Bachelor of Science Nursing (First Year Entry)

Admission Requirements

Admission to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing is through a competitive selection process. Successful applicants are identified through a combined evaluation of GPA (based on the program pre-requisites) and a CASPer test result.

Application advice:

  • The BScN is an annual selection based program. You must meet all your education requirements by the date posted on the website.
  • If you do not meet the educational requirements on time, your application will be cancelled.
  • If you meet the requirements but do not receive an offer of admission, you must reapply and resubmit academic information if you want to apply for another intake. Applicants are not waitlisted for the following intake.
  • Under specific circumstances, an applicant who receives an offer of admission may request a one year deferral. Please review the defer request form for details.

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS:

  • 18 credits in first-year level university courses:
    • 6 credits in English:
      •  ENGL 1100 and ENGL 1200 with a minimum 'C+' grade or equivalent, or
      • ENGL 1101 and ENGL 1102 with a minimum 'C+' grade, for students whose first language is not English and who have entered the program with an IELTS Academic or CELBAN English proficiency assessment
    • 6 credits in BIOL 1120 Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 and BIOL 1220 Human Anatomy and Physiology 2 with a minimum 'C+' grade or equivalent *taken within 5 years of the application date.
    • 6 credits of courses with a minimum 'C+' grade in Humanities or Social Sciences.
  • English Language Proficiency demonstrated by one of the following:
    • 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 Additional Language courses is not included in this three-year calculation, or 
    • IELTS Academic with an overall minimum score of 7.0, and minimum scores of: Speaking 7.0, Listening 7.5, Reading 6.5, Writing 7.0, or
    • CELBAN (Canadian English Language Benchmarks Assessment for Nurses)* with minimum scores of: Speaking 8.0, Listening 10.0, Reading 8.0, Writing 7.0 (NOTE: CELBAN is only suitable for those who have studied nursing in a country other than Canada.)
  • Knowledge of mathematics demonstrated by the following:
    •  VCC Health Sciences Math Assessment with a minimum 80% and a minimum of 7 out of 9 in the applications section.  If unsuccessful, it is recommended to complete the MATH 1054 Math for Health Sciences course with a grade of Satisfactory prior to re-attempting the Math Assessment. 
  • Submission of a CASPer score. CASPer Test scores are only valid for one admission cycle.

UPON ACCEPTANCE TO THE PROGRAM:

  • Criminal Record Check
    • Students in this program are required to complete a CRC. The CRC must be completed according to VCC's Criminal Record Check instructions. Students whose CRC results indicate they pose a risk to vulnerable populations will not be able to complete the requirements of the program (e.g. practicums) or graduate.  
    • Please Note: The regulatory body, the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives, asks each applicant about criminal offenses. If you have ever been convicted of a criminal offense (other than a minor traffic violation) you should consider whether your application for membership would be accepted. Registration to practice is mandatory in B.C.
  • Current CPR Level C
    • CPR Level C includes:
      • Adult/Child/Baby CPR – one rescuer
      • Adult/Child CPR – two-rescuer
      • Adult/Child/Baby – choking
    • CPR certificates other than CPR Level C must be accompanied by documentation indicating the certificate includes the above. 
    • CPR certificates expire one year from the date of issue. Current status is required for all clinical and practicum experiences.
  • TB Screening*
    • Students must submit a negative TB skin test taken within 6 weeks of acceptance to the program. If the TB skin test is positive, a negative TB chest x-ray is required.
  • Immunizations* 
    • An Immunization Record must be completed. 
    • Immunizations in the following are strongly recommended and in some case may be required for practicum placements:
      • Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis 
      • Polio 
      • Measles, Mumps & Rubella 
      • Varicella (Chickenpox)
      • Hepatitis B 
      • Influenza 
      • COVID-19

*NOTE: Clinical facilities may decline individual students for their placement if a student is unable to provide proof of immunizations, satisfactory serum titers and TB screening.

  • N95 Respiratory Mask
    • An N95 respirator mask that is individually fitted by a trained provider, following CSA guidelines. 
    • The individual mask fitting should be done just prior to beginning the program. Mask fitting must be done annually. Students are responsible for the cost of the mask fitting.
    • The original certificate must be presented to the department on the first day of class.

NOTES:
Applicants with educational documents not from a Canadian or American institution must complete a comprehensive evaluation of education from International Credential Education Service (ICES) https://www.bcit.ca/ices/  in addition to the above admissions requirements. Applicants will be referred to the Department to assess eligibility.

