Bachelor of Nursing

Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences

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

Faculty

• Banks, Angela, BN, MN, 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, MN, Diploma in University Teaching (UNB), CNA Certification Medical-Surgical Nursing, Associate Teaching Professor - 2018
• Edwards, Rosann, BSCN, IBCLC, MScN, PhD (U of Ottawa), Diploma in University Teaching (UNB) Assistant Professor - 2020
• Furlong, Karen, RN Dip (SJSN), BN, MN, PhD, Diploma in University Teaching (UNB), Teaching Professor – 2000
• Gregg, Emily, BN, 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, MN (MUN), PhD (McGill), Associate Professor, Associate Dean of Health Research - 2012
• Kinney, Erika, BN (UNB), MN (AU), Diploma in University Teaching (UNB), Assistant Teaching Professor - 2022
• Knight, Holly, BN (UNB), MN (UNB), Diploma in University Teaching (UNB), Assistant Teaching Professor - 2025 
• Mawhinney, Kathleen, BN, MN, 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, PhD, 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, MN, 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.

Bachelor of Nursing 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 BN program at the Saint John campus of UNB admitted its first students.

UNB Saint John operates four program delivery models leading to a baccalaureate degree.that includes general and professional education. The four-year BN delivery model is completed in eight terms (Fall and Winter semesters) over the course of four years; the three-year delivery model is completed in eight terms (Fall, Winter and Summer semesters) over the course of three years. The Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)Bridge delivery model is completed in six terms (Fall and Winter semesters) over the course of three years, and the Step Up to Nursing (SUN) delivery model is completed as a part-time student in 11 terms (Fall, Winter, and Summer semesters) over the course of three and a half years. (The SUN delivery model is no longer accepting admissions, the last cohort will graduate in 2028). 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 and in other countries by reciprocity.

UNB Saint John's Nursing Program 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.

UNB Saint John offers BN students the opportunity to focus learning and develop knowledge in nursing care of the older adult. Students would integrate foundational knowledge into subsequent course assignment options and choose either a preceptor clinical experience in the focused area or complete supervised independent study course (NURS 4234). 

Non-academic Program Requirements 

• Critical Documents – Students must complete the annual critical documents process in order to participate in clinical.  Critical documents include but are not limited to: CPR for Health Care Provider, criminal and vulnerable sector confirmation, proof of immunizations, 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 can occur any day of the week. 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 may be expected to travel out of town for some clinical experiences at their own cost. 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.
• Costs- Costs in addition to those listed in the financial information section of this Calendar are: CPR Certification; Criminal Record check; Immunizations; books; photocopying; equipment; uniforms; NCLEX examination writing costs; professional registration; travel costs to and from clinical practice areas; and room and board for off-campus and off-site placements/course requirements.

Regulations

University Regulations

Students are responsible to read carefully Section B of this Calendar, Admission and University Regulations, and in particular the Examinations, Standing and Promotion 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.

General Regulations

Admissions, Transfers and Progression Committee

This 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 High-Risk Occurence: Removal from Clinical Practice investigation process as per the Clinical Progression Policy. 

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 Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences has an approved grading scheme and the following grades are required in the Nursing program:
   
   •     at least a “C” grade in all required nursing, non-nursing and elective classroom courses
   •     a “credit” in all required Nursing clinical courses
3. A student must receive a grade of C or better 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 Clinical Progression Policy, student actions that may lead to a high-risk impact on patient safety and serious breaches of conduct will result in a removal 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 courses before proceeding to subsequent clinical courses. In instances where a Nursing classroom course and Nursing clinical course are co-requisites, a failure in one may result in a requirement to repeat and pass both courses.
8. A student who has been absent from Nursing clinical courses for eight months or longer may be required to repeat and pass relevant Nursing courses as determined by the Admissions, Transfers, and Progression Committee,
9. A student who fails to receive a “credit” in NURS 4152 Concentrated Clinical Practice II may 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 normally complete the program within six years of enrolment. Students entering through the LPN-Bridge pathway must normally complete the program in four years of enrolment. Students entering through the SUN learning model program must normally complete the program in six years of enrolment. 

Course Transfers

Potential courses for transfer to the BN or the LPN-Bridge will be assessed at the time of admission. In addition to the standard UNB transfer credit regulations, the Faculty 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 127 ch. The following is the recommended sequence of required courses:

(See Section F of the Calendar for course descriptions)

Four Year Delivery

Year 1
Term 1: BIOL 1441 (4 ch); NURS 1011 (3 ch); NURS 1032 (3 ch);  PSYC 1003 (3 ch); Elective *(3 ch).
Term 2: BIOL 1442 (4 ch); NURS 1041 (4ch); NURS 1225 (3 ch); NURS 1235 (3 ch); NURS 1282 (3ch); 

Year 2
Term 1: BIOL 2831 (3 ch); NURS 1333 (3ch); NURS 2063 (4ch);  NURS 2145 (3 ch); NURS 2177 (3 ch); 
Term 2: BIOL 2852 (3 ch); NURS 2132 (3 ch); NURS 2135 (3 ch); NURS 2157 (3 ch); NURS 2189 (4 ch); STAT 1793 (3 ch).

