Description

The program is recognized by The British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM).

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 across the lifespan in a variety of settings. 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.

Graduates will be eligible to apply to write national examinations to obtain registration to practice as registered nurses in British Columbia.

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.

A health promotion and constructivist perspective has been used to organize the curriculum. Pedagogy and teaching methodologies encourage the development of critical thinking and the discovery of personal meaning. There is an emphasis on practice experiences as the foundation of nursing and the recognition that nurses' work requires thoughtful, reflective action.

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

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.

Nursing practice placements require students to complete a privacy and confidentiality agreement. Some placements may require an additional criminal record search, have required immunizations, and/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.

Program Guidelines and Manuals

Students who enroll 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.

Faculty's website: kpu.ca/health

Department's website: kpu.ca/health/bsn

Admission Requirements

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

• BIOL 1160 with a minimum grade of C+
• BIOL 1260 with a minimum grade of C+
• ENGL 1100 with a minimum grade of C+
• 21 credits of undergraduate-level courses with a minimum grade of C+ of which 3 credits must be non-nursing.

Admission selection will be based on the highest admission GPA of the above required courses.

All newly admitted students to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program will be required to provide:

• Valid Canadian CPR Basic Life Support (BLS) or CPR Health Care Provider (HCP) (Note: CPR certification must remain current throughout the program.)
• Current Standard First Aid Certificate
• An acceptable Criminal Record Check through the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General's Criminal Records Review Program within 6 months prior to the start of the program.
• Immunization Record Form reflecting required immunizations as per Practice Education Guidelines for BC. Note: Practice Education Guidelines (PEG) for BC outline immunizations for vaccine preventable communicable diseases required by students for participation in practice experiences. KPU Faculty of Health is required to comply with these requirements. Students that are unvaccinated may not be able to be accepted into the program. Students who are accepted into the program will also be required to maintain immunizations as per the PEG.

To ensure a pathway is available for specific student populations in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, the following program reserves are in place for each intake: three (3) seats will be reserved for graduates of KPU's Certificate in Health Care Assistant program, and three (3) seats for self-declared Indigenous students. Any reserved seats that are not offered to the above noted specific student population will be offered to the general pool of qualified BSN applicants.

Continuance Requirements

Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.67 with a minimum grade of C+ in all required courses with Standard Grading and a grade of MAS in all courses with Mastery Grading. Non-adherence to these requirements may result in removal from the program.  Students must complete all program courses in each semester before they can continue to the next semester.  Re-entry into the program will be based on seat availability and approval by the Program Admissions and Progressions Committee.  Seat availability will be based on priority for students who progress with their original cohort.

Curricular Requirements

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing must complete a minimum of 125 credits, including the courses used to fulfill this program’s admission requirements.

The maximum allowable time that students have to complete all of the following requirements for graduation is seven years.

Note: Students re-admitted to the program after an absence are not guaranteed equivalency of previous course-work. Course substitution will be considered only on a case-by-case basis.

Credential Awarded

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