Access To Practical Nursing

Practical Nursing Access (PN Access) program has been approved by the Registrar of the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) of the Ministry of Advanced Education, Government of British Columbia. Canadian Health Care Academy offers a 13-month (3 semesters) Access to Practical Nursing program. Our Access to Practical Nursing program is approved and recognized by the British Columbia College of Nursing Professionals (BCCNP). The curriculum provides a learning experience that is integrated, professional, collaborative, and culturally sensitive with an aim to prepare graduates to care for individuals at multiple life stages and in a variety of practice settings. Upon successful completion of the program, learners will possess the competencies to successfully complete the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Exam (CPNRE)

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the Provincial Practical Nursing Program (PPNP), graduates will:

1. Apply the Entry-to-Practice Competencies for Licensed Practical Nurses (2013) to provide safe, competent, culturally safe and ethical care.
2. Practice within relevant legislation, scope of practice, standards of practice, and ethical standards as set out by the Nurses (Licensed Practical) Regulation (2015), and the CLPNBC.
3. Value and engage in continuous learning to maintain and enhance competence.
4. Practice in collaboration with other members of the health care team to meet the collective needs of their clients
5. Participate in inter-professional problem solving and decision making.
6. Advocate for and facilitate change reflecting evidence‐informed practice.
7. Make practice decisions that are client specific and consider client acuity, complexity, variability and available resources.
8. Use critical thinking, clinical judgment and knowledge of assessment to plan, implement and evaluate the agreed-upon plan of care.
9. Develop a collaborative relationship with clients by connecting, sharing and exploring with them in a caring environment.
10. Provide culturally safe, person‐centred care across the lifespan that recognizes and respects the uniqueness of each individual and is sensitive to cultural safety, cultural humility and diversity.
11. Provide leadership, direction, assignment and supervision of unregulated care providers as appropriate.
12. Identify one’s own values, biases and assumptions and the influence of these on interactions with clients and other members of the health care team

Regulatory Requirements:

Individuals who decide to pursue a career as a licensed practical nurse must meet certain formal requirements for registration with the professional regulatory authority, including:

• Successfully meeting the regulatory authority’s education and language requirements
• Demonstrating that they meet the entry-to-practice competencies
• Passing the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination (CPNRE)
• Demonstrating evidence of good character, including demonstrating that they possess the moral and ethical judgment expected of a licensed practical nurse
• Demonstrating the fitness to practice as a licensed practical nurse
• Demonstrating the cognitive, behavioral, communication, interpersonal and physical skills and abilities to engage in the practice of a licensed practical nurse.
• Submitting a satisfactory criminal record review.

Requisite Skills And Abilities:

The individual has the following required skills and abilities described in Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse in Canada Requisite Skills and Abilities (2013):

Cognitive: Ability to perform skills which demonstrate thinking capacity:
Communication: Ability to express and receive written, verbal and non-verbal language, and the ability to interact with others in a respectful and professional manner:
Interpersonal: Ability to create positive relationships:
Behavioral: Ability to conduct oneself in a professional manner:
Sensory Perceptual: Ability to accurately perceive with each of the following senses to provide safe care and actively participate in nursing activities:
Physical: Ability to perform and have control over each of the following actions to provide safe client care and to actively participate in educational activities:
Environmental: Ability to function in the presence of each of the following commonly encountered and unavoidable environmental factors:

Admission Requirements:

• Grade 12 graduation, or equivalent (General Educational Development, Adult Basic Education), or mature student status as defined by the educational institution.
• Math 11 Foundations with a minimum grade of 60% or equivalent.
• English 12 with a minimum grade of 65% or English First Peoples 12 with a minimum grade of 65% or equivalent.
• Anatomy and Physiology 12 with a minimum grade of 60% or equivalent.
• Successful completion of HCA, RCE, or HS/RCA certificate or Internationally Educated Nurse, or have a BC care aide registry
• Minimum 600 hours of work experience in a facility where care is provided to a group of gerontology clients as a care aide or health care assistant or Registered Nurse in a facility. Individualized homecare experience is not acceptable.

Notes for Admissions

• Human Anatomy and Physiology for Practical Nurses with a minimum grade of 65% must be achieved before taking Variations in Health I, Health Promotion I, Pharmacology I, Integrated Nursing Practice I and Consolidated Nursing Practice I (CPE I).

The following are to be completed prior to beginning CPE I:

• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) as outlined in the Practice Education Guidelines (https://hspcanada.net/docs/PEG/1_6_Orientation_Students.pdf).
• Criminal record check under the terms of the Criminal Records Review Act and the Ministry of Justice process for educational institutions.
• Immunizations as outlined in the Practice Education Guidelines (https://www.hspcanada.net/docs/PEG/1_3_Immunization.pdf).
• Negative TB skin test or chest X-ray.

Students who do not meet the immunization requirements may be prohibited from attending practice education experiences, depending on the particular health authority, practice education site, organization, or agency policy.

English as an Additional Language

As English is the language of study in BC, students must meet English language proficiency at an appropriate level to be accepted into the provincial Practical Nursing program. These requirements can be satisfied through three years of full-time, face-to-face secondary or post-secondary education at an accredited institution where English is the language of instruction and is also one of the country’s official languages. English as a Second Language/Additional Language courses are not included in this three-year calculation. Those not meeting this requirement must achieve scores identified in one of the two tests below:

1. International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with minimum scores of:

• Speaking: 7.0
• Listening: 7.5
• Reading: 6.5
• Writing: 7.0
• Overall Band Score: 7.0

2. Canadian English Language Benchmarks Assessment for Nurses (CELBAN) with minimum scores of:

• Speaking: 8.0
• Listening: 10.0
• Reading: 8.0
• Writing: 7.0

The following are to be completed prior to the first practice education experience:

• CPR level “C”.
• Criminal Record Check
• All the online orientation courses required by the Health Authority, including fit testing
• Immunization as required by sites of practice education and recommended by BC Centre for Disease Control (2009): diphtheria and tetanus, polio, hepatitis B, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), varicella, and influenza
• Negative TB skin test or chest x-ray. Students who do not meet the immunization requirements may be prohibited from attending practice education experiences given particular Health Authority, or practice education site organization/agency policy.