| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2024-09-03 | - |
| 2025-01-09 | - |
Program Overview
This intensive five-term Practical Nursing program equips students with the knowledge and skills to provide professional nursing care in complex medical systems. The program emphasizes compassionate healthcare, critical thinking, and hands-on experience through classroom learning, online courses, and practical placements. Accredited by the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN), graduates are eligible to become licensed Practical Nurses after passing the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Exam.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
This is an intensive five-term program that prepares students to deliver professional nursing care in a complex medical system. The program aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide compassionate and effective healthcare. Students will gain experience through classroom learning, online courses, lab settings, and a variety of care facilities throughout the program. The program is designed to support successful learning with a structured delivery and timetable. The program is accredited by the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN).
Outline:
- NURS1202 - Nursing Foundations 1 (3 credits): This course provides a foundation for the principles underlying nursing actions and decision-making required to plan and provide safe, holistic person-centered care.
- COMM1101 - Interpersonal Relationships And Communication Skills (3 credits): This course focuses on other-oriented communication and how inequities and power dynamics influence relationships.
- ENGL1201 - English Composition (3 credits): This course introduces learners to academic writing and critical thinking.
Term 2:
- NURS1102 - Applied Pharmacology (3 credits): This course discusses the pharmacokinetics of medications, the rationale for their use, and the expected results of therapy.
- NURS1103 - Pathophysiology (3 credits): This course provides a body systems approach to common health care issues, focusing on physiological changes that occur with alterations in biological health.
- NURS1201 - Adult Health Assessment (3 credits): This course focuses on physical, psychosocial, and cultural health assessment of the adult population.
- NURS1504 - Care of the Older Adult (3 credits): This course examines the experience of aging, common challenges in older adulthood, and nursing care interventions aimed at maintaining or restoring optimal health and functioning.
- NURS1203 - Nursing Foundations 2 (6 credits): This course emphasizes holistic interdisciplinary care and focuses on the principles underlying nursing actions and decision-making required for planning and providing safe nursing care.
Term 3:
- NURS1401 - Clinical 1: Foundational (4 credits): This course focuses on activities of daily living, medication administration, and health assessments in a continuing care setting.
- PSYC1201 - Human Growth and Development Across The Life Span (3 credits): This course provides a comprehensive overview of human growth and development and typical behavioral responses throughout the lifespan.
- NURS2501 - Maternity Nursing (3 credits): This course focuses on the care of the mother and infant during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the postpartum period within the context of the family.
- NURS2502 - Pediatric Nursing (3 credits): This course provides an introduction to common health issues of children and related nursing care using a body system approach.
- NURS2204 - Nursing Foundations 3 (6 credits): This course emphasizes holistic interdisciplinary nursing care and skills within the framework of the nursing process.
Term 4:
- NURS2504 - Community Nursing (3 credits): This course explores nursing roles and activities in varied practice settings within the community.
- SOCI1301 - Sociology of Aging (3 credits): This course explores contemporary aging by examining choices and experiences that transcend the individual and incorporate larger social groups and processes.
- NURS2402 - Clinical 2: Medical/Surgical (8 credits): This course emphasizes critical thinking and reflective practice within the framework of the nursing process.
Term 5:
- NURS2303 - Nursing Trends and Issues (3 credits): This course examines current trends and issues in nursing practice.
- NURS2403 - Clinical 3: Medical/Surgical (4 credits): This course emphasizes critical thinking and reflective practice as learners return to the acute care setting to provide holistic care.
- NURS2995 - Professional Preceptorship (6 credits): This course provides learners with opportunities to apply knowledge, perform skills, and critically think in a variety of practical situations.
Careers:
Upon graduation, students are eligible to become licensed with the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta. They must pass the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Exam to become licensed. There are many opportunities for continued studies after graduation, including:
- Thompson Rivers University Open Learning Division: Bachelor of Health Science and Bachelor of General Studies
- The program is designed to support successful learning with a structured delivery and timetable.
- Enrolment in this program indicates a commitment to education as a priority over any personal or work obligations.
- The program is accredited by the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN).
- Practical Nurse students will be exposed to health care contacts and networking opportunities during their practicum placements.
- Bow Valley College Career Services provides graduates with access to Job Skills Videos and an online job board.
- For every hour of class time, there is an estimated two to five hours of studying.
