Post-Graduate Certificate in Nursing with Practicum

This program provides training for internationally educated nurses to adapt to Canadian best practices in nursing. This program prepares internationally trained nurses for roles within the Canadian health care system. Students will develop critical thinking skills used in nursing and will develop cultural awareness and administration skills that are an important part of nursing in Canada.

During the program, students will work on test-taking strategies and nursing topics that are essential in preparation for the Nursing Community Assessment Service (NCAS), which is a pre-requisite to writing the NCLEX RN (Canadian National Nursing Exam).

NCAS provides a three-part competency assessment for internationally-educated health practitioners (IEPs) — including health care aides, licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and psychiatric nurses — who hope to practice in British Columbia.

In order to work as an RN in Canada, Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) must complete a 4-stage application process. Please see the “additional info tab” for more information.

This program includes a practicum placement. This experience within a workplace enables Instructional staff to observe the student in a practice situation while providing the student with the opportunity to gain direct exposure to the chosen career field.

Learning Objectives

• Understands the purpose of the Standards of Nursing
• Practice in BC and the CAN Code of Ethics and their application in various nursing roles and practise settings; therefore, maintain competencies of professional practice
• Understands Ethical Practice with competence in professional judgment and practice decisions guided by the codes of ethics for registered nurses. Uses critical inquiry in the decisionmaking process, and maintains therapeutic, caring and culturally safe relationships with clients and the health care team
• Demonstrates an understanding of Client-focused Provision of Service to clients across the lifespan. Using the specialized body of knowledge in the following focused areas of nursing care: Physical Examination, Women’s Health & Childbearing, Children’s health Problems to Psychiatric and Mental Health Counselling, General and Perioperative Nursing Care., Care of the elderly and vulnerable population.
• Competent application of nursing knowledge for the purpose of the NCAS, as well as to create and maintain therapeutic, caring and culturally safe relationships with clients and the health care team in the future
• Understand the different Scope of Practice, Standards of Practice and Practice Standards for RN, RPN, LPN and HCA in Canada.
• Understand the different roles in delivering safe and competent care as HCA, LPN, RN and LPN