Access to Practical Nursing Pathway

Take the next step in your health care career. NIC’s Access to the Practical Nursing program provides health care assistants with the bridging courses and training to enter the second year of NIC’s Practical Nursing program. Upon completion, students will begin level 3 of the Practical Nursing program. Students will be able to earn their diploma in Practical Nursing in under 16 months.

Learn more about Access to Practical Nursing

Tuition and Costs

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Admission Requirements

Grade 12 graduation, or equivalent
Minimum C+ in English Studies 12 or Provincial English 12 or English First Peoples 12 or ENG 096 or ENG 098 or in both ESL-092 and ESL-095 or successful assessment testing
Minimum C in Foundations of Math 11 or Pre-calculus 11 or MAT 053 or MAT 055 or successful assessment testing
Minimum C in Anatomy and Physiology 12 or Biology 12 or BIO 060
Minimum C+ in BIO 159 completed within 10 years, or equivalent. Students will be required to register and successfully complete BIO 159 by specified dates.
Declaration of English Language Competency Requirements for Practical Nursing form signed and dated.
Requisite Skills and Abilities Program Bulletin signed and dated. These documents provide prospective students with information that may be helpful in deciding if the program is suited to them. Prospective students who have questions or concerns should contact an educational advisor.
A BC certificate in one of the following programs: Health Care Assistant (HCA), Resident Care Attendant (RCA) or Home Support/Resident Care Attendant (HS/RCA) or a current BC Care Aide Registry Number
600 Hours of Work Experience as an HCA or RCA or an HS/RCA within the last two years

Completed in a care facility where care is provided to a group of Gerontology clients
This does not include individualized home care experience
Work experience must be verified by official employer letter.

Course Requirements

Completion Requirements

Students must achieve a minimum of C in each course (except PNS 105), maintain a cumulative grade point average of C+, and pass each and every consolidated practice experience. Students who miss more than 10% of any practice course may be asked to repeat course. In PNS 105 students must achieve 100% on the math portion and an A (80%) on the theory portion.
Students have up to 5 years to complete the program.
A minimum of 50% of the pathway must be completed at North Island College.
NOTE: Upon successful completion of the Access to Practical Nursing pathway students will enter at Level 3 of the Practical Nursing Diploma program .