Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree

Why Choose North Island College?

• Same degree, less cost. You can complete your four-year BSN degree in the Comox Valley, where the cost of living is considerably lower than in other urban centres, with more affordable housing and transportation fees.
• A dynamic, caring community. As a student of the BSN program, you’ll be able to participate in the student-organized Nursing Network, which fosters a sense of community through events and volunteer work.
• Small classes, big opportunities. You’ll benefit from small class sizes and flexibility of practice placements. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in both urban and rural practice placements.
• Interactive facilities. The Nursing Learning Centre provides you with state-of-the-art tools and technology, such as programmable simulator manikins. These manikins respond in different ways to the actions and interventions of health care students, giving you a unique, hands-on learning experience.
• Be advised, every step of the way. NIC Student Advisors are dedicated to helping you make the most of your course choices. With one-on-one personal advising, you can be assured that your classes at NIC will help you get where you want to go.

Program Highlights

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at NIC is part of the Collaboration for Academic Education in Nursing (CAEN)--a partnership of nine post-secondary institutions offering the same nursing curriculum resulting in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. Partner sites in British Columbia include the University of Victoria, Camosun College, Vancouver Island University, Thompson Rivers University, UBC Okanagan, Selkirk College, College of the Rockies, and Aurora College in the North West Territories. Collectively these partner sites educate the majority of nurses in the province. This collaboration also makes transfer among partner sites possible depending on seat availability.

The program centers on nursing individuals, families, communities and society, promotes critical thinking in students and helps them identify patterns in nursing care. Core concepts such as leadership, advocacy, political action, nursing knowledge development, and nursing scholarship are explored throughout the entire curriculum.

The first year of the program focuses on health, primary health care, and health assessment across the lifespan. Students practice in a variety of settings, like community agencies, daycares, and seniors’ centres, where they can begin to use their nursing knowledge and practice interpersonal skills with healthy people. The focus of this practice is to experience primary health care activities, prevention activities and gain experience doing holistic health assessments.

In the second year, the focus is on healing initiatives, related nursing actions, and health challenges like illness, poverty, illiteracy, loss and grief. Students practice in a broad spectrum of nursing settings, such as intermediate care facilities, extended care facilities, community care, public health, hospital units, outpatient and daycare clinics, occupational health centres, and infection control offices.

During the third and fourth years, students further develop their understanding of health and healing. They focus their attention on community and societal health, and examine complex healing initiatives. Students practice leadership skills with an emphasis on the socio-political and economic context of nursing. They also use complex assessment skills, including community assessment, and engage in more advanced exploration of the discipline of nursing. Students practice in a variety of community settings, and placements may include hospitals, seniors' organizations, schools, industry and community health centres.

Most course are delivered in a face-to-face, classroom format with some opportunities for selected online courses. All BSN courses are on WebCT format and students access course materials through WebCT.

Career Opportunities

According to a 2002 study by the Canadian Nurses Association, if we continue with past workforce utilization patterns of registered nurses (RNs), Canada will experience a shortage of 78,000 RNs by 2011 and 113,000 RNs by 2016. In the past, students have found employment in a variety of areas including, but not limited to, mental health, public health, community care, travel nursing, international nursing, nursing with aboriginal communities, gerontology, acute care (medical-surgical), critical care areas (emergency, intensive care units, cardiac care, operating room), maternal/child areas, women's health and nursing education. The opportunities for registered nurses are endless!  

Credit for Prior Learning

Applicants with prior learning experience will be assessed on an individual basis. Students with prior nursing experience may apply for transfer credit or direct assessment of prior learning in selected courses. Contact the BSN Program Academic Advisor for further information.

Seat Availability

The prospective nursing student will be offered the next available seat in the program once all the admission requirements are complete and have been approved by Admissions. Students seeking to transfer from a partner site into the CAEN-BSN program at North Island College are required to submit official transcripts of courses completed and sign a consent authorizing release of confidential information such as Performance Appraisal Summary Sheets and Practice Tracking Records between institutions. Similarly, upon the written consent of the student, transcripts and records are shared with partner sites to which the student is transferring. Transfer to and from any of the CAEN partner sites is dependent upon seat availability and at the discretion of the nursing department. Please refer to University or College calendars for academic requirements for BSN preparation at sites offering the CAEN-BSN program.

