Health Sciences

Practical Nursing diploma

The UFV Practical Nursing program is designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and professional values necessary to function within the scope of practice of a Licensed Practical Nurse. The program will prepare graduates for employment in selected health care settings within hospitals, long-term care facilities, and the community.

Graduates will be eligible to write the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Exam (CPNRE). The UFV Practical Nursing program is based on the provincial Practical Nursing (PN) curriculum. The PN curriculum provides students with experiences that promote the development of holistic nursing care with a particular focus on the care of individuals with disabilities, the elderly, and adults experiencing acute and chronic illness.

The UFV Practical Nursing program is a 19-month full-time program delivered over two years. The program is comprised of four semesters followed by a preceptorship experience. Program courses are delivered in a variety of formats such as group work, multi-media approaches, lecture, lab simulation, and skill mastery. Clinical experiences include placements in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and selected community agencies. The clinical experiences encompass supervised practice, preceptorship, and observational experiences.

Classroom experiences may include evening scheduling. Clinical experiences may include extended work days, evening and night shifts, and weekends.

The Practical Nursing program is demanding. Students will not have time to work either full-time or part-time. Effective time-management skills, computer skills, and study skills are critical to success.

Note: The LPN Access option to the BSN program provides an opportunity for Licensed Practical Nurses to bridge into the BSN program.

Entrance requirements

1. B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent (GED or ABE provincial diploma) with:
   • Completion of Anatomy and Physiology 12, Biology 12 or equivalent (BIO 093), or BIO 111 with a minimum grade of C+ within five years prior to enrolment.
   • One of the following with a minimum grade of C: Principles of Mathematics 11, Foundations of Mathematics 11, Pre-calculus 11, or MATH 085.
   • English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 (see Note), ENGL 081, or ENGL 091 with a minimum grade of C+; or ENGL 099 or CMNS 099 (discontinued) with a minimum grade of C; or completion of any other course or test score with grades that meet the prerequisites for ENGL 105.

     Note: Students may also present English 12, English Literature 12, English 12 First Peoples, AP English, IB English A (standard level or higher level), or out-of-province equivalent.

   • Completion of a Practical Nursing Human Anatomy and Physiology course (PNUR 147 or equivalent) with a minimum grade of C+ within five years prior to enrolment.

     Note: Courses equivalent to the Practical Nursing Human Anatomy and Physiology course (PNUR 147) are available from other public post-secondary institutions. Please check with the School of Health Studies to ensure the course is transferable.

2. Successful completion of ELS University Bridge Level Speaking/Listening and Writing courses may be required for applicants for whom English is not a first language.
3. Volunteer experience in a health care setting or employment in a health care field. Volunteer experience will consist of a minimum of 30 hours of volunteer work with adults or children in an acute care, long-term care, or community health care agency. Applicants will be asked to submit a written reference that reflects the length and nature of the volunteer experience or employment in a health care field.
4. Current Standard First Aid certificate at time of application.
5. Basic Rescuer — Level C certificate (included in the Standard First Aid certificate). Currency must be maintained throughout the program.
6. Successful completion of a security clearance check. Criminal record check forms will be included with letter of notification of acceptance to the program.
7. A health assessment indicating fitness to practice. The assessment must be completed within 12 months prior to enrolment. Health questionnaire forms will be included with the letter of notification regarding an information session. Completed forms must be brought to the information session or interview.
8. Completion of an immunization program prior to the program start date. Immunization forms will be included with the letter of acceptance. Proof of immunization must be received by the date specified.
9. Attendance at an information session in preparation for entry into the program. Application essay questions will be written at this time.
10. Interview with a faculty member to assess the following:
    • Basic knowledge of the field;
    • Time management skills;
    • Communication skills: ability to listen and articulate ideas;
    • Financial resources and support systems; and
    • Personal and work commitments in relation to assuming the demands of an applied academic program of studies.
11. Valid driver’s licence (learner’s licence not acceptable): Students are responsible for providing their own transportation to class, labs, and clinical agencies throughout the Fraser Health Authority.

Students who do not meet these requirements might consider Qualifying Studies.

When to apply

Applications are accepted on a continuous basis throughout the year for entrance to the Fall semester only. Qualified applicants are considered for the next intake in which there is space. Applications completed by February 28 are considered for the Fall intake. See Continuous application process for more information.

How to apply

1. Apply online at ufv.ca/admissions/apply and submit the following documents to the Office of the Registrar:
   • Proof of B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent (except for secondary school students, who may apply once they are registered in Grade 12).
   • Prerequisite course(s) — submit an official transcript showing final grades in all prerequisite courses (except for Grade 12 students, who will be required to submit an official transcript showing final grades in all prerequisite courses and proof of graduation in early August).
   • Completion of ELS University Bridge Level Speaking/Listening and Writing courses as necessary.

   Note: Proof of prerequisites must be attached to the application. To be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly to UFV from the originating institution; see the Transfer Credit section for details.

