Practical Nursing Diploma

Practical Nursing Diploma is a Diploma program taught at Northern Lights College, Canada. Intake: Fall, Spring. The program is offered in campus-based modes with full-time (2 years) options.

Northern Lights College’s Practical Nursing Diploma provides knowledge, skills, judgments, and attitudes to perform the full range of Practical Nurse competencies endorsed by the British Columbia College of Nursing & Midwives (BCCNM).

The curriculum is integrated, professional, collaborative, and culturally sensitive, with an aim to prepare graduates to care for individuals (and families of individuals) at multiple life stages and in a variety of practice settings.

For beginners’ practice, the focus is promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health for clients with stable and predictable states of health.

The program has an average of 28 hours per week of classes, laboratories, and other learning activities, plus a comparable number of individual study hours. Theory courses are delivered via videoconference on Dawson Creek and Fort St. John campuses. Beginning September, the laboratory component is delivered in both campuses.

Level ONE lab classes are approximately 2 days a week for 13 weeks, Level TWO approximately 3 days a week for 13 weeks, Level THREE approximately 2 days a week for 11 weeks, and Level FOUR approximately 3 days a week for 11 weeks.

Clinical learning experiences may occur in a variety of settings and communities, and in-region travel, meals, and accommodation are the student’s responsibility.

On successful completion, learners possess the competencies to complete the Regulatory Exam – Practical Nurse (REx-PN). The program is designed for learners who can meet requirements related to physical and emotional health and the listed admission and post-admission items.

The minimum requirements for admission in Practical Nursing Diploma at Northern Lights College for all applicants (Domestic or International) are:

• program specific academic requirment set by Northern Lights College.
• English Language OR any other language requirments as set by Northern Lights College as pre-requiste for admission in Practical Nursing Diploma.

Note: Please check the university website in the link below.

Complete all requirements:

• High school graduation requirement: Grade 12 graduation, or equivalent, or mature student status.
• English requirement: One of the following: For applicants with English as a first language*: English 12 with a C+grade or higher, or equivalent; English First Peoples 12 with a C+ grade or higher, or equivalent. For applicants with English as an Additional Language*: International English Language Testing System (IELTS) result with an overall score of 7.0 or higher and Speaking band of 7.0 or higher, Listening band of 7.5 or higher, Reading band of 6.5 or higher, Writing band of 7.0 or higher; Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses (CELBAN) with minimum scores of Speaking: 8.0, Listening: 10.0, Reading: 8.0, Writing: 7.0.
• Math requirement: Foundations of Mathematics 11 with a minimum grade of C, or equivalent; or Pre-Calculus 11 with a minimum grade of C, or equivalent.
• Biology requirement: Anatomy and Physiology 12 with a minimum grade of “C” (60%), or equivalent; or Biology 12 with a minimum grade of “C” (60%), or equivalent.
• A&P requirement: PNUR 099 – Anatomy and Physiology for Practical Nurses** with a minimum grade of 65%; or an equivalent course from another institution (see the BC Transfer Guide).

Notes:* Applicants with English as an additional language are defined as those who do not have three years of full-time, face-to-face, secondary or post-secondary education at an accredited institution where English is the medium of instruction in a country where English is also an official national language.

English as a Second Language/Additional Language courses are not included in this three-year calculation.

In addition to meeting English language admission requirements for the Provincial Practical Nursing Program, graduates who speak English as an additional language must be able to demonstrate performance-ready English proficiency as a condition for registration and practice in British Columbia.

See BCCNM’s website for further details. ** The completion date for PNUR 099 or equivalent must be within five years of program initiation. Applicants may be granted conditional acceptance prior to completing PNUR 099 or its equivalent.

However, the PNUR 099 requirement must be successfully completed prior to the first day of classes in Semester One.

IELTS overall 7.0 or higher (Speaking 7.0+, Listening 7.5+, Reading 6.5+, Writing 7.0+) OR CELBAN Speaking 8.0, Listening 10.0, Reading 8.0, Writing 7.0 (minimum scores).

Please check detail of study units at https://www.nlc.bc.ca/programs/practical-nursing-diploma/

• Licensed Practical Nurses work with other interprofessional, health care team members in a variety of settings.
• Licensed Practical Nurses play an increasingly wide role in primary health care focusing on health promotion, illness and injury prevention, and health protection and restoration.

51 fully funded scholarships are listed for Canada. See Canada scholarships.