Nursing: Bachelor of Science in Nursing Post-Baccalaureate

Description

This program is intended for students who already have a baccalaureate degree (four-year undergraduate) and allows students to transition to the field of Nursing.

Students that have not completed an undergraduate degree may wish to consider the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Undergraduate (BSN).

The program is recognized by the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia (CRNBC).

The purpose of the program is to educate nurses to practice with a variety of clients in various settings, guided by a health promotion perspective and a capacity for effective relational engagement.

Through relational engagement, 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. Students learn to be independent, accountable, reflective, self-directed, self-motivated and life-long learners with questioning minds and familiarity with inquiry approaches to learning. They make decisions for nursing practice based on multiple ways of knowing such as critical thinking, intuition, research and evaluation. Students learn to create and influence the future of nursing practice at political, social and professional levels by responding to and anticipating changing needs of society. 

Students complete seven (7) academic semesters to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. Graduates will be eligible to apply for membership with CRNBC which includes successful writing of the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) exam.

The curriculum of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Post Baccalaureate degree program is based on the concepts of health promotion, relational engagement, praxis, critical inquiry and professional role. Two concepts, health promotion and relational engagement are considered over-riding concepts since they represent the essence of nursing. The other three concepts are considered core concepts since they are essential elements of nursing practice. In the curriculum, the five concepts are used in course titles as organizing threads and are also threaded through each course in the program. As well as reflecting the nature of nursing, these concepts relate to the process of nursing education. For example, client-centeredness and a focus on strengths, relational engagement, critical inquiry, praxis and professionalism are essential elements in learning to become a nurse, thus are key features of the learning environment.  

Delivery Methods

Program courses are offered in a hybrid or blended course format through residencies at KPU, practice within health care agencies and communities, combined with distributed or online learning formats, taking advantage of the well-developed higher order thinking skills of a baccalaureate graduate. Hybrid courses are those in which a significant portion of the learning activities have been moved online, and time traditionally spent in the classroom is reduced but not eliminated. The goal of hybrid courses is to join the best features of face-to-face teaching with the best features of online learning to promote active, independent learning, and reduce place-bound learning. Using computer-based technologies (including personal computers, ePortfolios, iPads and apps), instructors use the hybrid model to redesign some lecture or laboratory content into new online learning activities, such as case studies, tutorials, self-testing exercises, simulations, and online group collaborations.

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. Professional and faculty mentorship is implemented to provide orientation, social support, and networking partnerships with clinicians and researchers. Practice experiences occur in diverse geographical areas, and may be organized in students' own communities as appropriate and available. 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 a 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.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the program are prepared to work as professional nurses in direct care provider, educator, clinician, manager, and/or entrepreneur roles. Graduates will also be prepared for entry to graduate studies in nursing and other disciplines.

Admission Requirements

Please be advised that applications to this program will only be accepted from Canadian citizens and permanent residents / landed immigrants of Canada.

In addition to the Faculty's Admission Requirements, which consist of KPU's undergraduate English Proficiency Requirement, the following program admission requirements apply:

• Successful completion of a baccalaureate degree within six (6) years of the date of entrance into the program, including sixty (60) university transfer credits (30 credits of which must be at the third and fourth year level).
• Equivalency of first-year anatomy and physiology courses (BIOL 1160 and BIOL 1260) * 
• Three (3) credits in Humanities, Social Sciences or Arts * 
• Six (6) credits of English (including equivalency of ENGL 1100) *

Note: * These requirements may be part of the 60 university credits. KPU Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing graduates are considered for advanced placement into semester three (3) of the program, pending seat availability.

On 30 May 2016 a change to the admission requirements for this program was approved by Senate. Effective September 2017 KPU Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing graduates who have practicing membership with the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of British Columbia, with no conditions, and are currently employed as Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPN) will be considered for advanced placement into semester three (3) of the program, pending seat availability. On 24 October 2016 a further change to the admission requirements for this program was approved by Senate. Effective September 2017 the four bullet points above will be replaced with the following three bullet points:

• Successful completion of a recognized undergraduate degree within the last 6 years, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.67, and including 30 undergraduate credits at the third and fourth year level
• Successful completion of first-year anatomy and physiology courses (BIOL 1160 and BIOL 1260, or equivalent) with a minimum grade of C+
• 6 credits from outside the Health discipline, including 3 credits of English (ENGL 1100 or equivalent) with a minimum grade of C+

These changes will appear in the 2017-18 University Calendar to be published in June 2017.