Practice Placements

Nursing practice experiences in a variety of health agencies in the North Island region are essential to the program. While the majority of practice placements take place in the Comox Valley or in Campbell River, it is increasingly necessary to utilize agencies in other North Island regions such as Port McNeill, Port Hardy, Alert Bay, Bella Coola, Tofino, Powell River, and Port Alberni. Students may be asked to attend practice in any of these areas and must arrange their own transportation/accommodation costs. Students may be required to complete their Consolidated Practice Experiences during the month of June, July and/or August, depending on the availability of practice resources. Shift work in the practice areas may include days, evenings, nights, weekends, 8 and/or 12 hour shifts.

If you are a member of an agency who is interested in working with NIC's Bachelor of Science in Nursing students, please use the following resources to learn more about our students' curriculum and learning needs.

• Student Practice Experiences - Year One
• Student Practice Experiences - Year Two
• Student Practice Experiences - Year Three
• Student Practice Experiences - Year Four 

Get a Head Start

Once you complete necessary upgrading and are qualified for the Nursing Program, it is possible to take a total of SIX courses before you begin the Nursing program. These are: two courses in Anatomy & Physiology for first-year Nursing (BIO 160 and BIO 161), two first-year university-level English elective and two elective courses. This can significantly reduce your workload in the first year of the program. You may also choose to take an extra elective in preparation for your Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Potential English Requirement combinations include:
ENG 115 and ENG 120
ENG 115 and ENG 121
ENG 115 and ENG 126
ENG 115 and ENG 160
ENG 125 and ENG 126
ENG 120 and ENG 121
**Credit will not be granted for ENG 115 and ENG 125**

It is strongly recommended that students who need to focus on writing choose ENG 115 or ENG 125 as one of their English courses.
There are five electives required for graduation from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree program: 2 English, 2 non-nursing courses (to be approved by the Nursing Department), and 1 Advanced Nursing elective.

Choose electives that would be relevant to your practice as a nurse. Some popular choices are Psychology, Sociology, Women’s Studies, Biology, Chemistry, French and Spanish. The Nursing faculty suggests choices from the following list:

ANT 150 - Cultural Anthropology
BIO 215 - Intro to Microbiology
CRM 131 - Introduction to the Criminal Justice System
CRM 135 - Introduction to the Canadian Law & Legal Institutions
ESJ 100 - Equity & Social Justice in Contemporary Canada
ESJ 101 - Global Changes to, and Movements for Social Justice
HIS 112 - Canadian History: 1867 - Present
HIS 250 - History of Women in Canada, 1600-1920
HIS 251 - History of Women in Canada, 1920-Present
PHI 150 - Critical Thinking
PHI 230 - Contemporary Moral Issues
PSY 130 - Introductory Psychology I
PSY 131 - Introductory Psychology II
SOC 110 - Introduction to Sociology I
SOC 111 - Introduction to Sociology II
SOC 130 - First Nations Sociology
SOC 212 - Issues in Canadian Society
WST 100 - Global Perspectives on Women
WST 101 - Issues in Women's Health
WST 110 - First Nations Women's Studies
WST 260 - Empowered Caring & Feminist Practice

Admission Requirements

Option A: Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree

On completion of eight academic terms and three consolidated practice experiences, students will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Students will write national registration examinations after completion of the program.

Prospective students must meet the following academic requirements:

1. Grade 12 or equivalent (completing all the prerequisites below is considered by NIC BSN program as Grade 12 equivalent)
2. C+ in Biology 12 or NIC BIO 060, or equivalent*.
3. C+ in Chemistry 11 or NIC CHE 051, or equivalent*.
4. C+ in Provincial English 12, NIC ENG 060, ENG 098, ESL 090 or an English assessment test.
5. C+ in Principles of Math 11, Applications of Math 12, NIC MAT 053 or a Math assessment test. For students graduating from high school in spring 2013 the math requirement will be a C+ in Pre Calculus 11; Foundations of Math 12 or NIC MAT 053 or a math assessment test.

