The number of students admitted to the Practical Nursing Program is determined annually by the provincial human resource needs for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). The application and selection process is competitive.
Applications to the program at the Centre for Nursing Studies (CNS) are reviewed for admission once all documentation has been received. Incomplete applications will not be processed. Please download and complete the PN-Program-Application-Fall-2024 (PDF) before submitting your documentation.
Check list:
Application form
Application processing fee
Personal statement
A copy of your official birth certificate
An official high school transcript from the Department of Education or equivalency certificate (If still in high school submit most recent grades including grade 11).
An official post-secondary transcript(s) of all post-secondary courses/programs
Two references (Please forward references directly to the Practical Nursing Admissions – Registrar, Catherine Rice, either by mail, fax, or email)
If applying as an Indigenous applicant, please submit a letter of request with your application and provide documentation of Indigenous ancestry.
Please note: Photocopies or photographs of transcripts will not be accepted
Reference guidelines
International Applicant
If you are an international applicant but have a permanent residency card or Canadian citizenship, please provide documents.
Personal Statement Guidelines
Applicant must complete a personal statement by answering the questions outlined on the Personal Statement Form.
Please remove the two applicant reference forms from your application package and give to your referees. Referees should forward the references directly to Catherine Rice, Registrar, Non-Degree Programs.
Your references should be provided by individuals that you have had a professional relationship with, such as previous or current employers and/or teachers or professors. If you have been involved in a significant capacity with a volunteer organization, a formal representative from that organization may also be an appropriate reference. It is recommended that you do not obtain references from friends, co-workers, or your health-care provider.
Applicants who have followed the High School Curriculum of Newfoundland and Labrador
To be eligible for Academic admission, you will need to successfully receive an average of 50% or more in the following 3000 level high school courses, or equivalent:
Subject area
Eligible Grade 12 courses
1. English
English 3201
2. Mathematics
One of:
Math 3200
Math 3201
3. Laboratory Science
One of:
Biology 3201 and 2201, OR,
Chemistry 3202
4. Social Studies or Modern/Classical Language (MCL)
One of:
3000 level Geography/ History/ Religion/ French
Social Studies 3201,
Sciences Humaines 3231
French 3200/3201
World Religion 3201/3206
Enseignement Religieux 3131/3136;
Level III ABE
5. Elective
Two credits in any subject area at the 3000 level
*For admission to the Practical Nursing Program (PNP) at the Centre for Nursing Studies for the upcoming 2024 academic year, it will not be mandatory for applicants who graduated high school in Newfoundland and Labrador 2021 or later to have Biology 2201 completed, in addition to Biology 3201. Therefore, prospective high school students applying to the PNP will not need to successfully complete Biology 2201 (or equivalent) to be considered for admission.*
OR
Applicants in their final year of high school who will complete the graduation requirements for high school as set by the Department of Education and obtained an average of not less than 50% in 3000 level core courses as listed above may be conditionally accepted prior to the writing of final exams.
This conditional acceptance will be subject to verification that the applicant has obtained an average of not less than 50% in 3000 level core courses, when final examination results are released.
Applicants who have followed the High School Curriculum of other Provinces of Canada
Applicants from other provinces of Canada shall have successfully completed graduation requirements for high school as set by the home province and obtained a passing grade in 3000 level core courses.
Applicants who have followed the Adult Basic Education Program (ABE)
Applicants shall have completed the Level III Adult Basic Education Certificate (ABE) Academic Stream as set by the Department of Education.
Applicants for Mature Student Status
Mature student status is meant to allow individuals the opportunity to demonstrate academic potential if they have not fulfilled the admission criteria outlined previously.
A mature student is an applicant 19 years of age or older, has been away from full-time high school studies for at least two years, and can demonstrate potential for success through academic, professional or volunteer activities and other accomplishments. These candidates are expected to provide an official transcript of the highest level of education obtained.
*Meeting the mature student criteria will not guarantee admission to the Practical Nursing Program.
Note: All applicants must follow the application process outlined in this guide and must supply all documentation described therein.
International Applicants
If you are applying with international education documents, including high school or post-secondary, an education credential assessment (such as Word Education Services [WES]) must be completed and submitted by the application deadline.
General Admission Requirements
English Language Requirement
Applicants must be competent in the English language. A test of English language will be required for:
Applicants whose first language is not English.
Applicants who do not meet the criteria above but have educational courses completed in English should contact the CNS PN Program Registrar for further instruction regarding testing.
The tests with the acceptable scores are:
IELTS (International English Language Testing System – Academic version). Scores: overall score of 7.0 with scores of 7.0 speaking, 7.5 listening, 6.5 reading and 7.0 writing.
