Bachelor of Nursing

Department of Nursing & Health Sciences

• Regulations
• Curriculum for BN (Basic) Students
• Bachelor of Nursing Degree for Licensed Practical Students
• Bachelor of Nursing Degree for Registered Nurses

Faculty

Chair: O'Brien-Larivee, Catherine

• Doucet, Shelley, BN (UNB), MScN (UWO), PhD (UNB), Jarislowsky Chair in Interprofessional Patient-Centred Care, Associate Professor - 2010
• Furlong, Karen, RN Dip (SJSN), BN (UNB), MN (UNB), PhD (UNB), Diploma University Teaching (UNB), CNA Certification Neuroscience Nursing, Senior Teaching Associate – 2000
• Hamilton, Catherine, BSN Duke University, Certified Nurse-Midwife, MSc Yale University, ARNP, MSN, PhD(c), University of Florida, Lecturer, 2017
• Keeping-Burke, Lisa, BN (MUN), MN (MUN), PhD (McG), Associate Professor, Associate Dean of Health Research - 2012
• Logue, Nancy, BN (UNB), MN (Dal), PhD (UNB), Diploma in University Teaching (UNB), Senior Teaching Associate- 1995
• Manzer, Dana, RN Dip, BN (UNB), MN-PHCNP (AU), Diploma in University Teaching (UNB), PhD (c) Interdisciplinary Studies (UNB), Lecturer- 2016
• March, Angela, BN (UNB), MN (UNB), Diploma in University Teaching (UNB), Instructor - 2016
• Mawhinney, Kathleen BN (UNB), MN (UNB), Diploma in University Teaching (UNB), Senior Instructor - 2010
• McCloskey, Rose, BSc (Acad.), RN Dip (Hfx.Inf.SN), BN (UNB), Diploma in Adult Ed. (St FX), MN (UNB), PhD (UNB), CNA Certification Gerontology Diploma University Teaching (UNB), Professor - 2000
• Nagel, Daniel, RN, Dip (Misercordia Hospital, Edmonton), BScN (U of A), MSN (UBC), PhD (U of Ottawa), Assistant Professor - 2016
• O’Brien-Larivee, Catherine, BN (UNB), MSc Applied Nursing (McG), Diploma University Teaching 2004, Senior Teaching Associate - 2004
• Pastirik, Pamela, BN (UNB), MSN (UBC), CNA Certification Perinatal Nursing, Senior Teaching Associate -2002

Program Goal

The goal of the Nursing Programs at UNB Saint John is to educate caring professional nurses. Faculty believe that professional nursing encompasses five interrelated areas of competency: Knowledge and its Application, Communication, Critical Thinking/Skills of Analysis, Professional Identity, and Social Justice/Effective Citizenship.

BN Program

In 1989, the membership of the Nurses' Association of New Brunswick (NANB) voted to establish a baccalaureate degree in Nursing as the entry level to the profession by the year 2000. In 1994, the Minister of Advanced Education and Labor announced the government's support of this goal by transferring the total responsibility for nursing education in New Brunswick to the universities. In the Fall of 1995, the Bachelor Nursing Program at the Saint John campus of UNB admitted its first students.

The degree program spans four years of general and professional education. On completion of the program, graduates are eligible to write the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) to procure registration in New Brunswick. Those who are successful are eligible to obtain registration across Canada.

UNB Saint John's four-year Baccalaureate Program in Nursing includes a majority of course work in nursing, and courses from the liberal arts and sciences. Many nursing courses provide opportunities for clinical practice. Students work with individuals, families, groups and communities, and with persons at various stages of the life cycle and in a variety of settings.

Costs

Nursing students practice in a variety of clinical facilities and agencies. All students will be expected to travel out of town for some clinical experiences. In some instances, overnight accomodation will be required. Students may also be expected to complete clinical experiences during evenings, nights, and weekends to meet clinical course requirements and in accordance with availablity of clinical placements and/or instructors. Normally clinical courses are completed in early June (BN program). However, depending on the availability of clinical facilities and/or instructors, these time frames may be extended. Students will be provided with notice of clinical scheduling as soon as it is feasible.   All students must provide proof of required immunizations. Clinical agencies may not permit students who are not fully immunized to access facilities and may ask students at any time to provide proof of the following mandatory immunizations: Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Haemophilus Influenza type B, Measels, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella; appropriate Diphtheria and Tetanus boosters; and series of Hepatitus B immunizations and titure status. Students also must have an initial 2-step Mantoux test for Tuberculosis. Further details are contained in relevant program policies. Additionally, in order to participate in nursing clinical courses, students must have current CPR Certification Basic Rescuer (Level C) and submit a yearly criminal record check. In addition, some clinical agencies require students to have a Social Development Reference Check as described in the Family Services Act of New Brunswick, prior to clinical practice experiences.

