College Programs

Description/Learning Approaches

Practical Nurses are integral members of the health care team, consulting on complex care issues. They independently provide a full range of nursing care to clients within their scope of practice. This program offering is intended to aid First Nation communities to develop, deliver and sustain health care services.

Loyalist College, Bancroft Campus, is working in partnership with FNTI to arrange training sessions within or near First Nation communities so that as many community members as possible, that are interested in delivering health services, have the access and opportunity to do so. The presentation of this program is contingent on the number of registrations and funds required to run the program.

During this intensive program, students:

• Receive a combination of classroom theory, lab work and clinical practice.
• Learn to assess client health throughout the lifespan.
• Plan, implement and evaluate appropriate nursing care.

The learning needs of each person are taken into consideration. Faculty has a hands-on approach to support and assist learners to grow professionally and personally. Through the process students learn to deliver nursing care for primarily adult clients.

Graduates are prepared to write the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination and become licensed by the Ontario College of Nurses. Loyalist nursing students are constantly among the most successful candidates to obtain their certification.

Employment Opportunities
Registered Practical Nurses provide patient care in:

• Hospitals, including post-surgical, maternity, paediatric, geriatric, cardiovascular, oncology (cancer) and psychiatric wards.
• Rehabilitation centres.
• Doctors' offices.
• Community agencies (e.g. VON, Para Med).
• Long-term care facilities.
• Retirement homes, with opportunities for leadership positions.

Registered Practical Nurses also promote community health and disease prevention through:

• Public health units.
• Schools.
• STD clinics.
• Workplace wellness programs.
• Family planning and baby wellness clinics.

Program Schedule

Programs begin as soon as a group of 26 participants are identified within a First Nation community, a tribal council or within a local area. Participants need to be within a reasonable travelling distance from the program's base of operation. Courses are offered on a two to three day per week schedule throughout the calendar year and take a minimum of three years to complete. The required lab experiences are developed locally where and when possible during the life of the program.

Program Length
Three years intensive-mode delivery
Three days per week - Monday - Wednesday

Admission Criteria
Academic Prerequisites:

• OSSD/OSSGD or equivalent with courses at the general level, advanced - C, U, M or O level with Grade 12 Mathematics and English, Grade 11 or 12 Biology and one of Chemistry or Physics at the College C level. Applicants must have a minimum average of 65% in all courses. Mature applicants are assessed on an individual basis.
• Health:Applicants who accept an admission offer need to provide confirmation of good health and immunization against certain communicable diseases - written evidence is required for registration and placement in clinical practice agencies.
• Math Skills:Prior to semester 3, students must demonstrate competency in processing fundamental mathematical operations.
• CPR and First Aid:Prior to clinical rotation, students are required to show proof of current First Aid and CPR recertification - Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS), Level C, Basic Rescuer.
• Course Challenge Opportunities:Applicants with relevant educational and/or employment experiences are eligible to challenge selected courses. Personal Support Workers, Health Care Aides and Home Support Workers with recent experience may be eligible for partial laboratory exemptions.
• Criminal Record Check: In order to participate in most clinical placements, students will be required to complete a criminal record check by their local police service.

Note: To become a Registered Practical Nurse in Ontario, a declaration form indicating one's status regarding any conviction of a criminal offence or an offence under the Narcotic Control Act or the Food and Drug Act, is required.

Cost

Approximate cost per student
Tuition: $9,000.00
Books: $2,500.00

Off Campus Fee $250.00

Program Contact(s)

For an application or more information about the program, contact:
Buffy Hill, Registrar
Phone: 613-396-2122 or 800-267-0637 Ext. 187
Email: buffyh@fnti.net

Marilyn Plunkett, Post-Secondary Program Coordinator
Loyalist College, Bancroft Campus
Phone: 613-332-1743 Ext. 228
Email: mplunkett@loyalistc.on.ca

Lisa Woodcock, Admissions Officer, Practical Nursing
Loyalist College, Bancroft Campus
Phone: 613-332-1743 Ext. 237
Email: lbwoodcock@loyalistc.on.ca

Courses/Program Requirements
The courses may not be offered in the order they appear.

YEAR ONE - THREE SEMESTERS
Professional Roles 101
Growth & Development
Bioscience
Workplace Communication
Practical Nursing Theory 101
Practical Nursing Practice - Lab 101
Health Assessment throughout Lifespan
Professional Issues and Trends
Pharmacology

YEAR TWO - THREE SEMESTERS
Professional Roles 201
Practical Nursing Theory 202 and 203
Practical Nursing Practice: Lab 201
Sociology
Practical Nursing Practice: Clinical 202 and 203
Professional Work Life
Practical Nursing Theory 201
Practical Nursing Practice: Clinical 201
Evidence-Based Practice (Research)

YEAR THREE - THREE SEMESTERS
Practical Nursing Theory 301
Practical Nursing Practice: Lab 301
Practical Nursing Practice: Clinical 301
Practical Nursing Theory 302
Practical Nursing Practice: Clinical 302
Practical Nursing Theory 401
Practical Nursing Practice: Clinical 401
Practical Nursing Pre-Grad
Practical Nursing Practice: Pre-Grad Clinical