Nursing: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Description
The program is approved by the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia (CRNBC) and is accredited by the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN).
The purpose of the program is to educate nurses to work with individuals, families, groups and communities from a health promotion perspective and with an ethic of caring.
The program will assist students to develop sensitivity to people's experiences with health and healing. Students will learn to work as partners with clients and with other health care providers. Through their understanding of and participation in the changing health care system, graduates will be active participants in creating health for all.
Students complete eight (8) academic semesters and four (4) consolidated practice experiences to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. Graduates will be eligible to apply to write national examinations to obtain registration to practice as registered nurses in British Columbia. Access to degree completion by registered nurses is outlined separately.
The curriculum of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is based on the concepts of caring and health promotion and has been developed in consultation with nursing practitioners, theorists, professional associations, and various government ministries. The program includes non-nursing courses that complement nursing theory and practice. The curriculum considers the changing health care needs of our society. Caring is understood as the attitude and activity of nursing and is considered in every nursing course.
A health promotion perspective has been used to organize the curriculum. This shift in focus from illness to health represents a deliberative move away from a medical model to an understanding of nurses' work as focusing on people and their experiences with health and healing. Inherent in this orientation is the use of teaching methodologies that encourage the development of critical thinking and the discovery of personal meaning and personal power.
There is an emphasis on practice experiences as the foundation of nursing theory and the recognition that nurses' work requires thoughtful, reflective action as defined by the concept of praxis. To assist in actualizing the concept of praxis, nursing practice experiences have been integrated throughout the program of studies. The concept of praxis is used to guide students to critically reflect on their practice and on their application of nursing knowledge and clinical judgment within the practice setting.
Students who enrol in the program have access to an online student manual that provides information regarding program guidelines. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with University policies and Bachelor of Science in Nursing guidelines. The faculty are continually reviewing the program guidelines in order to offer the best program possible. Guidelines are updated on an annual basis. Therefore, the most current version of any guideline is the one that will apply to all students in that calendar year.
Nursing Practice Experiences
Nursing practice experiences are essential in the nursing program. Students will be directly involved with clients in their homes and in institutional and community settings in each semester. These experiences may involve evenings and weekends. Practice experiences occur throughout the Lower Mainland. Students are responsible for their own transportation and other expenses incurred as part of these experiences.
Some agencies may require students to take an Oath of Confidentiality, have an additional criminal record search, have required immunizations, or have a successful interview with their personnel prior to their agreement to accept the student. Failure to have documentation acceptable to the agency at the time of placement may result in denial of the experience, which in turn may prevent completion of the program of studies.
Degree Completion for Registered Nurses
Registered Nurses pursuing degree completion (BSN), please see Degree Completion for Registered Nurses for more information.
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the program will be prepared to function as team members in non-specialized/specialized acute care, intermediate and/or long term care hospitals, clinics, home care agencies, and community health agencies.
Program Admission Requirements
Important Notice for Applicants
Students are encouraged to complete the non-nursing courses prior to admission or during the semester in which they are scheduled. The workload of the program makes it difficult to take these courses at any other time.
Please be advised that applications to this program will only be accepted from Canadian citizens and permanent residents / landed immigrants of Canada.
Further, program admission requirements are changing, effective for the Fall 2012 semester. Refer to the 2012-13 calendar for further details.
Admission Requirements for the September 2012 Intake
Program admission requirements for this program are changing, effective for the Fall 2012 intake. Details are available here.
Year One Admission:
In addition to Kwantlen's General university admission requirements including the undergraduate-level English Proficiency Requirement, the following program admission requirements apply.
- English 12 with a grade of B (or equivalent), or ENGL 1100 with a grade of C (or equivalent)
- Principles of Mathematics 11 with a grade of C (or equivalent)
- Biology 12 and Chemistry 11 with a grade of C+ (or equivalent), or
BIOL 1110 with a grade of C or equivalent
Once students have received a conditional offer of admission and before final admission to the BSN program is granted, students must submit the following:
- Standard First Aid and Canadian CPR Level C courses that are current at the time of entering the program. CPR certification must be current throughout the program and may be required annually by some practice agencies. (All costs and associated updates are the responsibility of the student)
- Immunizations consistent with the requirements of practice agencies. (All costs are the responsibility of the student)
- An acceptable criminal record review issued by the BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, completed within six months of enrolling in the program. The College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia requires a criminal record search prior to registration as a nurse and a criminal record search may also be a pre-practice requirement of some of the clinical agencies used during the program. (All costs related to having this search done are the responsibility of the student).