   Once all these forms and academic documents have been received by the Office of the Registrar, the application will be forwarded to the Practical Nursing program.
2. The following documents must be submitted to the School of Health Studies, Chilliwack campus, by February 28:
   • Practical Nursing program application form (available at ufv.ca/registrar/forms)
   • Volunteer health care experience reference(s)
   • Valid Standard First Aid certificate (miniumum 16 hours)
   • Basic Rescuer — Level C certificate (included in the Standard First Aid certificate)
   • Proof of valid driver’s licence (learner’s licence not acceptable)

   Additional documents required for a complete application:

   • UFV and Practical Nursing program application forms
   • Proof of B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent
   • Official transcript(s) showing completion of academic requirements as per entrance requirements
   • Volunteer health care experience reference(s)
   • Valid Standard First Aid certificate
   • Basic Rescuer — Level C certificate (included in the Standard First Aid certificate)
   • Completion of ELS University Bridge Level Speaking/Listening and Writing courses as necessary
   • Proof of valid driver’s licence (learner’s licence not acceptable)

3. Attendance at a program information session and interview with the program faculty is required for all applicants with "complete" application status. Applicants will be contacted when dates and times have been established; a health questionnaire will be provided and must be returned to the School of Health Studies prior to interview. Applicants to be interviewed will be notified by letter.
4. Applicants will be accepted based on points achieved on the applicant rating form.
5. Applicants will be notified in writing regarding their acceptance. Upon admission to the program applicants will be provided with registration information. A deposit is required by a specified date in order to reserve a seat in the program. This money will be applied toward tuition fees. If applicants do not register for courses and pay the deposit, a place will no longer be held for them.
6. Applicants who meet the minimum requirements but are not selected for the next class will be considered for the following intake. A letter will be sent indicating where the applicant's rating score was low. If they are not selected for a second intake, applicants will be required to reapply and resubmit all documents.

Basis for admission decision

"Complete applicant" status does not guarantee acceptance into the program. Students will be rated based on the points achieved on the applicant rating form. Points will be given for academic performance on prerequisite courses, application essay, work/volunteer experience, references, and the personal interview.

The highest score that can be achieved by an applicant is 30.

1. Academic prerequisites: up to 8 points. The higher the applicant's GPA on required academic prerequisites, the more points awarded. GPA will be calculated using the UFV grading scale.
2. Work/volunteer experience and letter of reference: up to 6 points. Points will be allocated according to the duration of the experience and the character of the reference given. Recognition will be given to any applicant who has demonstrated a leadership role in a workplace.
3. Application essay questions: up to 6 points. Applicants will be given points on the basis of meeting the criteria and the writing skill demonstrated.
4. Interview: up to 10 points. Applicants will be given points related to their knowledge of practical nursing, organizational skills, planning for program workload and financial aspects, identified supports, management of commitments, communication skills, knowledge of own learning, and problem-solving skills.

Applicants with the highest number of points will be given priority for program seats. If points achieved are equal, remaining seats will be awarded according to the date of "complete" application status.

Fees and additional costs

See the Fees and Other Costs section. Program textbooks are estimated at $1,500. Uniforms, instruments, supplies, and parking will total approximately $800.

Financial aid

UFV has a comprehensive financial assistance program including scholarships, loans, and bursaries. Details are available from Financial Aid and Awards.

Program duration

The Practical Nursing diploma is 19 months in duration and is completed in a full-time capacity.

Location

All Practical Nursing classes are located on the Chilliwack campus. Clinical experiences occur at a variety of agencies throughout the Fraser Health Authority.

Program outline

Semester I

Note: PNUR 146 begins after the completion of other Semester I courses.

Semester II

Note: PNUR 156 begins after the completion of other Semester II courses.

Semester III

Note: PNUR 246 begins after the completion of other Semester III courses.

Semester IV

Note: PNUR 256 begins after the completion of all other Semester IV courses. PNUR 257 and PNUR 258 begin after successful completion of PNUR 256.

Program continuance

The Practical Nursing courses for each semester are prerequisites for the coursework in the next semester. Due to the integrated nature of the nursing courses, progression from one semester to the next requires concurrent completion of the nursing courses. All students must receive a passing grade of 65% (GPA of 2.33) or better in each of the practical nursing courses in order to proceed in the program. Students must also receive a Pass (CR) in the practical nursing clinical course experiences.

The Practical Nursing courses in each semester are closely related to each other and are considered co-requisites. Failure of one Practical Nursing course may necessitate the re-taking of all co-requisites courses.

Each student in the program will also receive a UFV Practical Nursing Student Guidelines and Policies manual, which further explains the program's continuance requirements and policies.

Undergraduate continuance

Students enrolled in undergraduate courses (courses numbered 100 or higher) must maintain an undergraduate Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 2.00 to remain enrolled in Good Academic Standing at UFV. Students in Good Academic Standing will have no registration limits placed on them. Failure to meet the minimum CGPA requirement will result in restrictions on registration and may eventually lead to academic suspension from undergraduate studies at UFV. Students on Academic Warning or Academic Probation are limited to registering in 10 credits. For further details, see the Academic standing and undergraduate continuance section of the academic calendar. Academic standing is governed by UFV's Undergraduate Continuance policy (92).

Readmission

Students requesting readmission to the Practical Nursing program must document their request in writing to the department head. The letter of request must include a description of the circumstances related to their withdrawal from the program, an explanation of previous areas of difficulty, and plans for the promotion of their future success. Requests for readmission must be received at the School of Health Studies four months prior to the semester for which they are reapplying.

The Student Selections Committee will review all readmission requests and based on faculty recommendations (from the last semester in which the student was enrolled) will decide on the appropriate placement in the program. Factors influencing the final decision for readmission include availability of seats, length of absence from the program, previous academic achievement (theory and clinical courses), and potential for success. An interview with the department head is required of all students requesting readmission. All applicants for readmission will be informed in writing regarding the decision and conditions for re-entry into the program. The Practical Nursing program reserves the right to stipulate conditions attached to readmission. Readmission into the program may necessitate the successful completion of nursing courses previously passed if in the judgement of faculty, the length of absence from the program and/or the reasons for withdrawal would render the applicant inadequately prepared for the subsequent semester.

Residency

At a minimum, students must complete all courses in Semester IV at UFV.

Graduation requirements

To be eligible to graduate, students must achieve a minimum of 65% in each course and successful completion of each clinical course.

Maximum length of time to complete program

Students are allowed up to four consecutive years from entry to complete program requirements.

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.