The New Brunswick Critical Care Nursing Program (NBCCNP) is a standardized Critical Care Certificate program based on the standards of the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses (CACCN), the National Emergency Nurses Affiliation (NENA), and the Canadian Council of Cardiovascular Nurses (CCCN).
As part of its commitment to the recruitment and retention of nursing resources for New Brunswick, the Department of Health also contributes to the preparation of nurses for the specialty of Critical Care Nursing through the NBCCNP. This Program is offered in collaboration with the University of New Brunswick (UNB), Université de Moncton (U de M) and the New Brunswick Regional Health Authorities.
Explore the French offering of NBCCNP through Université de Moncton.
A non-credit Certificate of Proficiency will be granted upon successful completion of the program.
Novice nurses employed by one of the New Brunswick Health Authorities are eligible to apply.
A novice nurse is considered to be a recently graduated nurse with an RN or a nurse who is new to critical care or emergency care.
To be accepted into the program, you must be:
You must also have:
All complete applications received by the application deadline are reviewed by the NBCCNP Selection Committee comprised of site coordinators from each zone across the province.
Candidates are selected based on the application qualifications and the needs of the provincial Health Authorities.
The Department of Health pays the student costs associated with the program. This includes: salary replacement costs, tuition fees, textbooks, and travel if required.
The program consists of seven courses, focused on the management of the critically ill client and their family, spread over an 11-week period:
Note: This program also includes a 1-day orientation at the start of the 11 weeks.
The program is designed to be taken full-time in a block format. However, in special circumstances, a student may attend part-time provided the program is completed within the same fiscal period (i.e. April 1 - March 31 of the following year). Courses 1, 2 and 3 must be taken first, courses 4 and 5 may be taken in any order, and courses 6 and 7 must be taken in order.
Exams, written papers, projects, case studies, discussions, clinical and preceptorship experiences are all used for student assessment.
Instructors, a Teaching and Learning Consultant and the Program Coordinator monitor and track progress.
All grades will be available to you on the Desire to Learn platform.
There are typically four intake dates per year. However, this may be adjusted annually based on the needs of the RHA’s.
The program is delivered with a blended learning approach that uses various methods and technologies:
Both New Brunswick Health Authorities have rooms available for students. There is a combination of distance, self-study and on-site education. The program is designed for students to join from virtually anywhere via audio/video or internet connection. Clinical courses are to be completed in a referral center closest to the participants working environment.
The curriculum design meets the standards of the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses and National Emergency Nurses’ Affiliation. Any alterations to the curriculum are brought to the Education Committee and the Steering Committee for approval.
Students are awarded a UNB or UdeM Certificate of Proficiency. They will also receive a pewter pin.
Students can work in the Critical Care Units and Emergency Care Units.
A Windows or Apple (Mac) computer with the following minimum software requirements is essential:
Process for submitting applications to UNB and UdeM:
