CNC to Change Practical Nursing Program
Friday, January 27, 2012 @ 1:41 PM
Prince George, B.C.- The Board of Governors for the College of New Caledonia has approved changing the practical nursing program from a certificate to diploma program. The change means the program will take nearly two years to complete instead of the current one year and the cost of the program will increase.
“This is due to expanding scope of practice and entry level competencies as established by the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of B.C. and the requirements in the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Exam,” said Jacquie Scobie, CNC’s practical nurse program lead and faculty member. “The only admission requirement that has changed is that students, in addition to having their high school diplomas, must complete Biology 130 prior to enrolling in the program.”
The first intake of September 2012 will be 24 students, while succeeding intakes will be 32 students. Students will take five semesters and complete the diploma program in April, 2014. The board also approved a recommendation to increase the tuition to $9,500 for the full program.
“The tuition increase is to cover the extra four months of classes and the costs associated with that,” said Randall Heidt, Director of Communications and Development. “The tuition for the nursing diploma will be similar to the Dental Hygiene diploma and it will also be in line with, or less than, other practical nursing programs in the province.”
Scobie said the same type of students who succeed in the current one-year certificate program will also succeed in the longer diploma program. “It will still be very intense and students must be dedicated to hard work and be committed,” she said. “Those will be the ones who will succeed. They’ll still be able to spend some time with their family and friends during their breaks.”
Comments
The change from the 1 yr certificate program to the new 2 yr diploma program is a great step forward for LPNâs in BC. It is through the strong advocacy of LPNâs through their union HEU that has contributed to this move forward to greater independence. This move forward is vital to the advancement of LPNâs that they are trained to provide a wider range of services and expand their scope of practice. Ultimately achieving greater independence with in the Nursing Team. I applaud all the hard work HEU had done with their LPNâs
I think it helps the nursing unions to restrict new entrants into the trade and thereby strengthen their bargaining position.
My wife has a four year university degree in nursing and yet she can’t work in Northern BC. To work here she requires a 10-week bridging program to have her degree recognized, but they don’t offer that anywhere in Northern BC. If we were rich she could go to Vancouver or the Island to take the bridging course, but since she is also not eligible for student loans and I can’t afford the travel costs this year its just not doable.
Its a shame that with a college and a university here in PG we can’t offer a bridging program here in the north for those that already have the training elsewhere and just need to have it recognized. In the end we will probably just move to where she can take the courses to get her degree recognized here in Canada.
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