Regulations

University Regulations

Students are responsible to read carefully Section B of this Calendar, General University Regulations, and in particular the subsection headed Grading and Classification.
Transfer and mature students are particularly advised to consult Section B. Students applying for a second undergraduate degree will take Nursing courses and the required Arts and Science courses in the program, if they have not already taken them. Questions concerning the application of regulations must be made to the Registrar in writing.
Any point not covered in the following regulations will be governed by the General University Regulations.

Admission Policy on English Language Proficiency

Admission Policy on English Language Proficiency:  complete four or more consecutive years of full-time education in English in a country where English is the principal language. (//www.unb.ca/international/prospective/adminreq/englishlanguage.html)

The language of our program is English and prospective students whose mother tongue is not English may prove English language proficiency in one of the following ways:

i. Minimum TOEFL score on a paper-based test of 600.
ii. Minimum CanTEST scores of 5.0 on reading and listening, and 4.5 on writing.
iii. A minimum of 4 years full-time study in the English language in a country where English is the principal language.

Notwithstanding the above, students must demonstrate competence in speaking, listening, reading and writing English to meet course requirements.

General Regulations

Admissions, Transfers and Progression Committee

This Department Committee has a mandate to make decisions on issues that pertain to admissions, transfers, and progression of students through the Nursing Program and to implement the Level 1 suspension investigation process as per the Unsafe Practice Policy. 

Admission:  Candidates who are interested in pursuing nursing education are advised to read the Document Becoming a Registered Nurse in New Brunswick:  Requisite Skills and Abilities.  This document describes the skills and abilities required of students to successfully progress through a nursing education program and achieve the established entry-level competencies for registered nurses in New Brunswick.  The document can be found at:  http://www.nanb.nb.ca/media/resource/NANB-EntryLevelCompetenciesNP-October2016-E.pdf. 

1.     University regulations state that a student whose assessment grade point average (GPA.) falls below 2.0 will be placed on academic probation (UNB Calendar: Standing and Promotion Requirements). In addition to this regulation, a Nursing student whose assessment GPA. falls below 1.7 may be required to withdraw from the program.
   
   
2. The Department of Nursing & Health Sciences has an approved departmental-grading scheme and the following grades are required in the Nursing program:
   
   •     at least a “C” grade in all required Nursing classroom courses
   •     a “credit” in all required Nursing clinical courses
   •     at least a “C” grade in all required non-nursing courses
   •     at least a “D” grade in all electives, both Nursing and non-nursing
3. A student must receive a passing grade in all required nursing and non-nursing courses in each year of the program before proceeding to the next year of the program.
4. A student who fails a clinical course may normally be allowed to repeat the course; a student who twice fails to achieve a passing grade in any Nursing clinical course will be required to withdraw from the Nursing program.
5. As outlined in the Unsafe Practice Policy, student actions that compromise patient safety and serious breaches of conduct will result in a Level 1 suspension from clinical practice. In such circumstances these students will be reviewed by the Admissions Transfers and Progression Committee.
6. Students who have serious breaches of conduct in class, lab or clinical settings will be reviewed by the Admissions Transfers and Progression Committee and the student may be required to withdraw from the Nursing Program.
7. A student must receive a “credit” in Nursing clinical courses and at least a “C” in the co-requisite Nursing classroom course before proceeding to subsequent clinical courses. In instances where a Nursing classroom course and Nursing clinical course are co-requisites, a failure in one results in a requirement to repeat and pass both courses.
8. A student who has been absent from Nursing clinical courses for 8 months or longer may be required to repeat and pass relevant Nursing courses as determined by the Department Admissions, Transfers, and Progression Committee,
9. A student who fails to receive a “credit” in NURS 4152 Concentrated Clinical Practice III will be required to repeat and pass relevant clinical and classroom courses under the supervision of Nursing faculty before being permitted to repeat the Concentration.
10. Students must complete the program within 6 years of enrolment.

Course Transfers

Potential courses for transfer to the BN, BN/RN Programs or the LBN-Bridge Pilot will be assessed at the time of admission. In addition to the standard UNB transfer credit regulations, the Department of Nursing and Health Sciences will only accept transferred nursing (NURS) courses completed within five years at time of admission. Furthermore, transferred non-nursing required courses and open electives must be completed within ten years at time of admission. 

Curriculum for BN Students

Credit hour requirements for Nursing program

Degree program Minimum 132 ch.

(See Section F of the Calendar for course descriptions)

Year I
Term 1: NURS 1020 (1 ch); NURS 1011 (3 ch); NURS 1032 (3 ch); BIOL 1441 (4 ch); PSYC 1003 (3 ch); Open Elective *(3 ch).
Term 2: NURS 1225 (3 ch); NURS 1235 (3 ch); BIOL 1442 (4 ch); PSYC (Elective) (3 ch); Open Elective (3 ch)

Year II
Term 1: NURS 2041 (4 ch); NURS 2157 (4 ch); NURS 2135 (3 ch); BIOL 2831 (3 ch); STAT 2263 (3 ch).
Term 2: NURS 2063 (4 ch); NURS 2132 (3 ch); NURS 2177 (3 ch); NURS 2145 (3 ch); NURS 2189 (3 ch); BIOL 2852 (3 ch).