- Applicants who have lived outside of Canada as an adult are required to secure a Criminal Record Search with the Vulnerable Sector from their country of origin. Please contact the Office of Admissions for further direction on obtaining your criminal record check.
- An interview and/or letters of reference may be required
- Any other specified conditions of admission prior to the date specified in the offer of admission letter
Application Guidelines
Applicants are required to submit a completed on-line application for admission to the BSN program as well as official high school and post-secondary transcripts. Official transcripts must be sent directly to Kwantlen's Office of Admissions from the institution attended / issuing body in a sealed envelope, signed by the institution or bearing an official seal.
Applications will be accepted from November 1 to November 7 for admission to the following Fall (September) semester. Applications will be accepted from March 1 March 7 for admission to the following Spring (January) semester.
Applicants currently in high school must submit an official interim transcript by the third Friday of November for September and the third Friday of March for January, indicating that the program academic admission requirements will be completed by the end of June.
Selection of Qualified Applicants
Only students who meet all of the program's admission requirements as outlined above will be considered for admission. Meeting the criteria does not guarantee admission into the program. The number of applicants to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program far exceeds the number of available seats. As a result, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program will admit qualified applicants through a computer-generated random selection and a point system. Variable points will be awarded for:
- geographical location
- relevant education (e.g. completion of non-nursing courses required in the program)
- persistent application to the program
For further details regarding the selection process, please contact the Office of Admissions (604.599.2000).
To accept and secure a seat in the program, applicants must pay a non-refundable commitment fee.
Program Continuance Requirements
Students in the program must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.33 with no grade lower than C in all required courses, including electives.
Content
Content Change Effective January 2012Content in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing has been revised for all students admitted to the program in January 2012. New program requirements are listed at the end of this section. |
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The maximum time for degree completion for this program from time of program entry is seven years. This program of studies includes:
Semester 1: Personal Meaning of Health
The first semester of the program focuses on people's personal experience with health. Students explore their own experiences of health and healing. They begin to learn about the complexities of nurses' work through observing and interacting with nurses in various areas of practice.
Students visit a resource family in order to acknowledge and understand other people's experiences of health and healing. Biology and English courses are offered concurrently with the nursing courses.
All of: |
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| BIOL 1160 | Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 credits | |
| ENGL 1100 | Writing, Reading and Thinking: An Introduction (or any first year University transferable English course) |
3 credits | |
| NRSG 1111 | Health 1: Health Styles | 2 credits | |
| NRSG 1121 | Professional Growth 1: Nurses' Work | 3 credits | |
| NRSG 1130 | Self and Others 1: Self-Awareness | 2 credits | |
| NRSG 1141 | Nursing Practice 1 | 4 credits | |
Semester 2: Chronic Health Challenges
The second semester focuses on people's experience of living with a chronic health challenge which might include a chronic physical condition, or an experience such as poverty. Students obtain nursing practice experience on rehabilitation and medical units in an institutional setting. In addition, students visit a family living with a chronic health challenge. Biology and English courses are offered concurrently with the nursing courses.
All of: |
|||
| BIOL 1260 | Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 credits | |
| ENGL 1202 | Reading and Writing about Selected Topics: An Introduction to Literature (or any first year university transfer English course) |
3 credits | |
| NRSG 1210 | Health 2: Facilitating Health and Healing in Families | 2 credits | |
| NRSG 1231 | Self and Others 2: Creating Health Promoting Relationships | 2 credits | |
| NRSG 1241 | Nursing Practice 2 | 7 credits | |
Following completion of Semester 2, students have a six-week practice experience that enables consolidation and integration of the concepts and skills learned in the first year of study. Experiences are on a medical or rehabilitation unit.
| NRSG 1350 | Consolidated Practice Experience 1 | 3.5 credits |
Semester 3: Episodic Health Challenges
Students continue to develop a health promotion perspective with people experiencing challenges around healing. Students work with a generative family and with a family experiencing an episodic health challenge.
