Practical Nursing Diploma

Why Choose North Island College?

• Diverse experience. During your practice experience, your first-hand interaction with patients, clients, and agencies in the North Island region will prove invaluable. You’ll be given the opportunity to pursue your practice experience in communities across Vancouver Island, from Port Alberni to Port Hardy. You’ll meet people and help patients from a broad range of areas and demographics, giving you a variety of invaluable experiences.
• A close-knit community of support. With only 16 to 20 students in each class, you’ll enjoy better access to teacher assistance and services than in larger institutions. Plus, you’ll have a team of supportive, highly qualified instructors to help you achieve success.
• High rate of success. Students are well-prepared for writing the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN). NIC graduates have a high success rate on the exam.
• Former students tell us. "This program not only effectively sets you up to become a practical nurse; it surrounds you with great instructors. And students that become your mentors, colleagues, and friends."

Program Highlights

Under a new 2011 provincial curriculum, the Practical Nursing diploma prepares graduates to deliver nursing care that meets the practice standards and entry level competencies of the College of LPNs of BC (CLPNBC). The program emphasizes the concepts of caring, holism, nursing collaboration, self-reflection, lifespan, leadership, and safety as well as diversity and Aboriginal health.

The curriculum is divided into four levels:

1. Foundations and development of nursing practice.
   Level one provides the foundation for the development of nursing practice and introduces the learner to the healthy adult.
2. Adult with chronic illness in various settings.
   Level two explores the older adult and concepts related to ageing and chronic illness in various settings.
3. Community health; mental health, maternal and child health.
   Level three examines a continuum of care in community care and applies concepts from level one, two, and three in the management of stable clients across the lifespan.
4. Medical/surgical nursing practice in acute care.
   Level four integrates knowledge from previous levels and examines concepts related to the care of the client with acute presentation or exacerbation of chronic illness.

The Practical Nursing diploma is held over 24 months (four semesters), and classes may be scheduled during the day, in the evening, and on weekends. Students begin in September with BIO-159 Human Anatomy & Physiology, a four-week course and program admission requirement. Upon successful completion, students then continue into the Practical Nursing program curriculum in October.

During the program, students participate in a range of activities, working with each other and with the instructor to master essential skills. Through concept-based, case-based, skill-based, and integrated learning experiences, students achieve a strong sense of professionalism. The classroom emulates the workplace, where students learn skills, behaviours, and attitudes that will carry them effectively into the workforce. Students are guided by NIC policies as well as the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of BC (CLPNBC).

Each of the four levels ends in a consolidated practice experience. At the end of the acute care practice experience, students work through a 30-hour course that prepares them for the transition to their final practice experience or preceptorship. Students will then complete a final preceptorship, which is approximately six weeks, or 180 hours, in length. During this experience, students are partnered with LPNs and consolidate their learning as they gradually assume 100% of the LPN's workload.

Successful graduates will be effective, responsible practitioners who use critical thinking and a holistic, client-centered approach to plan and implement care for their clients; moreover, they will possess the communication and leadership skills needed to be a collaborative member of their health care team.

Career Opportunities

LPNs are integral members of the health care team, providing nursing care for families and individuals of all ages. The provincial regulatory framework currently states that LPNs work "under the direction of a medical practitioner" or "under the supervision of an registered nurse". However, LPNs are regulated by the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of British Columbia (CLPNBC) and are responsible and accountable for their own nursing practice.

LPNs practice in a variety of settings including acute care hospitals, complex care facilities, community settings, rehabilitation centers, doctors' offices, clinics, and correctional facilities. LPNs have a broad scope of practice with many responsibilities and assume a leadership role in residential care facilities. The complexity of client care is increasing for all nurses and there are many post-basic educational opportunities for LPNs. There continues to be a strong demand for LPNs in the province.

Important Practice Placement Information

Student practice experiences in health agencies are essential to the Practical Nursing program. Students will be placed in a variety of community agencies that have services and resources to support the health of different age groups. Complex care facilities provide residential care and support for a primarily older adult population, and acute care hospitals offer care to clients with episodic health events. While the majority of practice placements are located in NIC campus communities, it may be necessary to utilize agencies in other Vancouver Island communities. Students may be scheduled to attend practice experiences in other communities and must arrange their own transportation and assume related costs. During the final Preceptorship component students may be required to work eight and/or 12 hour shifts, including days, evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.

Admission Requirements

1. Grade 12 graduation or equivalent.
2. Minimum C+ in Provincial English 12, NIC ENG 060, ENG 098, or equivalent, or a B+ in Technical Communications 12, or successful assessment testing.
3. Minimum C in Principles of Math 11, or Foundations 11, or Pre-calculus 11, or Applications of Math 12, or A&W 12, or NIC MAT 053, or successful assessment testing.
4. Minimum C in Biology 12 (Human Biology), or NIC BIO 060, or equivalent completed within 10 years.
5. *Student must also complete BIO 159 Human Anatomy and Physiology for Practical Nursing or equivalent with a C+ or better prior to beginning the full time program.
   *Students meeting all requirements with the exception of BIO 159 may be conditionally invited to the program prior to registering in BIO 159. Students will however be required to successfully complete BIO 159 prior to starting the full time program. 
6. A completed Practical Nursing Intake Package.  Carefully read the Health and Program Information Bulletins.  Prospective students must review these bulletins and decide whether they believe the PN program is suited to them.  Prospective students who have questions or concerns should contact an Educational Advisor. 

Applicants with English as an additional language must meet the language requirement set by CLPNBC and be successful in one of the following:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Test of Spoken English (TSE) Minimum paper based score of 550 and TSE overall comprehensibility score of 50. 
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS)- Academic Version Minimum scores: Overall Band Score: 7.5, Speaking: 7.5, Listening: 8.0, Reading: 7.0, Writing: 7.5
• Canadian English Language Benchmarks Assessment for Nurses (CELBAN) Minimum scores: Speaking: 8.0, Listening: 10, Reading: 8, Writing: 7 
• Successful completion of Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) with the following scores: Composition, Listening, Grammar/Reading: 83, Speaking: 3

Before Classes Begin

1. 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.
2. Hold a current CPR Health Care provider (HRT-015) certificate or equivalent and have completed a Workplace Hazardous Material Information System (WHMIS) course. A photocopy of these certificates must be presented to the faculty on the first day of classes. It is the responsibility of the students to maintain their CPR Level HCP certification throughout the program.
3. Submit a completed immunization form. This immunization form should be validated by the public health nurse at your local health unit. This form must be presented to the faculty on the first day of class.
4. Attend a group information session. This mandatory session is designed to assist students in making an informed decision about pursuing a career as a Licensed Practical nurse. The admissions department will send you an invitation with details regarding the date and time of the information session.
5. Some prospective students may be required to have an interview at the discretion of the department chair or designate.

To Be Successful

A number of abilities and skills are required to be successful in the Practical Nursing program. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

• An ability to communicate clearly in English, both spoken and written.
• Students will be required to access online resources and to submit typewritten essays and assignments. In the practice setting students may use electronic documentation. As a result, basic computer literacy is an essential skill, and students must have internet access and an email address.
• Accurate math calculations are critical for safe nursing practice. Students will be required to complete a math evaluation once they are qualified for admission. The intention of the evaluation is to assist students to identify their learning needs early and to seek remedial assistance in order to position themselves for success in the math components of the nursing program. The goal for the math evaluation is to achieve 90% and opportunities to rewrite will be provided with the intention of helping students improve their marks. Students will not be denied admission to the program if they do not achieve the 90% but it is strongly recommended they obtain remedial help immediately.
• It is an expectation of the Practical Nursing program that students demonstrate responsible, accountable behaviour in terms of maintaining a pattern of regular attendance, and establishing effective working relationships with student colleagues and faculty. Students are required to adhere to the CLPNBC Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. Failure to adhere to these standards may result in the student being required to leave the program.
• An interest in caring and providing service to an ethnically and culturally diverse clientele of people spanning all age groups
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills in the context of their collaborative relationships with clients, instructors, student peers, and multidisciplinary health care team members.
• Critical thinking skills. When providing care to clients the student must demonstrate responsible, safe and ethical behaviour and make informed, considered judgments.
• An ability to work independently and as a member of a health care team.
• The ability to carry out complex skills.
• The capacity to maintain their own mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being while working in a rewarding but often stressful working environment.
• Access to personal transportation is recommended for the PNP 161, 162, 163, and 173, the practice experience and preceptorship components. Students who are not able to provide their own transport may have difficulty meeting the requirements of these courses.

Program Requirements

Level I

• PNS-111 Professional Practice I
• PNS-112 Health Promotion I
• PNS-113 Variations in Health I
• PNS-114 Professional Communications I
• PNS-115 Pharmacology I
• PNS-116 Integrated Nursing Practice I
• PNS-117 Consolidated Practice Experience I

Level II

• PNS-121 Professional Practice II
• PNS-122 Health Promotion II
• PNS-123 Variations in Health II
• PNS-124 Professional Communications II
• PNS-125 Pharmacology II
• PNS-126 Integrated Nursing Practice II
• PNS-127 Consolidated Practice Experience II

Level III 

• PNS-231 Professional Practice III
• PNS-232 Health Promotion III
• PNS-233 Variations in Health III
• PNS-234 Professional Communications III
• PNS-236 Integrated Nursing Practice III
• PNS-237 Consolidated Practice Experience III

Level IV 

• PNS-241 Professional Practice IV
• PNS-242 Health Promotion IV
• PNS-243 Variations in Health IV
• PNS-244 Professional Communications IV
• PNS-246 Integrated Nursing Practice IV
• PNS-247 Consolidated Practice Experience IV

• PNS-248 Transition to Final Practice Experience
• PNS-249 Final Practice Experience

Completion Requirements

The Practical Nursing student must achieve a minimum of 60% in each course (except pharmacology)*, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 65%, and pass each nursing practice experience. Students who miss more than 10% of a practice experience may be asked to repeat the course.

*In pharmacology courses, students must achieve a 100% average on the math portion and an 80% average on the theory portion.

• It is an expectation of the Practical Nursing program that students demonstrate responsible, accountable behaviour in terms of maintaining a pattern of regular attendance, and establishing effective working relationships with student colleagues and faculty.
• Students are required to adhere to the CLPNBC Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. Failure to adhere to these standards may result in the student being required to leave the program.
• A student who has already failed a course, re-entered the program, repeated it and passed, and then fails another course will be removed entirely from the program and can only re-enter by going through the admission process and beginning at term one.
• Re-entering the program is dependent on an available seat and at the discretion of the practical nursing department. Students who fail a required course may be asked to complete a learning assessment and/or skills or written exam prior to being considered for re-admission.
• These regulations are important to the profession to ensure that graduates have the required skills and knowledge and are therefore deemed safe to practice.