Health Sciences

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program is designed for students who wish to pursue a career in nursing. Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) who wish to complete a nursing degree should apply to the LPN Access to BSN program. The degree prepares graduates for employment in a variety of health care settings.

This is a four-year program, taught primarily in person on the Chilliwack campus. The program offers instruction in nursing, health sciences, social sciences, and research, and an opportunity for advanced focus in a variety of areas.

This program is recognized by the British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals. Graduates will be eligible to write the registration examinations.

Course delivery options vary and include independent study, lectures, seminars, multimedia approaches, and simulation in labs and tutorials. The clinical experiences include hospitals and community agencies with supervised practica, preceptorships, and observational experiences.

Note: Clinical experience may include extended work days, evening shifts, and weekends.

It is possible to complete some of the Health Science and elective courses prior to entering the Nursing program, through UFV or other post-secondary institutions. A limited number of seats may be available in selected Health Science courses at UFV for Nursing Track students. The Nursing Track allows select students to study at UFV while completing the application or selection process. Applicants seeking to come to UFV directly from high school should apply for the Nursing program and those who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed in the Nursing Track option. They will be considered for admission at the next available entry point, normally January. Nursing Track may also be suggested for some who are not successful in their first application. Qualified applicants will be contacted by the Office of the Registrar if this is an available option.

Nursing applicants in Nursing Track, Qualifying Studies, or transferring from another post-secondary institution must obtain a minimum grade of C in required and elective courses in order to receive credit. Completion of UFV Health Sciences courses does not automatically guarantee a seat in the Nursing program. Post-secondary applicants should speak with an academic advisor to plan their courses.

All applicants, including those in the Nursing Track, are strongly encouraged to complete ENGL 105 or equivalent prior to program entry.

The Nursing program is very demanding. Students who are taking a full course load will not have time to work either full-time or part-time. Competency with the Microsoft Office productivity suite is essential.

Entrance requirements

Academic entrance requirements

1. B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent with:
   • Completion of each of the following courses with a minimum grade of C+ within five years prior to enrolment:
     • Anatomy and Physiology 12, Biology 12 (BIO 093), or BIO 111
     • Chemistry 11 (CHEM 083), CHEM 110, or CHEM 113
   • 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 (UFV ENGL 091 or ENGL 099; see Note) with a minimum grade of B, or ENGL 105 with a minimum grade of C.

     Note 1: 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.

     Note 2: Applicants applying with university education may have their higher-level courses substituted for lower-level entry requirements.

2. Applicants whose first language is not English must meet the Degree/diploma level English language proficiency requirement. For details on how this requirement may be met, see the English language proficiency requirement section of the calendar.

Other entrance requirements

1. 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 and/or employment in a health care field.
2. 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 interview.
3. Attendance at a program information session with the program faculty is mandatory for applicants being considered for admission to the program. At the information session applicants will be asked to complete an application essay question. 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 at the time of the interview. Applicants that are to be interviewed will be notified.
4. Interview with faculty members.

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

When to apply

Applications are accepted for the Fall and Winter semesters. For application deadlines, see Specific intake application process.

How to apply

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 (current secondary school students may apply starting October 1 of their Grade 12 year).
• Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended. To be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly to UFV from the originating institution; see the Transfer Credit section for details.
• Prerequisite course(s) — submit an official transcript showing final grades in all prerequisite courses (current Grade 12 students will be required to submit an official transcript showing final grades in all required courses by August 1 for the Winter intake).
• Nursing program application (available at ufv.ca/registrar/forms).
• Evidence of volunteer/work experience in a health care setting (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).

All completed applications will be assessed. Applications which meet both the BSN minimum program requirements and the BSN competitive threshold will be assessed by the Nursing program for admission. Applicants who do not meet the threshold will be provided an opportunity to take a position in an alternate UFV program. Unsuccessful applicants may discuss their options for a subsequent application with an Academic Advisor.

Additional documents required prior to full acceptance:

• Valid Standard First Aid certificate.
• Basic Rescuer — Level C certificate (included in the Standard First Aid certificate).
• Proof of valid driver's licence (learner's licence not acceptable).
• 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.

Basis for admission decision

Admission to the program is on a competitive basis. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Students will be rated based on the points achieved on the applicant rating form. Points will be given for academic performance on prerequisite courses, work/volunteer experience, application essay, reference(s), and personal interview.

The highest score that can be achieved by an applicant is 39.

1. Academic history: up to 16 points. The higher the applicant 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: up to 4 points. All applicants will be given points on the basis of meeting the criteria and the writing skill demonstrated.
4. Interview: up to 13 points. Applicants will be given points related to their knowledge of 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. Applicants will be notified in writing regarding acceptance. Upon admission to the program, applicants will be provided with registration information. A deposit will be required prior to the first day of course registration 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.

If applicants meet the minimum requirements but are not selected to the program, they will be required to reapply and resubmit all documents for consideration to a future semester.

Note: Up to 10% of program seats may be allocated to Aboriginal students on a competitive basis.

Fees and additional costs

See the Fees and Other Costs section. Fees are calculated based on a fee-per-credit basis. Course credits for the Nursing program are approximately 15–17 credits per semester. Please note that the majority of books and supplies are purchased in the first semester. Textbooks and supplies for the first semester total approximately $1,200. Additional textbooks will be required throughout the program. Parking fees are required at some clinical placement agencies.

Financial aid

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

Location

Nursing and most Health Science classes are taught at the Health Sciences Centre on the Chilliwack campus. Clinical experiences occur at a variety of agencies throughout the Fraser Valley.

Program outline

Semester I

Semester II

Semester III

Semester IV

Semester V

Note: MATH 108 (discontinued) may also be used to meet this requirement.

Semester VI

Semester VII

Note: Only one of NURS 490 or NURS 491 may be used toward program requirements.

Semester VIII

Program continuance

The nursing and support courses for each semester are prerequisites for the coursework in the next semester. Due to the integrated nature of the program, progression from one semester to the next requires concurrent successful completion of the nursing and health science courses.

To maintain status as a BSN program student and to continue in the program, students must achieve a minimum grade of C in each course and a cumulative GPA of 2.00. Students who fail or withdraw from the nursing program may reapply to the program according to the Nursing program Readmission policy.

Courses taken for elective credit must be approved by the Nursing department.

Each program student will receive a UFV Nursing program 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).

Graduation requirements

It is the student's responsibility to ensure all program requirements are met. This should be done by regular consultation with an Academic Advisor. To be eligible to graduate, students must achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00.

Students must apply for graduation in the first month of their final semester. Visit the Graduation webpage for more information. The final deadline for students who wish to attend the June Convocation ceremony is April 1 of each year, with all program requirements completed by April 30.

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the NURS or HSC course descriptions section.