Bachelor of Nursing

Department of Nursing & Health Sciences

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

Faculty

Chair: Hamilton, Catherine

• Banks, Angela, BN (UNB), MN (UNB), Diploma in University Teaching (UNB), CNA Certification Medical-Surgical Nursing, Associate Teaching Professor - 2016
• Doucet, Shelley, BN (UNB), MScN (UWO), PhD (UNB), Jarislowsky Chair in Interprofessional Patient-Centred Care, Professor, Director of the Centre for Research in Integrated Care - 2010
• Dupont, Diana, BN (UNB), MN (UNB), Diploma in University Teaching (UNB),CNA Certification Medical-Surgical Nursing, Associate Teaching Professor - 2018
• Edwards, Rosann, BA (U of Ottawa), BSCN (U of Ottawa), MSCN (U of Ottawa), PhD (U of Ottawa), Assistant Professor - 2020
• Furlong, Karen, RN Dip (SJSN), BN (UNB), MN (UNB), PhD (UNB), Diploma University Teaching (UNB), Teaching Professor – 2000
• Gregg, Emily, BN (UNB), MN (UNB), PhD (c) (Queen's University), Assistant Teaching Professor - 2019
• Hamilton, Catherine, BSN (Duke University), Certified Nurse-Midwife, MSc (Yale University), ARNP, MSN, PhD (c) (University of Florida), Assistant Professor - 2017
• Hatfield, Meagan, BN(UNB), MN (Athabasca University), Diploma in University Teaching (UNB), Associate Teaching Professor - 2019
• Keeping-Burke, Lisa, BN (MUN), MN (MUN), PhD (McGill), Associate Professor, Associate Dean of Health Research - 2012
• Kinney, Erika, BN (UNB), MN (AU), CNA Certification-Critical Care, Assistant Teaching Professor- 2022
• Mawhinney, Kathleen, BN (UNB), MN (UNB), Diploma in University Teaching (UNB), Teaching Professor - 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 in University Teaching (UNB), Professor - 2000
• Pastirik, Pamela, BN (UNB), MSN (UBC), CNA Certification Perinatal Nursing, Teaching Professor - 2002
• Shamputa, Isdore Chola, BSc (UNZA), MSc, PhD (VUB), Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow (NIH), BScN  (Dalhousie University), Certification in Microbiology (Canadian College of Microbiologists), Diploma in University Teaching (UNB), Assistant Professor - 2018
• Simpson, Catharine, BN (UNB), MN (Athabasca University), Diploma in University Teaching (UNB), Associate Teaching Professor - 2019
• Waycott, Loretta, BA (STU), BN (UNB), MN (Athabasca University), Diploma in University Teaching (UNB), Associate Teaching Professor - 2019
• Wilbur, Kimberly, RN (Bathurst School of Nursing), BN (UNB), MN (UNB), Diploma in University Teaching (UNB), Lecturer- 2022

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 competency domains: 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 responsibility for nursing education in New Brunswick to the universities. In the Fall of 1995, the Bachelor of 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 the Province of 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.

Non-academic Program Requirements 

• Critical Documents – Students must complete the annual critical documents process in order to participate in clinical.  Critical documents can include but are not limited to: CPR for Health Care Provider, criminal and vulnerable sector confirmation, immunization, code of conduct, and other required medical information. All students will receive annual advising on the specific critical document requirements for their upcoming year. 
• Clinical Scheduling – Clinical experiences most commonly occur on Thursday and Friday in the fall and winter term and Monday to Friday during Concentrated clinical (May and early June). Depending on the availability of clinical facilities and/or instructors, these time frames may change. Students can expect clinical experiences during days, evenings, nights, and weekends to meet clinical practice requirements and in accordance with the availability of clinical placements and/or instructors. The clinical coordinator will provide students with notice of clinical scheduling as soon as it is feasible.
• Travel - Due to a variety of clinical settings, all students will be expected to travel out of town for some clinical experiences. In some instances, overnight accommodations may be required.
• Nursing Program Fee – there is a required fee which covers nursing program specific resources. This fee is added automatically when a student finalizes their tuition for the academic year.

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 points not covered in the following regulations will be governed by the General University Regulations.

CASPer Test 

Admission decisions are based on the applicant’s admission average or Grade Point Average (GPA) (60% weight) and the CASPer score (40% weight). All applicants to UNB’s Nursing programs are required to complete the CASPer test, an online Situational Judgement Assessment, as part of the application process. This includes applicants to the four-year Bachelor of Nursing on both campuses; the LPN to BN Pathway, and the Bachelor of Nursing Accelerated Program through UNB Fredericton, and the LPN to BN Bridge program through UNB Saint John. An applicant may write the CASPer test once per year. Applicants who have taken the test in previous years will be required to re-take it if reapplying for admission. 