CELBAN (Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses). Scores: 8 speaking, 10 listening, 8 reading and 7 writing.
The official results of test score must be submitted before a decision will be made on your application.
All cost associated with the English language requirements are the responsibility of the applicant.
Test scores are valid for two years from the testing date.
Interviews
The Centre for Nursing Studies reserves the right to interview applicants in any of the admission categories.
Assessments
An applicant may be recommended to write The Canadian Adult Achievement Test (CAAT) or other assessment type test or equivalent.
The Centre for Nursing Studies (CNS) is the lead institution for practical nursing education in Newfoundland and Labrador. The mission of the Practical Nursing (PN)
Program is to prepare caring and professional practical nurses to practice in a wellness-oriented, client-focused and consumer-sensitive health-care system. The program is delivered over 5 semesters and leads to a diploma as a PN graduate. Graduates are required to write the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination.
All students in the Practical Nursing Program must demonstrate their capacity to meet the entry-level practical nurse competencies. Please review the CLPNNL Becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse in Canada: Requisite Skills and Abilities (PDF). The purpose of this document is to provide potential practical nursing students with information on the requisite skills and abilities of a Licensed Practical Nurse.
Our four-year curriculum prepares students for practice as Registered Nurses within an increasingly complex health-care environment. Please see below the sequencing of courses for the BScN (Collaborative) Program.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Collaborative) Program
Sequencing of Courses
Year 1 Fall/Winter courses
Fall
NURS1002 – Anatomy and Physiology I (Lab)
NURS1003 – Developing Therapeutic Relationships (Lab)
NURS1004 – Nursing Foundations
NURS1017 – Fundamental Psychomotor Competencies (Lab)
English (Critical Reading/Writing Course)
BIOC1430 – Biochemistry
Winter
NURS1012 – Anatomy and Physiology II (Lab)
NURS1014 – Health Assessment (Lab)
NURS1015 – Health Promotion
NURS1016 – Caring for the Older Adult: Theory
NURS1520 – Caring for the Older Adult: Practice (96 hrs)
Year 2 Fall/Winter courses
Fall
NURS2003 – Pathophysiology (Tutorial)
NURS2004 – Pharmacology (Lab)
NURS2015 – Health Alterations I: Theory
NURS2515 – Health Alterations I: Practice (96 hrs + lab)
PSYC1000 – Psychology
Winter
NURS2002 – Caring for the Childbearing Family : Theory
NURS2502 – Caring for the Childbearing Family: Practice (48 hrs + lab)
English (Critical Reading/Writing Course)
BIO3053 – Biology
Statistics 1510 or 2500 or equivalent, or Education 2900
NURS2520 – Extended Practice II (96 hours over 3 weeks at end of semester)
Year 3 Fall/Winter/Spring courses
Fall
NURS3000 – Community Health: Theory (seminar)
NURS3500 – Community Health: Practice (96 hrs)
NURS3001 – Mental Health: Theory
NURS3501 – Mental Health: Practice (96 hrs)
NURS3104 – Nursing Research
Winter
NURS3015 – Health Alterations II: Theory
NURS3515 – Health Alterations II: Practice (120 hrs + lab)
NURS3113 – Professional Development I
3 credit hours Philosophy OR Religious Studies 2610
Sociology, Anthropology or Archeology
Spring
NURS3523 – Preceptorship (240 hrs)
NURS4512 – Community Health Practicum (240 hrs)
Year 4 Fall/Winter courses
Fall
NURS4100 – Advanced Concepts and Skills (Lab/Seminar)
NURS4103 – Professional Development II
NURS4512 – Community Health Practicum (240 hrs over 6 weeks)
*Elective
Winter
NURS4516 – Consolidated Practicum (40 hours per week for 12 weeks)
Year 4 Spring
Award of Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree
NOTE: * An elective in the final year could be completed in the Spring or Fall – timing would allow for funding with at least 9 credit hours in that semester.
These courses will be offered during the same year at all sites, but the semester of course offering may vary with each site.
Students in the BScN (Collaborative) Program will do all nursing courses at the Centre’s Forest Road Campus. Non-nursing courses are completed at the St. John’s Campus of Memorial University. Schedules are planned to keep commuting time between the two campuses to a minimum.
The Research Office facilitates the scholarship of research by faculty, promotes research and evidence-informed practice by nurses of Eastern Health, and encourages research partnerships between nursing education and practice.
As a faculty member, the Research Office Coordinator works to support faculty through the research process. The Research Office is staffed by a Bachelor of Nursing student working in the role of Research Assistant.
