Admission Requirements:
The following must be submitted within 3 months of Practicum/Clinical start date:
- Cleared Criminal Record Check (Public Safety & Solicitor General Schedule B).
- Provide evidence of clear TB testing prior to acceptance (must be done no more than three months before program start date).
- Provide evidence of up-to-date Immunizations: Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Polio, Chicken Pox, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Hepatitis B, Pertussis.
- Influenza and others as required by clinical sites.
- Health Declaration.
- Grade 12 or equivalent (GED, ABE) or mature student status (age 19 and one year out of high school). All transcripts must be true certified copies or originals.
- Applicants must successfully complete the admissions interview, a Coordinator/Director interview and meet the requirements as set by the BCCNM.
- Provide evidence of full COVID-19 and Influenza vaccinations, and others as required by clinical sites.
- Must adhere to the requirements of the BC Practice Education Guidelines.
- For more information on English Language requirements and equivalencies please click here.
This full-time diploma program was initiated in response to the need for recognizing past education, training and work experience of applicants to the Practical Nursing program. If applicants have achieved certification in the following programs:
- Health Care Assistant (HCA) or Resident Care Attendant (RCA) or a combined Home Support/Resident Care Attendant (HS/RCA) they may be admitted to the access semester of the Practical Nursing program.
- 600 hours of work experience, within the last two years, in a care facility where care is provided to a group of clients.
- Work experience must be verified by an official employer letter.
- Individualized home care experience is not acceptable.
Proof of meeting English Language, Math, and Science requirements:
- English 12 with a minimum grade of 65% OR English 12 First Peoples with a minimum grade of 65% OR SSC English for Healthcare with a minimum grade of 76% OR equivalent.
- Math 11 Foundations with a minimum grade of 60% OR SSC
- Math for Healthcare with a minimum grade of 64% OR equivalent
- BC Curriculum Anatomy and Physiology 12 (formerly known as Biology 12) with a minimum grade of 60% or SSC Biology.
- Basics with a minimum grade of 60% OR equivalent.
- FoodSafe Level 1
- Standard First Aid and CPR-C OR Basic Life Support certification must be valid for the duration of the program.
English as a Second/Additional Language:
Applicants with English as a Second/Additional Language must meet the language requirements set by the BC APNPPC, 2017, and be successful in one of the following: International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – Academic Version, Canadian English Language Benchmarks Assessment for Nurses (CELBAN).
As English is the language of study in BC, students must meet English language proficiency at an appropriate level to be accepted into the provincial PN program. These requirements can be satisfied through 3 years of full-time, face-to-face secondary or post-secondary education at an accredited institution where English is the language of instruction and is also one of the country’s official languages. English as a Second Language/Additional Language courses are not included in this 3-year calculation.
Those not meeting this requirement must achieve scores identified in one of the two tests listed below:
IELTS (Academic) with a minimum score of:
• Speaking: 7.0
• Listening: 7.5
• Reading: 6.5
• Writing: 7.0
• Overall band score: 7.0
CELBAN with minimum scores of:
• Speaking: 8.0
• Listening: 10.0
• Reading: 8.0
• Writing: 7.0
Diploma Requirements:
Graduation from this program is based on: A passing grade in all theory courses; successful completion of all practice experiences, including demonstration of mastery of all the clinical competencies; each student must attain the entry level competencies for an LPN in BC as set by the BCCNM.
Note: Successful graduation of this program does not guarantee a license to practice. Such license is issued by the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) after successful completion of the mandatory national examination. For more information on this process please visit: http://www.bccnm.ca.
Other Specifications:
Basic word processing and computer skills are required; a caring attitude and a sincere interest in the well-being of people are essential; foundational courses in Mathematics, Biology, Psychology and Sociology are an asset; flexible and adaptable work/life schedule to accommodate for clinical experience shift work; healthcare-related work/volunteer experience strongly recommended; must be able to cope with the emotional aspects of working with the sick, injured and terminally ill. Has the following required skills and abilities described in Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse in Canada Requisite Skills and Abilities (2013):
- Cognitive skills that demonstrate thinking capacity.
- Communication ability to express and receive written, verbal and non-verbal language, and the ability to interact with others in a respectful and professional manner.
- Ability to create positive relationships.
- Ability to conduct oneself in a professional manner.
- Ability to accurately perceive using sight, hearing, smell and touch to provide safe care and actively participate in nursing activities.
- Ability to physically participate in providing safe client care and educational activities.
- Ability to provide safe client care in commonly encountered and unavoidable environmental factors.
Other Requirements:
- PVPC Provincial Violence Prevention Curriculum (Comp/Inc).
- Clinical / Preceptorship may include any shifts other than day shift (i.e. evenings — 3 to 11 pm or nights — 11 pm to 7 am and possible weekends).
- Students may be required to work 12-hour shifts during the clinical and / or preceptorship.
- Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from clinical / preceptorship sites.
- Clinical / Preceptorship are conducted over 7.5 to 12 hours per day to meet required hours as set out by BCCNM.
- Clinical / Preceptorship sites are subject to availability.
- Clinical / Preceptorship sites may require more current and/or additional CRC (for instance: RCMP) and TB testing (to be done at student’s expense), or other requirements to be completed prior to starting.
Students can expect to complete 1 – 4 hours of homework per day.
* Practical Nursing Access Program was reviewed and approved by the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) of the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.
