This Program is offered at the following campus locations: Dawson Creek
Description:
The Diploma in Practical Nursing at Northern Lights College (
NLC) follows the new provincial curriculum approved by the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of BC (
CLPNBC) in 2011. The program is designed to provide learners with the knowledge, skills, judgments, and attitudes to perform to the full range of competencies as identified by CLPNBC. The curriculum provides a learning experience that is integrated, professional, collaborative, and culturally sensitive, with an aim to prepare graduates to care for individuals (and by extension, families of individuals) at multiple life stages and in a variety of practice settings. Consistent with the CLPNBC Baseline Competencies for Licensed Practical Nurses’ Professional Practice (2009), the focus for beginners' practice is “care of clients with less complex and more predictable outcomes."
Upon successful completion of the program, learners will possess the competencies to successfully complete the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Exam (CPNRE).
Certification: Diploma in Practical Nursing
Program Contact: Cindy Broberg
Dean: Steve Roe
Admission Requirements:
Applications for the Practical Nurse (PN) Program will open October 1st for September admission. Selection of qualified applicants will be made on a first-come, first-qualified basis.
CONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE:
To gain conditional acceptance in the Practical Nursing Program, prospective learners must follow the two steps outlined below:
1. Complete a College "Application for Admission" Form. Admission forms can be obtained in person from NLC Student Services or downloaded in PDF format from nlc.bc.ca/pdfs/application.pdf. A one-time application fee is required.
2. Submit secondary school and/or post-secondary transcripts indicating the following admission requirements have been met:
- Grade 12 graduation or equivalent (ABE, CCP, GED).
- English 12 or equivalent with a grade of C+ OR Technical Communications 12 with a grade of B+. Note that First Peoples 12, English 099 Foundational Writing, and English 050 Provincial English are regarded as the equivalent of English 12. Students who take one of the above courses but do not achieve the required grade may satisfy the English admission criteria by achieving a 100-level recommendation on the NLC Writing Assessment.
- Math 11 Principles with a grade of C, Math 11 Foundations with a grade of C (commencing 2012), OR Math 040 Advanced Algebraic Mathematics with a grade of C. If Math 11 requirements are over 10 years old, Grade 11 proficiency on numeracy sections (Number Operations and Problem Solving) of the CAAT (Canadian Adult Achievement Test) is required.
- Biology 12 (Human Biology) with a grade of C or Biology 050 Provincial Biology (Human) with a grade of C, within 10 years.
Note that language-based admission requirements for applicants who speak English as an additional language are currently under review by the Provincial Curriculum Development Committee. "English as an Additional Language" admission requirements will be provided as soon as possible.
CONFIRMED ACCEPTANCE:
At least thirty days before the first day of classes in Semester 1, students must demonstrate successful completion of PNUR 099: Anatomy and Physiology for Practical Nurses (or an equivalent course at another institution) with a minimum grade of C+. The completion date for the Anatomy and Physiology requirement cannot exceed five years before program initiation.
PNUR 099 Intakes:
NLC is running a section of PNUR 099 from March 1 to May 22. A second NLC section of PNUR 099 will begin on May 7 and run until July 3. Please see the University Arts and Sciences Intersession 2012 Timetable for exact class times or speak with Patty Mars, NLC’s Admissions Officer (250-785-6981, ext. 2088; pmars@nlc.bc.ca).
Please also note that equivalent Anatomy and Physiology courses can be taken online, through Okanagan College or through the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology. For more information about online equivalents to NLC’s PNUR 099, again contact Patty Mars (250-785-6981, ext. 2088; pmars@nlc.bc.ca).
CLINICAL ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
The following must be completed prior to the first Consolidated Practice Experience in Semester 1:
- CPR level “C.”
- A Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General Criminal Record Check (SG/CRC). Under no circumstances will students be permitted to begin a Consolidated Practice Experience until they have authorized an SG/CRC and the results have been reviewed by NLC. Convictions for certain offences may disqualify students from participation in course practica and, therefore, from program completion. The SG/CRC application process may take 3 – 6 weeks to complete, so students are urged to attend to this matter at least 6 weeks before their program start date. Students will be provided with information about the SG/CRC process at program orientations. Further, students are obligated to report any Schedule B criminal convictions that occur after they authorize an SG/CRC but are still enrolled in the Practical Nursing Program. Failure to do so may result in immediate dismissal from the program.
PDF version of the online CRC Consent Form
- Immunization as required by sites of practice education and recommended by BC Centre for Disease Control (2009): Diphtheria, tetanus, polio, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, and seasonal influenza. Students who do not meet the immunization requirements will be prohibited from attending practice education experiences given particular Health Authority or practice education site organization/agency policy.