Year 3
Term 1:  BIOL 3251(3ch); NURS 3061(3ch); NURS 3064 (3 ch); NURS 3067 (4 ch); NURS 3092(3 ch).
Term 2:NURS 3071 (3 ch); NURS 3073 (5 ch); NURS 3081 (3 ch); NURS 3709 (3 ch); Elective (3ch).

Year 4
Term 1: NURS 4142 (3 ch); NURS 4321 (3 ch); NURS 4322 (5 ch); Elective* (3 ch).
Term 2: NURS 4152 (12 ch).

Three Year Delivery 

Year 1

Term 1: BIOL 1441 (4ch); NURS 1011 (3ch); NURS1032 (3ch); PSYC 1003 (3ch); Elective (3ch);

Term 2: BIOL 1442 (4ch); NURS 1041 (4ch); NURS 1225 (3ch); NURS 1235 (3ch); NURS 1282 (3ch);

Term 3: NURS 2063 (4ch); NURS 2135 (3ch); NURS 2145 (3ch); NURS 2177 (3ch)  

Year 2

Term 1: BIOL 2831 (3ch); NURS 1333 (3ch); NURS 2189 (4ch); NURS 3061 (3ch):

Term 2: BIOL 2852 (3ch); NURS 2132 (3ch); NURS 3064 (3ch); NURS3067 (4ch); Elective* (3ch) 

Term 3: NURS 2157 (3ch); NURS 3081 (3ch); NURS 3709 (3ch); STAT 1793 (3ch) 

Year 3

Term 1: BIOL 3251 (3ch); NURS 3071 (3ch); NURS 3073 (5ch); NURS 3092 (3ch); 

Term 2: NURS 4142 (3ch); NURS 4321 (3ch); NURS 4322 (5ch); Elective* (3ch) 

Term 3: NURS 4152 (12ch) 

*Only two of the three electives may be chosen from the same discipline. Please note: CHEM 1831, HSCI 2001, HUM 1021, MATH 1853, and MATH 1863 are not approved electives for the BN program. 

LPN Bridge Program

The UNB offers an LPN Bridge Program (Saint John campus) and an LPN Pathway (Fredericton campus). Both programs recognize the prior learning of LPN graduates and allow students to transition into year three of BN. 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) holdan active practicing Practical Nursing license in good standing in any Canadian province or territory, and (2) are a graduate of an 18-month or two-year Licensed Practical Nursing college program. If you have attended a program of shorter duration, please contact the Admission Office for further information. 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, Precalculus 110, or Foundations Math 120 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: 
BIOL 2831  - Pathophysiology I (3 ch)
NURS 1333 Wolokehkitimkil- Indigenous Health and Healing (3ch)
NURS 2011 - Concepts for Professional Nursing Practice  (3 ch)
NURS 2051 - Clinical Decision Making (3 ch)
NURS 2132 - Pharmacology (3 ch)
STAT 1793 - Introduction to Probability and Statistics I (3 ch)

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, and (2) 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 cohort for the third and fourth year of the BN program. BN students who enter the program through the LPN Bridge will normally complete the BN program requirements within two years of starting the BN program. 

Students completing the BN requirements by way of the LPNBR will complete the total 127 ch: 

18ch from LPNBR courses 

50ch from PN diploma block credit   

59ch from Year 3 and Year 4 basic BN curriculum 

Step Up to Nursing (SUN) Program 

SUN is a work-based, wage-supported learning model. It offers LPNs the opportunity to complete a baccalaureate degree in nursing. Participants work in the healthcare system under their current scope of practice on a part-time basis while completing the LPN-Bridge and BN program. The following is the recommended sequence of required courses (total 77ch) for students studying in this model. 

Year 1

Term 1: BIOL 2831 (3ch) and NURS 2019 (3ch)

Term 2: NURS 2132 (3ch) and PSYC 1003 (3ch) 

Term 3: NURS 2051 (3ch) and STAT 2263 (3ch)

Year 2

Term 1: BIOL 3251 (3ch) and NURS 1333 (2ch)  

Term 2: NURS 3092 (3ch) and Elective* (3ch) 

Term 3: NURS 3064 (3ch) & NURS 3067 (4ch) 

Year 3

Term 1: NURS 3061 (3ch) and NURS 4142 (3ch) 

Term 2: NURS 3081 (3ch) and NURS 3709 (3ch) 

Term 3: NURS 3071 (3ch) and NURS 3073 (5ch) 

Year 4

Term 1: NURS 4321 (3ch) andNURS 4322 (5ch) 

Term 2: NURS 4152 (12ch)