Intakes for this program have been postponed indefinitely.

Description

This program is intended for students who already have completed a Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing (BPN) degree within the last 6 years, have an unconditional license with The British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals (BCCNP), and have current employment as a psychiatric nurse. Students that do not meet these conditions may wish to consider the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

The program is recognized by The British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals (BCCNP).

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 six (6) academic semesters to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. Graduates will be eligible to apply for membership with BCCNP which includes successful writing of the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) exam.

The curriculum of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Advanced Entry for Psychiatric Nurses 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, tablets 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, 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.

Faculty's website: kpu.ca/health

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

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:

• An unconditional license with The British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals (BCCNP)
• Current employment as a psychiatric nurse
• Completion of a recognized Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing 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
• 6 credits of undergraduate-level human anatomy and physiology with a minimum grade of C+ in each course
• 6 credits from outside the Health discipline, including 3 credits of English (ENGL 1100 or equivalent) with a minimum grade of C+ in each course

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

• 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.
• 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 65 credits all at the upper (third- and fourth-year) level.

Following enrollment into the Bachelor of Science in Nursing – Advanced Entry for Psychiatric Nurses program, the maximum allowable time that students have to complete all program requirements for graduation is seven years.

Credential Awarded

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