- Negative TB skin test or chest x-ray (if skin test was positive).
ADDITIONAL NOTES ON ADMISSION:
Students in the Practical Nursing program have an average of 29 hours of classes, laboratories, and other learning activities per week. A comparable number of individual study hours is required. Further, in clinical learning situations, students will be in close contact with individuals who have a variety of health issues. For these reasons, students should be in a satisfactory level of physical and emotional health to ensure success in the program.
Applicants wishing to transfer from another Practical Nursing Program must provide evidence of completion of the above Admission Requirements. Applications for transfer credit will be reviewed on an individual basis. Transfer-based admission will be dependent on available space.
Students who do not meet program progression criteria and reapply for admission in a subsequent intake must show:
- Satisfaction of the admission criteria described above is still in effect.
- Evidence of completing any upgrading and/or remedial requirements.
Program Length (Weeks): 67
Program Length (Hours): 1850
Program Intake Start: September
Program Intake Finish: April-June (20-22 months later)
Available Seats: 20
Application Deadline: Open October 1st for September admission
Career Prospects:
Licensed Practical Nurses work with other inter-professional, health care team members in a variety of settings, and play an increasing role in primary health care focusing on health promotion, illness and injury prevention, and health protection and restoration.
Affiliations: N/A
Location: Classroom and Laboratory contact hours are scheduled in the Health Sciences Building in Dawson Creek. Clinical Learning experiences may occur in a variety of settings, including Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Chetwynd, and perhaps Fort Nelson. Efforts will be made to place students in convenient clinical locations, but all students should be prepared for in-region travel.Transportation, meals, and accommodation are the responsibility of the student. After a clinical or preceptorship site is assigned by the Program Coordinator, no changes are permitted.
Additional Requirements and Supplies:
Required Supplies/Materials:
- Stethoscope
- Uniforms, lab coat(s)
- WCB approved safety/nursing shoes
- Watch with a second hand
- Books and lab kits
Recommended Supplies, Resources, and Skills:
- A personal laptop is recommended for each learner, operating with Windows XP, MAC OS 10.4, or later version, and a current web browser, as a substantial amount of course and program resource materials are provided solely in electronic form. Learners should have access to a computer with high speed internet capabilities in order to review and/or retrieve these resources. Printing of resource materials is at the discretion of the learner. Please contact your campus library for printing costs if you would be using these facilities. Basic computer literacy skills are required. Applicants needing assistance with basic computer skills are asked to please discuss their computer capabilities with the recruiter at the time of application.
Attendance Requirements:
- Consistent attendance is mandatory.
- Absence for more than six (6) hours of theory classes per course will seriously impair a student's ability to meet course objectives and may result in failure of the course.
- A student who is absent from a scheduled lab must complete a make up assignment as determined by the instructor. Absence of more than six (6) hours of scheduled lab hours per course will seriously impair a student's ability to meet course objectives and may result in failure of the course.
- A student who is absent from a scheduled shift comprising a clinical, practicum or preceptorship will not be provided with supplemental clinical experience. Students absent for more than 15% of each experience will be required to withdraw from the program.
Hours:
- Classroom seminars and/or laboratory learning sessions could be scheduled until 2200 hours on some days.
- Clinical learning experiences may involve some evening experiences lasting until 2300 hours.
Eligibility for Canada Student Loans: Yes
Visit
StudentAid BC to apply for financial assistance online.
Required Minimum Grade:
Students must achieve 100% on all Pharmacology Math exams. A maximum of two rewrites are available for each Pharmacology Math exam.
Students must achieve a minimum of 80% on the theory portion of the Pharmacology courses.
Integrated Lab Assessments or Skill Assessments in the Integrated Nursing Practice courses are marked Pass/Fail, and a mark of 80% is required to pass. Should a mark of 80% not be achieved, a student will be allowed one retest for each Skills Assessment.
Students must achieve a minimum of 75% on the theory portion of the Integrated Nursing Practice courses.
All other nursing courses require a minimum grade of 65% for students to progress from term to term and to graduate from the program.
In ALL cases, when a second test is necessary, the student and instructor will meet to discuss remedial strategies before the retest is attempted. Sufficient time for practice and improvement will be provided (minimum of two days).
In total, a maximum of two rewrites of the final exam are permitted for the theory portions of the Practical Nursing curriculum in a given academic year. No more than one supplemental exam can be written per course.
The Preceptorship or Final Practice Experience is marked Pass/Fail.
Residency Requirements: 25% of the program must be completed at Northern Lights College
Required Courses:
Prior to Start of Program:
SEMESTER ONE:
SEMESTER TWO:
SEMESTER THREE:
SEMESTER FOUR:
SEMESTER FIVE: