Practical Nursing ─ Diploma

Program Details

Credential Received

Diploma in Practical Nursing

Overview

Program Summary

The Provincial Practical Nursing Program is designed to provide learners with the knowledge, skills, judgements and attitudes to perform to the full range of competencies as identified by the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM). The curriculum provides a learning experience that is integrated, professional, collaborative and culturally sensitive with an aim to prepare graduates to care for individuals (and by extension, families of individuals) at multiple life stages and in a variety of practice settings. 

Program Outcomes

Upon completion of the Practical Nursing Program (PNP), graduates will:

1. Apply the Entry-level Competencies for Licensed Practical Nurses (2021) to provide safe, competent, culturally safe and ethical care
2. Practice within relevant legislation, scope of practice, standards of practice and ethical standards as set out by the Nurses (Licensed Practical) Regulation (2015), and the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM)
3. Value and engage in continuous learning to maintain and enhance competence
4. Practice in collaboration with other members of the health care team to meet the collective needs of their clients
5. Participate in interprofessional problem-solving and decision-making
6. Advocate for and facilitate change reflecting evidence‐informed practice
7. Make practice decisions that are client specific and consider client acuity, complexity, variability and available resources
8. Use critical thinking, clinical judgement and knowledge of assessment to plan, implement and evaluate the agreed-upon plan of care
9. Develop a collaborative relationship with clients by connecting, sharing and exploring with them in a caring environment
10. Provide culturally safe, person‐centred care across the lifespan that recognizes and respects the uniqueness of each individual and is sensitive to cultural safety, cultural humility and diversity
11. Provide leadership, direction, assignment and supervision of unregulated care providers as appropriate
12. Identify one’s own values, biases and assumptions and the influence of these on interactions with clients and other members of the health care team

Program Admission Requirements

Academic Requirements

Individuals applying for admission to the PNP must apply during the application period; exact dates are posted on the Selkirk College PNP webpage. To be considered for the program, applicants must meet all admission requirements and submit their completed application and supporting documents by the end of the application period.

Academic

BC high school graduation and completion of the following BC Provincial Curriculum courses (or equivalents) with minimum of 67% or as indicated:

• English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12
• Anatomy and Physiology 12 (Biology 12)
• Math 11 Foundations

As English is the language of study in BC, students must meet English language proficiency at an appropriate level to be accepted into the PNP. These requirements can be satisfied through three 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 three-year calculation. Those not meeting this requirement must achieve scores identified in one of the two tests below:

• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with minimum scores of:
  • Speaking: 7.0
  • Listening: 7.5
  • Reading: 6.5
  • Writing: 7.0
  • Overall Band Score: 7.0

• Canadian English Language Benchmarks Assessment for Nurses (CELBAN) with minimum scores of:
  • Speaking: 8.0
  • Listening: 10.0
  • Reading: 8.0
  • Writing: 7.0

Additional Requirements

Before an application is considered complete, the following must be received by the Admissions Office:

• Selkirk College application form
• PNP application form
• Requisite skills and abilities declaration form  
• English language declaration form
• Official transcripts of high school or upgrading program grades (an interim statement of grades is acceptable if applicant is still attending school)
• Official transcripts for all post-secondary education studies in which the applicant has enrolled
• BC Ministry of Justice criminal record check
• College Readiness Tool (CRT) Assessment

The Admissions Office will acknowledge receipt of application forms. Program seats will be offered on a first-qualified, first-served basis.

Fully qualified applicants will be admitted based on the application date. A non-refundable seat deposit is required by the offer-acceptance deadline otherwise the offer will be considered declined.

Once the seats have been filled, a waitlist will be created for the current intake. Applicants on the waitlist will be offered seats that remain or become vacant after the offer-acceptance deadline.

Applicants who are not admitted or do not take a seat are required to reapply to be considered in a subsequent year; waitlists are not carried over.

Graduation and Promotion

Successful completion of Anatomy and Physiology for Practical Nurses, Professional Practice I and Professional Communication I, or provincially transferable equivalent, is required prior to continued studies in the program.

To progress from one term to the next, the following requirements must be met:

• Satisfactory completion of all theory courses with a minimum of 70% except for the following courses:
• Pharmacology I-II 80%
• Integrated Nursing Practice I-IV 70% on written assignments and credit granted (CRG) on psycho-motor skills testing
• Consolidated Practice Experience (CPE) I-IV and Preceptorship - CRG
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 per semester

Additional Program Policies