Nursing - Bachelor of Science
Overview
With all four years of classes held at Selkirk College, you will get to study in one of BC’s most beautiful regions and graduate with a University of Victoria Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
Our location supports you to live in a community where the cost of living is lower than most urban centres. You will experience small class sizes, simulation technology, a variety of rural practice placements, and may have international learning opportunities.
Our program is nationally accredited by the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) and provincially recognized by the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM).
Nursing careers are diverse and include practice, education, administration and research.
After graduation, you will be prepared for entry level practice in a variety of settings and eligible for post-basic nursing specialty programs, including medical/surgical, critical care, gerontology, maternal child health, mental health, rural and remote, and community health.
Consider nursing if you are:
- Caring and compassionate
- A creative and critical thinker
- Professional in demeanor and behaviour
- Able to manage time, stress and uncertainty
- Committed to learning
- Comfortable with new technology
Please note that you must be 18 years of age or older by the time the program starts, in order to meet regulatory requirements for in-program activities. Graduates are eligible to write the National Council Licensure Examinations, Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) and qualified to pursue graduate education.
Program Outcomes
The following program outcomes are achieved by the interaction among students, clients, faculty, and practice partners in a process of lifelong learning. At completion of the curriculum, graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program will be able to meet the six program outcomes:
1. Promote health and well-being by providing quality nursing care across a variety of contexts and with diverse populations.
2. Be accountable and ethical Registered Nurses who provide care and make decisions based on relationships with others, nursing knowledge and other forms of inquiry.
3. Demonstrate leadership that influences Registered Nursing practice and health care at professional, social, environmental, economic, and political levels by anticipating and responding to the changing needs of society.
4. Engage in intentional critical inquiry and self-reflection to facilitate life-long learning.
5. Contribute Registered Nursing knowledge and be a voice to interprofessional and team-based collaborations to optimize health outcomes and strengthen health services and systems.
6. Be shaped by understanding the historical and current social realities that result in Indigenous-specific racism, and which negatively impact Indigenous health and well-being. This curriculum is committed to enacting the principles of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Admission Requirements
BC high school graduation and completion of the following BC Provincial Curriculum courses (or equivalents) with minimum marks as indicated:
- English Studies 12 or equivalent (73%)
- Biology 12 (73%)
- One of three: Biology 11, Physics 12 or Chemistry 12 (60%)
- Chemistry 11 (67%)
- Foundations of Math 12 or Pre-Calculus 11 (67%)
Please note that you must be 18 years of age or older by the time the program starts, in order to meet regulatory requirements for in-program activities. Graduates are eligible to write the National Council Licensure Examinations, Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) and qualified to pursue graduate education.
Individuals applying for admission to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program must apply during the application period; exact dates are posted on the Nursing webpage. To be considered for the program, applicants must meet all prerequisites and submit their completed application and supporting documents by the end of the application period.
Before an application is considered complete, the following must be received by the Admissions Office:
- Selkirk College application form
- Official transcripts of high school grades (an interim statement of grades is acceptable if applicant is still attending school)
- Official transcripts for all post-secondary education studies in which the applicant has enrolled
- BC Ministry of Justice criminal record check
- Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics (CASPer Test)
Applicants are responsible for registering for the CASPer Test. A limited number of testing dates and times are available. Results are sent directly to the College Admissions Office.
Admission to the BSN Program is through a selective admission process. Successful applicants are identified through the combined evaluation of GPA (based on program prerequisites) and a portfolio. The portfolio includes the CASPer screening tool designed to assess non-cognitive personal characteristics. Applicants will be ranked using a metric that incorporates academic and non-academic portfolio information.
Written offers will be sent to the highest ranked applicants. Receipt of a $500.00 non-refundable seat deposit by the offer-acceptance deadline is required otherwise the offer will be considered declined.
Once the seats have been filled, a waitlist will be created for the current intake. Applicants on the waitlist will be offered seats that remain or become vacant after the offer-acceptance deadline.
Applicants who are not accepted into the program will receive notification. Applicants who are not admitted or do not take a seat in a given year are required to reapply to be considered in a subsequent year; waitlists are not carried over.
Priority Registration:
a) Priority registration and reserved seating for qualified Indigenous applicants. Candidates are encouraged to self-identify their ancestry when applying for admission.
b) Priority registration and reserved seating for qualified High School applicants.
The number of seats reserved for either of the above groups of applicants will be determined by the school chair prior to opening applications for each cohort.
1. In order to progress from one semester to the next, the following requirements must be met:
Satisfactory completion of all nursing and non-nursing core courses with a minimum grade of 60% and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.33 per semester.
The University of Victoria will convert the cumulative GPAs of Selkirk College students to the University of Victoria’s 9-point scale during the application process in semester five; failed required courses are included in the GPA.