Program Requirements

Plan of Study Grid
Term OneCredits
NURS 1150 Pharmacotherapeutics 1 2
NURS 1153 Health Determinants 2
NURS 1161 Introduction to Collaboration 2
NURS 1162 Intro to Pathophysiology 2
NURS 1164 Nursing Clinical Practice 1 6.5
 Credits14.5
Term Two
NURS 1260 Pharmacotherapeutics 2 2
NURS 1261 Collaboration with Older Adult 2
NURS 1262 Pathophysiology-ChronicDisease 2
NURS 1263 Transitions Older Adults 2
NURS 1264 Nursing Clinical Practice 2 6.5
NURS 1370 Clinical Consolidation 1 6
 Credits20.5
Term Three
NURS 2160 Pharmacotherapeutics 3 2
NURS 2161 Professional Collaboration 2
NURS 2162 Pathophysiology Acute Illness 2
NURS 2163 Health Illness Transitions 2
NURS 2164 Nursing Clinical Practice 3 6.5
NURS 2370 Clinical Consolidation 2 6
 Credits20.5
Term Four
NURS 2261 Collaboration with Families 2
NURS 2263 Childbearing Family Transition 2
NURS 2264 Nursing Clinical Practice 4 6.5
NURS 2265 Child Health and Pharmacology 2
NURS 2266 Maternal Health & Pharmacology 2
 Credits14.5
Term Five
NURS 3160 Mental Health Nursing 6
NURS 3163 Situational Transitions 3
NURS 3164 Clinical Mental Health 3
MATH 1111 Introduction to Statistics 3
NURS 3265 Nursing Research 3
 Credits18
Term Six
NURS 3262 Pathophys Complex Illness 2
NURS 3263 Multiple Transitions 2
NURS 3264 Nursing Clinical Practice 6 9
NURS 3266 Focused Practice Preparation 2
NURS 3370 Clinical Consolidation 3 6
 Credits21
Term Seven
NURS 4064 Population and Public Health 4
NURS 4163 Community Health 3
NURS 4165 Ethics and Law in Health Care 3
NURS 4166 Canadian Health Care System 2
Elective in a College level Non-Nursing course* 3
 Credits15
Term Eight
NURS 4261 Nursing Leadership 3
NURS 4264 Focused Preceptorship 12
 Credits15
 Total Credits139
  • * Please Note: Courses taken for elective credit must be approved by the Nursing Department.
  • Eligibility to move into the next term or clinical experience is dependent upon the successful completion of all of the other courses in the term. This guide is intended as a general guideline only. The college reserves the right to make changes as appropriate.

Evaluation of Student Learning

Student progress in the classroom, nursing lab and clinical setting will be evaluated. Theoretical concepts may be evaluated through oral presentations, multiple choice exams, case studies, lab simulation and written assignments. Assessment of clinical practice will be based on mid-term and final evaluations. Students are expected to attend all classes, labs and clinical. 

Students must receive a passing grade of C (minimum of 60%, GPA 2.0) in each of the BScN Program nursing and non-nursing courses (Math 1111, elective) unless stated otherwise. For example, NURS 3160 and NURS 3262, NURS 2266, NURS 2265, NURS 3164 require a passing grade of B (minimum of 72%).

Students must achieve 100% in the dosage calculation component and a “Satisfactory” grade in all lab and clinical components. *The student will have three opportunities to retake the dosage calculation component.

A student may only repeat two courses throughout the entire program. If a student fails three courses, they will be required to exit the program. If there are extenuating circumstances, a nursing student may appeal to have this policy waived to allow for a third registration. Course repeats are not allowed in the first year.  If a student is unsuccessful in Term 1 or 2 courses, they will be required to re-apply to the program. A student may apply to the BScN Progressions Committee to repeat the course (insert) the next time it is offered provided there is space available and Department Head approval is granted. Prior to returning, the student may be required by the BScN Progressions Committee to complete courses to update clinical knowledge and skills necessary for safety in practice.

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)

Prior learning assessment and recognition is not available for this program. 

Transcript of Achievement

The evaluation of learning outcomes for each student is prepared by the instructor and reported to the Student Records Department at the completion of semesters.

The transcript typically shows a letter grade for each course. The grade point equivalent for a course is obtained from letter grades as follows:

Grading Standard

Grade Percentage Description Grade Point Equivalency
A+ 90-100 4.33
A 85-89 4.00
A- 80-84 3.67
B+ 76-79 3.33
B 72-75 3.00
B- 68-71 2.67
C+ 64-67 2.33
C 60-63 Minimum Pass 2.00
C- 55-59 1.67
D 50-54 1.00
F 0-49 Failing Grade 0.00
S 70 or greater Satisfactory – student has met and mastered a clearly defined body of skills and performances to required standards N/A
U Unsatisfactory – student has not met and mastered a clearly defined body of skills and performances to required standards N/A
I Incomplete N/A
IP Course in Progress N/A
W Withdrawal N/A
Course Standings
R Audit. No Credits N/A
EX Exempt. Credit Granted N/A
TC Transfer Credit N/A

Grade Point Average (GPA)

  1. The course grade points shall be calculated as the product of the course credit value and the grade value.

  2. The GPA shall be calculated by dividing the total number of achieved course grade points by the total number of assigned course credit values. This cumulative GPA shall be determined and stated on the Transcript at the end of each Program level or semester.

  3. Grades shall be assigned to repeated courses in the same manner as courses taken only once. For the purpose of GPA calculation of grades for repeated courses, they will be included in the calculation of the cumulative GPA.