Nutsihpiluwewicik Admission Pathway 

The Faculty of Nursing, Fredericton campus and Moncton site, and the Department of Nursing and Health Sciences, UNB Saint John follow the Nutsihpiluwewicik (Fredericton) and Indigenous Admissions Pathway (Saint John). 

UNB recognizes and respectfully acknowledges that the land on which our campuses are located is the traditional unsurrendered and unceded traditional lands of the Wolastoqiyik and Mi’kmaq Peoples. This territory is covered by the “Treaties of Peace and Friendship” which the Wolastoqiyik, Mi’kmaq, and Peskotomuhkati Peoples first signed with the British Crown in 1725. The treaties did not deal with the surrender of lands and resources but in fact recognized Wolastoqiyik, Mi’kmaq, and Peskotomuhkati title and established the rules for what was going to be an ongoing relationship between nations. UNB’s Faculty of Nursing and Department of Nursing and Health Sciences UNB Saint John welcomes applications from Indigenous students and is committed to the decolonization of admissions processes and the fulfillment of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee’s Calls to Action to bridge the educational attainment gap and student success rates, increase the number Indigenous nurses, and to do so in a way that recognizes the value of Indigenous knowledge. 

The Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre, Nutsihpiluwewicik (Healing Clan), the Faculty of Nursing (UNBF) and the Department of Nursing and Health Sciences (UNBSJ) have identified an admissions pathway for applicants with Indigenous ancestry (First Nation, Inuit, and Métis). These applicants are invited to participate in an Indigenous student enrolment strategy - the Nutsihpiluwewicik (Indigenous) Admission Pathway - which aims to increase the number of Indigenous nurses in a culturally responsive way, a process that has been developed with the heart and spirit of Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Applicants who choose this pathway will undergo a wholistic review by an Indigenous Selection Committee. Indigenous applicants are required to meet the minimum application requirements for all UNB Nursing Programs and apply using the general application form. Applicants who choose the Nutsihpiluwewicik Admission Pathway will not have the CASPer score factored into their admission process. 

For additional information about this Pathway please contact Nutsihpiluwewicik Director at nutsihpiluwewicik@unb.ca for UNB Fredericton and Moncton. Contact the Indigenous Advisor at UNBSJ (unbsjreg@unb.ca). Indigenous applicants who do not meet minimum admission requirements are encouraged to apply to UNB’s Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre’s Wocopsqoltine weci Spiqiyahtuweq / Weli'kwejik Elaqsultiek program. 

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-RequisiteSkillsAbilities-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 the student 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, Programs or the LPN-Bridge Programs 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 130 ch.

(See Section F of the Calendar for course descriptions)

Year I
Term 1: 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); NURS 1041 (4 ch)

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

Year III
Term 1: NURS 3064 (3 ch); NURS 3067 (5 ch);  (3 ch);  NURS 3092/HSCI 3092 (3 ch); NURS 3061/HSCI 3061 (3 ch); BIOL 3251 (3 ch).
Term 2: NURS 3709 (3 ch); NURS 3071 (3 ch); NURS 3073 (5 ch); NURS 3081 (3 ch).

Year IV
Term 1: NURS 4142 (3 ch); NURS 4211 (2 ch); NURS 4321 (3 ch); NURS 4322 (5 ch); Open Elective* (3 ch).
Term 2: NURS 4152 (12 ch).
* Only 2 of the 3 electives may be chosen from the same discipline. Please note UNIV 1003, MATH 1863, MATH 1853, HUM 1021, CHEM 1831, BIOL 1411, BIOL 1412, and HSCI 2001 are not approved electives for the BN program. BIOL 1411 and BIOL 1412 may not be used for credit towards BIOL 1441 and BIOL 1442.

LPN Bridge Program

The University of New Brunswick offers an LPN Bridge Program (Saint John campus) and an LPN Pathway (Fredericton campus). Both programs recognize the prior learning of Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) graduates from NB based LPN programs. Both programs allow students to transition into year three of a Bachelor of Nursing (BN) Degree Program at UNB. Please note - students accepted to the LPN Bridge are connected to the Saint John campus. Students accepted to the LPN Pathway are connected to the Fredericton campus. Transfers between campuses and programs are not available at any time. 

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 a) Oulton College (2014 to present) or b) the18-month or two-year NBCC Practical Nurse program. NBCC graduates of the 18-month program must be graduates from 2004 and onward and NBCC graduates from the 2-year program must be graduates from 2009 and onward. 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 Functions and Relations 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 (3 ch) - Concepts for Professional Nursing Practice 
NURS 2132 (3 ch) - Pharmacology 
NURS 2051 (3 ch) - Clinical Decision Making 
STAT 2263 (3 ch) - Statistics for Health Sciences 
BIOL 2831 (3 ch) - Pathophysiology I 
PSYC 1003 (3 ch) - 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. 

LPN 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 Bridge must complete the BN program requirements within four years of starting the BN program. Successful applicants will receive an offer of admission and have 2 weeks to confirm their seat. Confirmed students should plan to be available for courses in the next Fall and Winter terms. 

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