Services provided by the Research Office include:
Literature Searches
Survey Development
Article Retrieval
Reference List Development
Funding Advice
Proofreading and/or Editing
Data Collection/Entry
Poster Design Assistance
Data Analysis
Ethics Application Consultation
Proposal Development
Photocopying of Research Material
Tool Development
Publication Consultation
There are a wide variety of reference materials available through the Research Office. Information related to funding opportunities, conferences and other educational events is circulated regularly to faculty. The Research Office is available for faculty use relating to research meetings and relevant activities.
Linkages have been built with other agencies through the Research Office. The Research Office Coordinator represents the CNS on many committees including Nursing Education and Research Council of Eastern Health (co-chair), the ARCASN Research Committee and NLCAHR’s research exchange group on Eating Disorders, Disordered Eating and Body Image (EDDEBI-chair).
Please feel free to contact the Research Office with any questions, comments or concerns.
Contact Information
Dr. Pamela Ward PhD RN
Research Coordinator
Centre for Nursing Studies
Southcott Hall, Office #1106
100 Forest Road
St. John’s, NL A1A 1E5
Tel: 709-777-8141
Email: pamelaward@mun.ca
Rebecca Hillyard Research Assistant
Centre for Nursing Studies
Southcott Hall
100 Forest Road
St. John’s, NL A1A 1E5
Tel: 709-777-8184
Email: cnsresearchassistant@mun.ca
The Instructional Resource Centre (IRC) provides a safe learning environment where students at all levels can gain confidence and experience in performing essential nursing competencies through simulated learning experiences.
The IRC lab rooms simulate the hospital and clinic environments.
Learning Labs
Learning labs are focused on the full continuum of nursing care including maternity, newborn, pediatric and adult simulated clients. Located on the first, ninth and basement floors of the Centre for Nursing Studies, the IRC is comprised of eight clinical lab rooms and 10 health assessment examination rooms.
Topics include:
The client interview
Health assessment
Medication administration
Care of medical and surgical simulated patients
Labour and delivery simulation
Newborn care and assessment
Community disaster management
Code blue workshop
Foot care courses
Peri-operative care simulations
Simulators
There are two multi-purpose rooms and three simulation rooms equipped with state-of-the-art medium and high-fidelity simulators. The medium and high-fidelity simulators provide real time, realistic physiological responses to student interaction. The CNS has three adult high-fidelity simulators, one of which is a high-fidelity birthing simulator with the accompanying newborn simulator. There are 10 medium-fidelity simulators, two high-fidelity pediatric simulators, and two advanced newborn simulators. All simulators are used in all our nursing programs.
In addition, the IRC has modern task trainers such as the Chester Chest models (for teaching about central lines, subcutaneous access ports and PICC lines) and IV arms (for IV initiation and blood collection).
We also have electronic blood pressure and pulse-monitoring arms. There are several task trainers and models for teaching skills, such as; catheterization, nasogastric tube insertion, and wound care.
The IRC low-fidelity mannequins are culturally diverse and represent the lifespan, which include 20 adults, three geriatric adults, three pediatric, and 15 newborn mannequins.
Bookings
Students can book the IRC learning labs in the evenings and on weekends when peer tutors are available to provide assistance and remediation. Student can also also sign out and borrow some practice equipment such as stethoscopes and blood pressure cuffs.
Areas of Expertise/Research: Medical-Surgical Nursing (areas include General Surgery, ENT, Vascular, Thoracic, Gynecology), Community Health, Implementing Simulation in Nursing Education, Trends in Nursing, Practical Nursing Program Coordinator
Areas of Expertise/Research: Nurse Practitioners in Primary Health Care, Advanced Health Assessment and Clinical Decision-making, Respiratory Health, Mental Health, OSCE Development, Qualitative Research
Areas of Expertise/Research: International Nursing, Maternity and Women’s Health Care, Labour and Delivery, Pediatric Nursing, Obstetrical Family-centered Care, Effects of Pediatric Chronic Illnesses on Families, International Office Coordination
Areas of Expertise/Research: Maternal-Child Nursing, Pathophysiology, Pediatric Surgery and Medicine, Adult Surgery and Medicine, Androgogical Methods Applied to Nursing Education
Areas of Expertise/Research: Gerontology, Healthy Aging, Preceptorship, Successful Transition to Long-term Care, Sexuality and the Elderly, Homelessness in the Elderly
Areas of Expertise/ Research: Community Health, Gerontology and Healthy Aging, Qualitative Research in the areas of Ageism, Seniors’ experiences in Accessing Health Care, and Social Prescribing for Seniors.
