i'm interested in being an rn in canada (specifically vancouver, bc). i already have a degree from a few years back, and it's not nursing related at all. i would like to get a nursing degree as soon as possible. i am aware that a few schools offer a 2 year program: ubc and the university of calgary.
could you please tell meallthe schools in canada that offer a 2 year nursing degree for people who already have a first degree (or at least, some post-secondary education)? i ask because i want to apply to all of them.
Congratulations dayshiftnurse on your acceptance. I must agree with you, the politics of nursing education are getting worse. It seems that the ptb have agendas and they don't always have anything to do with what is best for nursing care delivery.
While, i do agree with most of what you say, dayshiftnurse. Im too young to remember any highschool RPN programs, but i can definitely see the benefit of those. As long as you are getting the required education for an RPN, I see no harm in starting a bit earlier.
I dont agree though with complaints that four years is too long. Yes, BscN, being a 4 year program might put it out of reach for some women (and men), because of the time and costs. I dont think that the solution is reducing the time. You don't see any other health-care profession wanting to reduce their years of education to make it more accessible, so why nursing.
The answer could be to reduce the 4 month long break each year (Like Lakehead, where they have summer semesters, and someone straight out of high school can graduate in 3 years with a BScN). Also, there are options of increasing scholarship and bursary amounts. (e.g. Entrance scholarships are already higher for nursing students than others).
Building on these examples, would help those who want to become nurses.
Further, why should an A not be the minimum required to get accepted into nursing school? Nursing school is very difficult in terms of difficulty of content, and amount of content. If someone really wants to be a nurse, they should work for that A in high-school.
Also with the bridge programs for foreign graduates, those seats were specifically made possible through an Ontario Government program specifically for new immigrants. They would either exist for them or not at all. Because if they didn't exist, the money would have gone to another program for immigrants. Politics/Financing/Budgeting is a complicated procedure.
Anyways, congrats on your acceptance. I am happy to see that your previous education and experience, is coming of use, so you can become a nurse in 2 years.
well actually i am already a practising rn--i work in icu and ccu and working towards cert in hemo and have worked for ~ 8 years.
i graduated from a 2 year program in the states and i guess i still stick to my opinion that yes nursing is more difficult than it used to be, but certainly doable as long as you have a good head on your shoulders and that doesn't necessarily mean A's in all courses. i was an A+ student in high school/B's in university and being a nurse today i know you dont neccessarily need those high grades to succeed and be a competent nurse.definitely B's is adequate in all subjects to handle nursing. and the success of nsg students while in school is really the responsibility of the college--with good instruction one can learn almost anything.
the high school rpn programs we used to have were an excellent way of moving women of all socioeconomic groups into nursing without difficulty or great expense and they were high quality programs. i know a number of nurses who obtained their rpn this way and are excellent nurses and rate those programs as better than their training at rpn-rn college level in some cases.
also you are not correct about other professions wanting to maintain their enterance requirements instead of increasing them. resp techs at michener are fighting hard to avoid their school requiring a 4 year bachelor or becoming a 2nd degree program because they have seen the way nursing school admission criteria/requirements have been manipulated with the bsn requirement.
well regarding the seats for internationally trained nurses--that is a touchy subject and i've already stated my opinion so i wont push the issue. i'm sorry but i just dont think it is right that so many seats have been created for internationally educated nurses, if that becomes a disadvantage for nurses or would-be nurses here. i understand creating extra spots if there is a real shortage of people avaialable/wanting to go into nursing...but that is not at all the case in ontario/canada.
Thanks for your feedback too, dayshiftnurse. Im glad to know that you have been a successful nurse for years, and also that you are going back to school.
As for other health-care professionals, I said they are not reducing their number of years, not that they are not increasing them.
Im aware that there are pushes for many three year programs such as respiratory technologist, medical laboratory technologist to become four year degree programs only. Thats exactly my point. They are not going in the other direction to become two year programs to increase accessibility, so why should nursing go back from 4 to 3 years.
As for having an A to get into nursing school, admission cut-offs are set by the number of seats and competition for them. If Nursing schools can fill all their seats with A students from high-school, then thats what they will do. Therefore if a person really wants to become a nurse he/she will put their mind to working hard, and getting an A-average. This is regardless of the fact that even a B student can make excellent nurses.
And we can totally disagree on our views of bridge programs for internationally trained nurses. We are both entitled to that :)
Interesting conversations - my two cents (while the penny still exists)
I am a graduate nurse from a two year course. I obviously have a degree (and some other education too!), and took the prerequisite courses to get into the two year program.
The people in my class had a variety of degrees, but of course we all had to meet the prerequisites for nutrition, statistics, microbiology, anatomy & physiology etc.
It would not have made sense for me to go into a four year program as my first two years would have been sporifice pickings course wise as I have worked and completed the credits/courses already. For example in the first semester I would have had two courses (yes I could have worked and done it that way but I needed to make a living, and I'm not getting any younger, and why really if you have done the work and can accomplish this in two years).
I have an interest in nursing otherwise I wouldn't have gone into this field as a second career. I would have liked to have stayed in my first career but as people are finding often one has to change careers a couple of times in life, as economics, resources, global trade and unexpected changes occur across a lifespan and in the world.
The people in my class had a variety of goals upon completion from peds, medsurg, research, community etc. Thats the lovely thing about nursing so many areas to go into to meet ones lifes interests, attain goals (such as helping people maybe) and to make a living - cause thats important too!
Management people are required also - just a fact of life. I've noticed in the Globe & Mail and Vancouver Sun that nursing management postions have been in high demand for quite a while.
linzz
931 Posts
Congratulations dayshiftnurse on your acceptance. I must agree with you, the politics of nursing education are getting worse. It seems that the ptb have agendas and they don't always have anything to do with what is best for nursing care delivery.