Credentials: In order to qualify for graduation with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a student must meet the requirements as determined by the University of Victoria.
Courses
BIOL164 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I
BIOL 164 Human Anatomy and Physiology I. This course provides an integrative approach to the normal structure and function of the human body. Repair and replication, structural support, nervous integration, movement and metabolism are examined at the cellular, tissue and system levels. Recent scientific discoveries are presented as a means of relating the systems studied to various applied disciplines including health care and Kinesiology.
ENGL110 - College Composition
ENGL 110 introduces students to the world of scholarly writing -- reading it, thinking about it, and producing it as academic researchers. Students will explore how professional and/or academic writers across disciplines communicate to a variety of audiences. Students will practice active reading, writing and critical thinking skills by conducting scholarly research on a topic. This course aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to write effectively within academic contexts.
NURS112 - Professional Practice I: Introduction to the Profession of Nursing
NURS 112 Professional Practice I: Introduction to the Profession of Nursing is a course where students will examine foundational perspectives and concepts of the curriculum and their relationship to the development of autonomous to nursing practice. Students explore the history of the profession of nursing and reflect upon the political, cultural, and socioeconomic forces that have influenced and are influencing the evolution of the nursing profession and contemporary nursing roles and responsibilities. Standards of nursing practice and responsibility for safe, competent, and ethical nursing practice are studied.
NURS116 - Health and Healing I: Introduction to the Context of Health and Health Promotion
NURS 116 Health and Healing I: Introduction to the Context of Health and Health Promotion introduces learners to health promotion. They will explore how health is conceptualized and examine their own personal beliefs relating to health. They will examine immerging impacts on health such as climate change. They will examine the health of diverse Canadians using a variety of health information sources in order to understand the individual and macro level conditions that impact health. Learners will examine the Canadian health care system, its effect on health status, and factors that contribute to health inequity, including gender, sexual orientation, and exigencies that impact Indigenous health, and the Social Determinants of Health. Learners will be introduced to the concept of primary health care and explore the contributions of professional nursing to the health of individuals, families, and communities, across the lifespan.
BIOL165 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II
BIOL 165 Human Anatomy and Physiology II is a continuation of Biology 164. This course covers the cardiovascular, respiratory, lymphatic, urinary and digestive systems. Endocrinology is discussed throughout as a means of integrating the various systems to the function of the body as a whole. The focus remains on application of knowledge gained in this course.
NURS122 - Professional Practice II: Discipline of Nursing: Knowledge Development and Inquiry
NURS 122 Professional Practice II: Discipline of Nursing: Knowledge Development and Inquiry, in this course, students examine the discipline of nursing and the relationship between nursing practice, theory, and research. Students explore contemporary understandings of the discipline of nursing and the body of knowledge that defines it by approaching knowledge for nursing as an intersection of relationship and inquiry, research, and evidence-informed practice. Students are introduced to nursing theorists, the nursing metaparadigm, and nurse’s ways of knowing, including the essentials of informatics, and its role in guiding practice. Students develop skill in accessing, reviewing, and appraising evidence promoting community and societal health.
NURS126 - Health and Healing II: Health Assessment Across the Lifespan
NURS 126 Health and Healing II: Health Assessment Across the Lifespan. In this course learners will explore promoting health and wellbeing of individuals and families across the lifespan. The focus is on health promotion, teaching and learning, and human growth and development; and how these foci inform the registered nurse’s role in contemporary health care. Learners will integrate and apply theoretical and conceptual frameworks in relation to developmental stages throughout the lifespan. Learners will integrate the Social Determinants of Health into strategies to promote health across the lifespan. Learners will expand knowledge of learning theory as it applies to individuals, families, and groups.
NURS129 - Nursing Practice I: Introduction to Nursing Practice and Coming to Know the Client
NURS 129 Nursing Practice I: Introduction to Nursing Practice and Coming to Know the Client, in this course students apply knowledge from previous and concurrent courses to their beginning understanding of nursing practice. This introductory practice experience provides opportunities to develop caring relationships with groups, families and individuals across the lifespan. Emphasis is placed on health assessment and coming to know how individuals understand and promote their health, and the role of the nurse in partnering with the person in this process. Students work with interprofessional teams in the home and community, in agencies, and care settings as they begin to develop their professional identity and use critical reflection, the decision-making model, and professional standards to support safe nursing practice. Students are introduced to the systems which support delivery of health care, such as organizational structures, occupational health and safety, information and communication technologies, and agency policies.
Tuition & Fees
All amounts are estimates and are subject to change. Tuition amounts are based on a full-time course load. Please note that many programs have additional costs beyond those listed here. For more information, please visit Tuition & Fees.
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