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Practical Nurse

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Practical Nurse

Program requirements for January 2025

Academic requirements
  • Language Arts – this requirement can be met with any of the following, or an equivalent course:
    • 60% in English Language Arts 30-1
    • 70% in English Language Arts 30-2
    • 60% in ESLG 1860
    • 70% in ESLG 1898
  • Mathematics – this requirement can be met with any of the following, or an equivalent course:
    • 60% in Mathematics 20-1
    • 70% in Mathematics 20-2
    • 50% in Mathematics 30-1
    • 60% in Mathematics 30-2
    • 60% in MATH 1524
  • Biology – this requirement can be met with the following, or an equivalent course:
    • 60% in Biology 30

Note: Academic admission requirements are different from English language proficiency requirements. NorQuest College English for Academic Purposes courses may be used to meet both requirements. See below for details.

English language proficiency requirements

If English is your second language, you must provide proof of English language proficiency before admission. These results must be no more than two years old when you start your program.

Test scores we accept:

  • IELTS Academic: no score below 7.5 in listening, 7 in speaking, 6.5 in reading, and 7.0 in writing.
  • TOEFL iBT: 94
  • CELBAN: no score below 10 in listening, 8 in speaking, 8 in reading, 7 in writing
  • minimum of 50% in ESLG 1860 and ESLG 1861
If you are missing requirements for this program, you may be eligible to apply for the NorQuest Bridging to Post Secondary program.

Additional information

There is a heavy course load in the first term of the Practical Nurse program. We recommend you take the following courses before entering the program:

These courses can be taken through Open Studies at NorQuest College. Completing these courses allows for better success once you are enrolled. If you intend to apply for full-time student loan funding, contact a retention advisor about your course load before enrolling in Open Studies courses, as this may affect your funding opportunities.

For all deliveries, the Practical Nurse program has a five-year shelf-life regulation on all nursing courses, whether the courses were taken at NorQuest College or transferred from another institution. Visit Transfer credits for more information.

Practicum/work experience requirements

Before you attend your first practicum, you will need:

  • to successfully complete all prerequisite courses.
  • the following courses. Certificates will be awarded upon completion:
    • WHMIS: XBUS 1017 (current within three years)
    • BLS (CPR): XHLT 1200 (current within one year)
    • It's Your Move: XHLT 1070 (current within one year)
    • HPBE: XHLT 1023 (current within three years)
  • a clear Police Information Check. A Vulnerable Sector Check is also needed if you are over 18 years of age.
  • an up-to-date immunization record.
  • to complete the AHS Information & Privacy online learning module.
  • to complete the HSPNet consent form.
  • N95 mask fit testing (current within two years).

There may be costs associated with completing these requirements. See Completing work, practicum, and clinical requirements for details and further instructions.

International students: You must get a co-op work permit before beginning the work-integrated learning component of the program. A medical exam may also be needed. See Co-op work permit for more information.

Progression and graduation

A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is needed to be considered in good academic standing.

Students must pass all courses and achieve a minimum 2.0 grade point average (GPA) to qualify for graduation. The program must be completed within five years of your start date.

Honours criteria

  • Overall grade point average (GPA) greater than or equal to 3.7
  • The student must not have failed or repeated any courses

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