to practice nursing in the region after completing placements at leading health-care organizations in the western Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
“The expansion of our academic programs is one of the ways in which Bloomberg Nursing is leading in the advancement of nursing education and responding to the evolving needs of health care across the western GTA,” says Robyn Stremler, dean of the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing. “We are committed to supporting equitable and accessible health where it is most needed.”
It’s the second such program expansion this year for Bloomberg Nursing, which also launched an inaugural cohort of nurse practitioner students at U of T Scarborough as part of the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health.
Both cohorts are focused on providing better access to care for people living in the local community.
Shuja chose to pursue her nursing degree at U of T Mississauga because there is a genuine need for health care in the area. Having lived in the surrounding region, she says her family has first-hand experience with limited primary care access and sometimes feeling like their health concerns were dismissed.
Trillium Health Partners is one of the clinical placement partners for students in the cohort.
“At Trillium Health Partners, students gain hands-on experience across the full continuum of care, learn from exceptional preceptors and become part of a strong academic and interdisciplinary culture that prepares them to thrive as the next generation of nurses,” says Terri Irwin, a Bloomberg Nursing alumna and Trillium’s executive vice-president, patient care services, and chief nursing executive.
Jacelynn Su, a U of T Mississauga graduate and residence don, says applying to the nursing program at U of T Mississauga meant she could continue to be a part of the community she built during her first degree.
“I’m excited to be a part of this new cohort because it means that I get to keep the community I’ve found in Mississauga while being a Bloomberg Nursing student. It means a lot to me,” says Su, who is originally from Calgary.
Both Su and Shuja are looking forward to their clinical placements in the community and applying what they learn in real-life settings.
“I want to be working where I am the best nurse possible, wherever in the region that ends up being,” Shuja says.
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