Year III
Term 1: NURS 3064 (4 ch); NURS 3067 (4 ch); NURS 3092 (3 ch);  NURS 3061 (2 ch); BIOL 3251 (3 ch)
Term 2: NURS 3033 (3 ch); NURS 3071 (3 ch); NURS 3073 (4 ch); NURS 3081 (3 ch); NURS 3167 (2 ch) NURS 3703 (4 ch).

Year IV
Term 1: Open Elective* (3 ch); NURS 4211 (3 ch); NURS 4321 (3 ch); NURS 4322 (4 ch).
Term 2: NURS 4142 (3 ch); NURS 4152 (12 ch).
* Only 2 of the 3 electives may be chosen from the same discipline. Please note UNIV 1003 is not an approved elective for the BN program. 

Bachelor of Nursing Degree for Licensed Practical Nurses Bridge Pilot

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) will be able to gain access to an LPN Bridge, a cluster of required university courses that, upon successful completion, qualify them to apply for admission to the Bachelor of Nursing (BN) degree if they (1) hold current memberships in the Association of New Brunswick Practical Licensed Nurses (ANBLPN) in good standing, and (2) are a graduate of either the 18 month or two year NBCC Practical Nurse program. NBCC graduates of the  18 month program must be graduates from 2003 and onward and NBCC graduates from the 2-year program must be graduates from 2009 and onward. If an 18 month graduate, the applicant must provide proof of successful completion of both the Adult Physical Assessment (NCSI 1038) and the Introduction to Pharmacology (PHMC 1018) courses. Students must have achieved a minimum grade of 75% in every course in their previous LPN program and in each of the additional courses identified, if applicable. Finally, students require successful completion of High School MATH 112 (a) with a minimum grade of 60%. Since there are non-academic requirements associated with the next step in the admission process, namely being admitted to the BN program, students are advised to familiarize themselves with all admission requirements before applying to the Bridge Courses. 

The following required courses comprise the LPN Bridge:

NURS 2011 (3ch) - Concepts for Professional Nursing Practice
HUM 1021 (3ch) - Effective Writing I
STAT 2263 (3ch) - Statistics for Health Sciences
BIOL 2831 (3ch) - Pathophysiology I
NURS 2051 (3ch) - Clinical Decision Making
PSYC 1003 (3ch) - Introductory Psychology I

To subsequently be admitted to the BN Program, LPN Bridge applicants must meet the following requirements: (1) a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 on the six successfully completed Bridge courses with no grade less than C in any one course, (2) and provide proof of current registration with the Association of New Brunswick Practical Licensed Nurses (ANBPLN) in good standing (3) a completed criminal record check, (4)current CPR certification, (5) current immunization status as per the policy of the Department of Nursing & Health Sciences, and (6) completion of a medical as per the policy of the Department of Nursing & Health Sciences. LPN to BN Bridge students must apply to enter the BN program for the upcoming year following successful completion of the Bridge. Once admitted, students will join an existing BN class for the third and fourth year of the BN program. BN students who enter the program through the LPN BN Bridge must complete the BN program requirements within four years of starting the BN program.

BN/LPN Requirements: A minimum of 81 ch comprised of 18 ch from the Bridge plus 63ch from years 3 & 4 of the BN (Basic) curriculum.  

Bachelor of Nursing Degree for Registered Nurses

This BN/RN program is for graduates of two- and three-year diploma nursing programs. Requirements for admission include proof of successful completion of a diploma in nursing and have an active registration with the Nurses Association of New Brunswick.

Many students choose to pursue this degree on a part-time basis.Full time BN/RN students complete the Program within 6 years of enrollment. Part-time BN/RN students must complete the Program within 10 years of enrolling in the first nursing courses.

Credit hour requirements for BN/RN Program

BN/RN Program Minimum 54 ch

Required Non-Nursing Courses (6 ch)
PHIL 3133 ; STAT 2263 or equivalent (3 ch)

Electives (18 ch)

1.     Students take a minimum of 18 ch of open electives.
2.     Students may be granted 3 ch or one open elective for one current CNA certification.
3.     No restrictions are placed on the level at which elective courses are taken; students are advised to take upper-level electives where and when possible.

(See Section F of the Calendar for course descriptions)

NURS 2011 (3 ch); NURS 3033 (3 ch); NURS 3081 (3 ch); NURS 3092 (3 ch); NURS 4211 (3 ch); NURS 3064 (4 ch); NURS 3067 (4 ch); NURS 3167 (2 ch); NURS 4142 (3 ch); NURS 3061 (2 ch).