Once students have received a conditional offer of admission and before final admission to the program is granted, students must submit the following:

• CPR HealthCare Provider Level C (Note: CPR certification must remain current throughout the program and may be required annually by some practice agencies)
• Current Standard First Aid Certificate
• Criminal record check through the BC Ministry of Justice, Criminal Records Review Program
• 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.

Note: Current immunization records are required prior to placement in a clinical or practice course. Students are responsible for all costs related to immunization. Failure to have acceptable immunization documentation at the time of placement or clinical practice course may jeopardize completion of the program.

Continuance Requirements

Students in the program must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.67, with no grade lower than C+ in all required courses, including electives. Non-adherence to these requirements will result in removal from the program.

Curricular Requirements

The program consists of 93 credits all at the upper (third- and fourth-year) level.

Note that the maximum time period students enrolled in KPU's Bachelor of Science in Nursing program have to complete all program requirements for graduation is seven years.

Note: NRSG courses number 5000 or higher are assessed Tuition Category 2.a.4 tuition and fees for domestic students.

Semester One

Theoretical Focus: Individual Health and Health Promotion
Practice Focus: Nurses' Roles & Responsibilities in Medical and Surgical Nursing

All of:
	NRSG 5100	Program Orientation: Introduction to Nursing	2 credits
	NRSG 5110	Practice and Praxis 1: Episodic Health Challenges	4 credits
	NRSG 5120	Relational Engagement 1	2 credits
	NRSG 5130	Health Promotion 1: Episodic Health Challenges	4 credits
	NRSG 5131	Health Promotion 2: Pharmacology 1	1 credit
	NRSG 5140	Critical Inquiry 1: Quantitative Research	1.5 credits
	NRSG 5141	Critical Inquiry 2: Qualitative Research	1.5 credits

Semester Two

Theoretical Focus: Individual Health and Chronic Health Challenges
Practice Focus: Nurses' Roles & Responsibilities in Mental Health and Geriatric Nursing

All of:
	GNQU 1301	Fundamentals of Mental Health Nursing	3 credits
	NRSG 5210	Practice and Praxis 2: Older Adults	4 credits
	NRSG 5220	Relational Engagement 2	2 credits
	NRSG 5230	Health Promotion 4: Pharmacology 2	1 credit
	NRSG 5240	Critical Inquiry 3: Data Analysis	2 credits
	NRSG 5250	Professional Role 1	2 credits

Semester Three

Practice Focus: Nurses Roles & Responsibilities: Consolidation of practice in medical surgical and mental health nursing

Only:
	NRSG 5310	Practice and Praxis 3: Capstone 1	18 credits
KPU Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing graduates with advanced placement must also complete:
	NRSG 5300	Program Orientation: Access for BPN graduates	2 credits

Semester Four

Theoretical Focus: Family Health
Practice Focus: Nurses' Roles & Responsibilities with Generative families and in Pediatric Nursing

All of:
	GNQU 1309	Fundamentals of Maternal-Child Nursing	3 credits
	GNQU 1321	Fundamentals of Pediatric Nursing	3 credits
	NRSG 5410	Practice and Praxis 4: The experience of nursing of families	5 credits
	NRSG 5420	Relational Engagement 3: Family Context	1 credit
	NRSG 5450	Professional Role 2: Teaching and Learning	1 credit

Semester Five

Theoretical Focus: Community Health and Community Capacity Building
Practice Focus: Nurses Roles &Responsibilities in Community Health and Community Capacity Building

All of:
	NRSG 5510	Practice and Praxis 5: Community Context	5 credits
	NRSG 5520	Relational Engagement 4: Community	2 credits
	NRSG 5530	Health Promotion 7: Community Context	2 credits
	NRSG 5540	Critical Inquiry 4: Nursing Theories	2 credits
	NRSG 5541	Critical Inquiry 5: Health Care and Bioethics	2 credits

Semester Six

Theoretical Focus: Global Health and Leadership
Practice Focus: Nurses' Roles and Responsibilities in Primary Health Care (International/Aboriginal)

All of:
	NRSG 5610	Practice and Praxis 6: Global Context: Capstone 2	5 credits
	NRSG 5620	Relational Engagement 5: Global Context	2 credits
	NRSG 5650	Professional Role 3: Health Care Leadership	2 credits

Semester Seven

Practice Focus: Nurses' Roles & Responsibilities in Full-time Nursing Practice

All of:
	NRSG 5710	Practice and Praxis 7: Practice Consolidation: Capstone 3	10 credits

Other Information

Students are required to purchase an iPad and selected apps, and need access to a personal computer and reliable Internet connection.

Credential Awarded

Upon successful completion of this program, students are eligible to receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).