Nursing practice experiences also involve placements on acute Medical and Surgical units.
All of: |
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| NRSG 2111 | Healing 1: Episodic Health Challenges | 2 credits | |
| NRSG 2141 | Nursing Practice 3 | 10 credits | |
| NRSG 2160 | Health Science 3: Pathophysiology 1 | 2 credits | |
| Elective | |||
Semester 4: Complex Episodic Health Challenges
In the fourth semester, students continue to visit their generative family, and also to work with a family with a complex episodic health challenge. Nursing practice experiences also involve placements on medical and surgical units. Students further develop their repertoire of cognitive, interpersonal, organizational, and practice skills to promote healing. Pattern recognition, critical decision-making, and increased self-directedness are emphasized. Students are also given the opportunity to understand factors that affect work life and the impact of this on a nurse.
All of: |
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| NRSG 2211 | Healing Workshop 2: Complex Episodic Health Challenges | 2 credits | |
| NRSG 2220 | Professional Growth 2: The Nursing Profession | 2 credits | |
| NRSG 2241 | Nursing Practice 4 | 10 credits | |
| NRSG 2260 | Health Science 4: Pathophysiology 2 | 2 credits | |
The five-week practice experience that follows semester 4 enables consolidation and integration of the concepts and skills learned in the first and second years of study. Practice experiences will occur in medical/ surgical and obstetrical settings.
| NRSG 2350 | Consolidated Practice Experience 2 | 4.5 credits |
Semester 5: Prevention
In the fifth semester, students work as members of the health care team and begin to use leadership skills. They work in a variety of agencies focusing on issues of prevention. Acute care nursing practice experiences take place in pediatric and mental health settings. Students also work with groups and families, focusing on prevention strategies. The health course (NRSG 3111) provides opportunities for students to consider health education from a primary, secondary and tertiary prevention perspective.
All of: |
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| NRSG 3111 | Health 3: Teaching and Learning for Prevention | 2 credits | |
| NRSG 3141 | Nursing Practice 5 | 7.5 credits | |
| NRSG 3160 | Health Science 5: Advanced Health Challenges | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3010 | Health Care Ethics | 3 credits | |
Semester 6: Health Promotion and Community Empowerment
Semester 6 focuses on health promotion and community empowerment using the concept of 'community as client.' Nursing practice placements are with health-related community groups or organizations. Students in this semester also explore the processes of nursing inquiry and research as a foundation for evidence-based practice.
All of: |
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| NRSG 3211 | Health 4: Health Promotion and Community Empowerment | 3 credits | |
| NRSG 3220 | Professional Growth 4: Research | 3 credits | |
| NRSG 3225 | Professional Growth 3: Nursing Inquiry | 3 credits | |
| NRSG 3231 | Self and Others 3: Reflection on Caring Practice | 3 credits | |
| NRSG 3241 | Nursing Practice 6 | 4.5 credits | |
Consolidated Practice Experiences (CPE) 3 and 4 occur in the academic semester following Semester 6. These experiences are each five weeks long with CPE 3 focusing on practice in acute care and CPE 4 involving experiences in community agencies.
| NRSG 3350 | Consolidated Practice Experience 3 | 4.5 credits | |
| NRSG 3355 | Consolidated Practice Experience 4 | 4.5 credits |
Semester 7: Societal Health
Semester 7 focuses on societal health and nurses influencing change. This semester explores ways nurses can influence and create their future as professionals within the health care system. Nursing practice placements are in a wide variety of community organizations.
All of: |
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| NRSG 4111 | Professional Growth 5: Nurses Influencing Change | 3 credits | |
| NRSG 4120 | Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis | 3 credits | |
| NRSG 4141 | Nursing Practice 7 | 4.5 credits | |
| Elective | |||
Semester 8: Transitions
Semester 8 provides students with opportunities to enrich their overall program of study. The theme for this semester is Transitions, that is, making the change from student to practitioner. Students refine previous learning and develop proficiency in an area of practice. The ten week nursing practice experience involves working full time directly with a registered nurse.