*Biology 12 and Chemistry 11 are prerequisites for BIO 160, a required course in the Nursing program. BIO 160 is taught by the NIC Science Department which requires that both the Biology 12 and Chemistry 11 courses be current within the last 10 years.

Currently LPN’s who want to access a BSN degree enter under Option A into Year One of the program and then may engage in Prior Learning Assessment for certain courses in the program. This is done on a case by case basis. Contact the BSN Program Academic Advisor for further information about this option. Prospective students who are LPN’s must meet the following academic prerequisites:

1. Transcripts from LPN program and other educational institution attended.
2. Current registration or eligibility for registration as a LPN in British Columbia.
   Note: Students must have a valid license with the CLPNBC at the time of program commencement.
3. C+ in Chemistry 11, or NIC CHE 051, or equivalent*.
4. C+ in Provincial English 12, NIC ENG 060, ENG 098, ESL 090 or an English assessment test.
5. C+ in Principles of Math 11, Applications of Math 12, NIC MAT 053 or a Math assessment test.
6. The prerequisite of Biology 12 is waived for LPNs.

*Biology 12 and Chemistry 11 are prerequisites for BIO 160, a required course in the Nursing program. BIO 160 is taught by the NIC Science Department which requires that both the Biology 12 and Chemistry 11 courses be current within the last 10 years.
 

Option B: RN Access to Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree.

This option is designed to allow practicing Registered Nurses who have a diploma to access Term 6 of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Students choosing this option proceed to degree completion by completing four academic terms. Nurses with limited practice experience may be required to complete 2 additional consolidated practice experiences.

Prospective students must meet the following academic prerequisites:

1. Submit transcripts from Diploma School of Nursing and other educational institution attended.
2. Submit verification of nursing registration status from CRNBC.
3. Complete NUR 345 at the University of Victoria or Thompson Rivers University Open Learning.
4. See the BSN Program Academic Advisor re: program planning.

Note: Applicants who meet the admission requirements for this option will be accepted in the program at NIC depending on seat availability. Students registered at a partner site wanting to take single courses at NIC will be considered depending on seat availability.

Other Admission Requirements
(Options A and B)

1. Complete a CAEN-BSN program Student Information form (Intake Package for Option A and Intake Package for Option B with all necessary forms are available at all NIC campuses, centres, and NIC website). Students who are transferring from CAEN Partner sites use the Transfer from CAEN Partner Site application package. Students who are transferring from non-CAEN sites use the Transfer from Non-CAEN Partner Site application package.
2. Submit two letters of reference directly to the college; using the reference forms included In the Intake Package For LPN’s one of the letters must be from an LPN instructor or employer in health care and for Option B one of the letters must be from an RN supervisor.

Before Classes Begin

Once accepted to the program, but before classes begin, the student will be required to:

1. Attend a group information session. This mandatory session, usually held in June, is designed to assist students in making an informed decision about pursuing a nursing career.
2. Hold a current CPR Level C certificate or equivalent and have completed a Workplace Hazardous Material Information System (WHMIS) course. A photocopy of these certificates must be presented to the Nursing Program Support Assistant on the first day of classes. It is the responsibility of the student to complete CPR Level HCP certification before beginning Year Two and Year Four of the nursing program.
3. Submit a completed immunization form. This immunization form will be sent to you once you are offered a seat in the program. This form should be validated by the public health nurse at your local health unit. The test must indicate Rubella IgG reactive and Varicella immune status. This form must be presented to the BSN Program Support Assistant on the first day of classes. Note: If the public health nurse recommends a rubella serologic test, a photocopy of the results of this test will also have to be submitted.
4. Submit a Criminal Record Check permission form so that the college can get your Criminal Record Check done.  This form will be sent to you when you are offered a seat in the program.
5. The College of Registered Nurses of BC has approved requisite skills and abilities (RSA) to meet entry level RN competencies. These requisite skills and abilities are included in the information sent to once you are offered a seat in the program and will be discussed at the group information session. Prospective students need to review these and decide whether they believe they are able to meet them. Prospective students who have concerns about being able to meet the RSAs should contact the BSN Program Academic Advisor.

