Program Overview

Practical Nursing – Flex Program (weekend delivery)

Overview

As a practical nurse, you will combine your knowledge, skills and judgement to provide safe, competent, ethical nursing care to meet the unique needs of all patients throughout the continuum of care.

Program Details

• Credential: Ontario College Diploma
• Location: Oshawa
• OCAS Code: PNFL
• Next Intake: September 2025
• Faculty: Faculty of Health Sciences (HS)
• Length: Five consecutive semesters
• Laptop: Learn more about laptop requirements
• Delivery: Hybrid Learn more.

Admission Requirements

• Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Mature Student Status
• Grade 12 English (C or U) (minimum 60 per cent)
• Grade 12 mathematics (C, M or U) (minimum 65 per cent)
• Grade 11 or 12 biology (C, M or U)
• Grade 11 or 12 chemistry (C, M or U)

Recommended

• Keyboarding/basic computer skills

Tuition

• Year one domestic: $3,985 (CAD)
• Year one international: $16,571 (CAD)

Semester 1 Courses

• Anatomy & Physiology (ANAT 1500)
• Indigenous Elective (INDG 0000)
• Medical Terminology (NURS 1514)
• Development Of Self I (NURS 1520)
• Health & Healing I (NURS 1521)
• Professional Practice I (NURS 1522)
• Practice Lab I (NURS 2528)

Career Options

• As a registered practical nurse you can be employed as a frontline RPN caring for a wide range of patients/clients.

WHERE YOU COULD WORK

• Community service agencies
• Long-term care facilities
• Hospitals
• Industry, clinic or physician’s offices
• Psychiatric and acute care hospitals

Practicum

• Practicum allows students to apply their learning with a variety of clinically supervised practicum experiences that are designed to prepare you to function as a graduate in diverse settings.

PRE-PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS

• Service fees for Verified, our documentation collection and ERV verification partner.
• Costs to complete mandatory immunizations, lab tests, and certifications.

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

• Qualified graduates may apply to take the Durham College’s Addictions and Mental Health and Communicative Disorders Assistant graduate certificates.

Tech Requirements

• A laptop is required for this program.
• Most students tend to use Windows-based computers.
• Some prefer to use an Apple (Mac) device.

SUGGESTED MINIMUM LAPTOP SPECIFICATIONS

• Operating System: Windows 10/11 must have the latest updates installed
• Processor Type: Core i5 or Higher Processor
• Memory: Minimum 8GB RAM
• Hard Drive: Minimum 250GB
• Graphics Card: Intel Integrated Graphics or better
• Wireless Network Card: Optional
• Virus Protection: An up to date Antivirus client is required.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Communicate therapeutically with clients and members of the health care team.
2. Assess clients across the life span, in a systematic and holistic manner.
3. Plan safe and competent nursing care, based upon a thorough analysis of available data and evidence-informed practice guidelines.
4. Select and perform nursing interventions using clinical judgment, in collaboration with the client and, where appropriate, the health care team, that promote health and well-being, prevent disease and injury, maintain and/or restore health, promote rehabilitation, and/or provide palliation.
5. Evaluate the outcomes resulting from all interventions in the nurse-client interaction and modify the plan of care as required.
6. Act equitably and justly with clients and members of the health care team.
7. Adapt to a variety of health care settings, using different leadership skills and styles as appropriate to each setting.
8. Contribute to creating a healthy and safe work environment in a variety of health care settings.
9. Practice in a self-regulated, professional and ethical manner, complying with relevant legislation and with the standards of both the regulatory body and the practice setting to provide safe and competent client care.