All of: |
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| NRSG 4211 | Health/Professional Growth: Transitions | 3 credits | |
| NRSG 4242 | Consolidated Nursing Practice 8 | 8.5 credits | |
Content Effective January 2012
The following are the program requirements for students admitted to the January, 2012 intake.
Effective January 2012, students are required to complete 125.5 credits of course requirements. Students complete eight (8) academic semesters and one (1) additional consolidated practice experiences to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
Note: Students requesting transfer from the existing BSN program to the January 2012 BSN program requirements will be considered on an individual basis and in accordance with the current BSN program Admissions, Progressions, and Prior Learning Assessment policies and protocols.
Semester 1: Personal Meaning of Health
All of:
| BIOL 1160 | Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 credits | |
| ENGL 1100 | Writing, Reading and Thinking: An Introduction (or any first year University transferable English course) |
3 credits | |
| NRSG 1122 | Professional Growth 1: Introduction to the Profession of Nursing | 3 credits | |
| NRSG 1131 | Self and Others 1: Self-Awareness and Interpersonal Communications | 3 credits | |
| NRSG 1141 | Nursing Practice 1 | 4 credits |
Semester 2: Chronic Health Challenges
All of: |
|||
| BIOL 1260 | Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 credits | |
| ENGL 1202 | Reading and Writing about Selected Topics: An Introduction to Literature (or any first year university transfer English course) |
3 credits | |
| NRSG 1211 | Health: Societal Perspectives, Health and Healing | 3 credits | |
| NRSG 1242 | Nursing Practice 2 | 8.5 credits | |
Semester 3: Episodic Health Challenges
All of:
| NRSG 2111 | Healing 1: Episodic Health Challenges | 2 credits | |
| NRSG 2141 | Nursing Practice 3 | 10 credits | |
| NRSG 2160 | Health Science 3: Pathophysiology 1 | 2 credits | |
| Elective | 3 credits | ||
Semester 4: Complex Episodic Health Challenges
All of: |
|||
| NRSG 2211 | Healing Workshop 2: Complex Episodic Health Challenges | 2 credits | |
| NRSG 2221 | Professional Growth 2: The Nursing Profession | 2 credits | |
| NRSG 2241 | Nursing Practice 4 | 10 credits | |
| NRSG 2260 | Health Science 4: Pathophysiology 2 | 2 credits | |
Semester 5: Prevention
All of: |
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| NRSG 3142 | Nursing Practice 5: Mental Health | 2.5 credits | |
| NRSG 3143 | Nursing Practice 5: Child and Family Health | 2.5 credits | |
| NRSG 3161 | Health Science 5: Health Challenges for Children and Mental Health Issues Across the Lifespan | 3 credits | |
| PHIL 3010 | Health Care Ethics | 3 credits | |
| NRSG 3130 | Self & Others 2: Advanced Communications | 3 credits | |
Semester 6: Health Promotion and Community Empowerment
All of: |
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| NRSG 3212 | Health 2: Health Promotion and Community Nursing | 3 credits | |
| NRSG 3213 | Health 3: Capacity Building | 3 credits | |
| NRSG 3241 | Nursing Practice 6 | 4.5 credits | |
| NRSG 3242 | Nursing Practice 6: Community Nursing | 1 credit | |
| NRSG 3243 | Nursing Practice 6: Maternal Child | 2 credits | |
Consolidated Practice Experiences (CPE) 1 occurs in the academic semester following Semester 6.
| NRSG 3350 | Consolidated Practice Experience 1 | 4.5 credits |
Semester 7: Societal Health
All of: |
|||
| NRSG 4112 | Health 5: Influencing Change | 3 credits | |
| NRSG 4122 | Professional Growth 4: Qualitative & Quantitative Analysis | 3 credits | |
| NRSG 4141 | Nursing Practice 7 | 4.5 credits | |
| NRSG 4121 | Professional Growth 3: Inquiry and Research Methods | 3 credits | |
| Elective | 3 credits | ||
Semester 8: Transitions
All of: |
|||
| NRSG 4242 | Consolidated Nursing Practice | 8.5 credits | |
Graduation
Upon successful completion of this program, students are eligible to receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