To Be Successful

• Nursing students are required to adhere to the Code of Ethics of the Canadian Nurses Association and the CRNBC Professional Standards for Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners and Practice Standards for Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners. Failure to adhere to these principles may result in the student being required to leave the program.
• Students will participate in online learning and will be required to submit typewritten essays and papers as part of course requirements. As a result, basic computer literacy and internet access are necessary.
• In order to enrol in BIO160/161, English, and/or elective courses while on a waitlist for the program, students are encouraged to apply concurrently to the University Studies program and to the Nursing program. College policies regarding advanced standing and transfer credit apply.
• Accurate math calculations are critical for safe nursing practice. As a result, students will be required to complete a math evaluation with Assessment Services after they have met the admission requirements and have a seat in the nursing program. The goal for the math evaluation is 90%. The intention of the evaluation is for students to identify their learning needs early and if they do not achieve 90% it is strongly recommended they seek remedial assistance in order to position themselves for success in the math components of the nursing courses. Students will not be denied admission to the program if they do not achieve the 90%.

Program Requirements

Program Structure

NIC Term 1: September - December

NIC Term 2: January - April

NIC Spring Term: May

NIC Term 3: September - December

NIC Term 4: January - April

NIC Spring Term: May

NIC Term 5: September - December

NIC-VIU Term 6 (Option A, B): January - April

NIC-VIU Spring Term: May

NIC-VIU Term 7: September - December

NIC-VIU Term 8: January - April

June: Convocation & RN Exam

Completion Requirements

1. In order to receive credit for courses required for the CAEN-BSN program, the nursing student must achieve a minimum of 60% in each course (including electives), maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.33 (65%) each semester, and pass each nursing practicum. Students who miss more than 10% of a practice experience may be asked to repeat the course.
2. A student who fails a required biology course will usually have to withdraw from the program until the course is passed. If a student subsequently passes the course, the student may re-enter the program. A student who fails a required nursing course will have to withdraw from the program and may apply to re-enter the program at a subsequent offering in the same term as the failure occurred. When a failure occurs in either a biology or a nursing course and a student is planning to re-enter the program it is recommended that they place their names on the waitlist as soon as possible. Re-entering the program is dependent on an available seat and at the discretion of the nursing department. If in repeating a nursing course the student fails again, or if the student fails another nursing course, then the student will be removed entirely from the program and will be unable to continue in the CAEN-BSN program at any partner site. A student who fails two nursing courses can only re-enter by going through the admission process and beginning at Term One. Students who fail a required course may be asked to complete a learning assessment prior to being considered for readmission. These regulations are important to the profession to ensure that graduates have the required skills and knowledge and are therefore deemed safe to practice.
3. All electives must be university-transferable. Go to www.bctransferguide.ca to check course transferability. With the exception of the approved fourth year nursing elective, electives must be in areas other than nursing.
   Option A: Students must take two first year university-level English courses: ENG 115 or ENG 125 and one of ENG 120, 121, 126 or 160. (Note: credit will not be granted for both ENG 115 and 125) or ENG 120 and 121. It is strongly recommended that students who need to focus on writing choose ENG 115 or ENG 125 as one of their English courses. It is also recommended that all English courses be completed by the end of their second year in the nursing program.
   Option B: returning RNs are required to meet the above English requirements unless they have a minimum B+ in ENG 115 or ENG 121. In this case they are not required to complete a second English and will require 50 credits to graduate instead of 53 credits.
4. The CAEN-BSN program at North Island College and its partner sites must normally be completed within seven years from a student's entry to Year One of the program for Option A, and within six years for Option B.
5. Option B: Students must maintain active CRNBC registration. Returning RNs need to complete 2 additional 300 or 400 level electives in order to meet 3rd and 4th year graduation requirements.