Areas of Expertise/Research: Community Health, Health Promotion, Population Health, Critical Obesity Studies, Qualitative Research, Feminist and Critical Research Approaches on Body Image, Eating Disorders and Disordered eating, Social Constructions of the Body in Relation to Fertility, and Motherhood, Role of Dominant Health Discourses in Identity Formation
Director, Centre for Nursing Studies Dr. Kathy Watkins, B.N., M.N., Ph.D., R.N.
Tel: 709-777-8161, Fax: 709-777-7324
Dr. Watkins has been a long-time faculty member at the Centre for Nursing Studies (CNS). Her experience in nursing education spans more than 28 years having taught at the diploma, baccalaureate and masters levels. Her teaching in nursing has focused on medical-surgical concepts, women’s health and professional development.
In addition to teaching in the Bachelor of Nursing (Collaborative) and Practical Nursing programs, Dr. Watkins has been actively involved in the Continuing Nursing studies programs offered at the CNS. Prior to assuming the role of director, she was the associate director of the Non-Degree Programs at the CNS. She is also a professional associate in the Faculty of Medicine at Memorial University where her primary responsibility is research on hereditary colorectal cancer. She continues to teach in graduate level programs.
During her career, Dr. Watkins has been an active volunteer in numerous professional and community organizations. In addition to being a member of multiple academic, provincial and national committees, she is an accreditation reviewer for the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing. She is a member of the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination Committee and is actively involved in program approval of practical nursing programs outside of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Ms. Fulford has been a faculty member at the Centre for Nursing Studies since 2015, teaching in the areas of medical/surgical nursing, perioperative nursing, in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Collaborative), Practical Nursing and Continuing Nursing Studies programs, which includes Internationally Educated Nursing program.
Prior to entering the field of nursing education, Ms. Fulford practiced in the areas of acute medical/surgical, perioperative and pain management. Ms. Fulford is an active member of the Education Advisory Committee with the College of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador, and is an active member of volunteer community organizations and committees. Ms. Fulford is a former graduate of the Centre for Nursing Studies.
Operations Manager, Centre for Nursing Studies Chad Chafe, B.Comm
Tel: 709-777-8139, Fac: 709-777-7324
Mr. Chafe was appointed to the role of Operations Manager with the Centre for Nursing Studies in June of 2023.
He was employed with both Eastern and Western Zones with NL Health Services for more than 15 years. Mr. Chafe held Human Resources Consultant positions in both Recruitment and Labour Relations and was the manager of Central Staffing for Rural and Urban areas for approximately six years.
Prior to assuming his present role, Mr. Chafe was the human resources business partner with NL Health Services – Eastern Zone. This position focused on strategic initiatives for the Cancer Care, Children and Women’s Health and Paramedicine programs. Mr. Chafe is a graduate of College of the North Atlantic and St. Mary’s University and sits on the Board of Directors with the NL Folk Arts Society.
Associate Director, BScN (Collaborative) Program, Centre for Nursing Studies Anne Marie Tracey
Tel: 709-777-8169
Ms. Tracey has been involved in nursing education for many years, having taught at the former St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital School of Nursing before joining the Centre for Nursing Studies. She has been involved in administration at the Centre for Nursing Studies in the role of Associate Director of the BScN (Collaborative) Program since 2004.
Ms. Tracey was the school lead for the CASN accreditation and CRNNL approval processes of the BScN (Collaborative) Program in 2022.
Ms. Tracey sits on the Board of Directors for the Rabbittown Learners Program.
Associate Director, Academic and Quality Initiatives, Centre for Nursing Studies Michelle Earle-Crane, M.N., R.N.
Tel: 709-777-7017
The Centre for Nursing Studies (CNS), operated by Eastern Health, was established in 1996. The CNS, located at Southcott Hall in the east end of St. John’s, offers a variety of high quality nursing education programs. Our goal is to prepare graduates to provide excellent patient care across a broad range of health-care and social settings. Programs are offered both on-site and by distance delivery.
The Centre for Nursing Studies is the largest nursing school in Newfoundland and Labrador. We have approximately 800 students across all programs, 60 full-time faculty and staff and 25 sessional faculty.
Currently, the CNS admits 121 students to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Collaborative) Program and 85 students to the Practical Nursing Program each year.
In addition, the CNS provides continuing nursing studies programs (post-basic courses) to Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), re-entry programs for RNs and LPNs, a tailored bridging and re-entry program for internationally educated nurses (IENs), and competency-based assessments of nurses in practice for the College of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador (CRNNL) and regional health authorities as requested. Enrollment in continuing nursing studies programs is variable depending on health-care system demand.
