IEN Bridging/RN Re-entry Program
The IEN Bridging/RN Re-entry Program is offered through the Continuing Nursing Studies department of the Centre for Nursing Studies (CNS).
The Program is offered to nurses who are educated and registered in countries outside of Canada, and who have been assessed as requiring additional education in order to obtain a practicing license as an RN.
The program prepares IENs to build on the commonalities and differences between their own experiences and Canadian health-care delivery and nursing practice. IENs enroll in the program or identified program courses to enhance knowledge and skills as a means to attain practice equivalence to the Canadian educated and practicing nurse.
IEN Bridging/RN Re-entry Program is designed so IEN students can be referred, based on assessment of their knowledge, for individual program courses or for completion of the nine general nursing courses and specified specialty courses. For many courses in the program, the delivery method is via distance education. Specified courses have full-day lab components where on-site attendance is required. Clinical courses required in the program must be completed within the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The following is a list of the courses offered through the IEN Bridging/RN Re-entry Program:
General Nursing Courses
The Profession of Nursing in Canada reviews the evolution of professional nursing practice and related theoretical foundations that impact health-care delivery in Canada. This module will provide opportunities for discussion and reflection on societal forces that impact Canadian registered nursing practice. An overview of the various components of the Canadian health-care system and professional, ethical and legal issues related to nursing are also explored.
Therapeutic and Professional Communication emphasizes the principles of therapeutic and professional communication. The course has four distinct components: the nurse-client relationship; communicating with clients and families; collaboration and cooperative practice; and professional documentation. This course has an on line lab component.
Pharmacology provides information that accurately reflects current registered nurse practice in drug therapy in Canada, including knowledge of pharmacological interventions. The course focuses on the concepts and principles of pharmacology, knowledge of medication groups, their actions, uses and special considerations.
Medication Administration reviews the knowledge, skills, and judgements required by the registered nurse to safely administer medications to clients. This course addresses basic concepts related to drug administration, Canadian drug legislation and standards, safe preparation of medications, calculation of medication dosages, documentation and the role of the nursing process in medication administration. This course has a two-day on-site lab component.
Health Assessment reviews the Canadian registered nurse’s role in health assessment. The course includes two components: the health history and the physical examination. The course teaches nurses to assess their clients holistically and to analyze their findings, determine outcomes and document data in an accurate and timely manner. This course has a three-day on-site lab component.
Health Challenges and Nursing Interventions addresses health challenges across the lifespan. The course builds on previous knowledge of pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment. Course concepts include health promotion and illness prevention; the nursing process; ethical, legal and professional considerations; family centered care; teaching and learning and collaborative practice. These concepts are applied to the nursing care of individuals experiencing common health challenges.
Complex and Emerging Health Challenges focuses on the process of effective clinical decision-making by nurses within a Canadian context. Simulations are used to address critical thinking, prioritizing, coordinating and delegating care. The course also focuses on inter-professional collaboration and consultation for clinical decision-making. Case studies related to complex multi-system health challenges are used to prepare nurses for appropriate decision-making. The course also includes emerging health challenges seen in Canadian health-care settings. This course has a one-day on-site lab component.
Clinical Skills provides students with the opportunity to review and apply psychomotor competencies in a simulated nursing practice setting. This course has a 5 day on-site lab component.
Medical-Surgical Nursing Practice provides the student with a sound foundation in medical-surgical nursing care of the adult client and family experiencing alterations in health. It is designed to integrate experiential knowledge, theory, skills, clinical decision-making, communication and values in a Canadian health-care setting. The role of the professional registered nurse in acute medical-surgical inpatient areas will be emphasized. This course includes 160 hours of faculty led and 200 hours of preceptored clinical experience.
Specialty Nursing Courses
Nursing the Childbearing Family focuses on the nursing care of childbearing families in Canada. Course topics include all phases of the childbearing process, the neonatal period, and possible complications.
Nursing Practice for the Childbearing Family focuses on the nursing care of individuals and families, in the Canadian health-care context, through all phases of childbearing and the neonatal period. The course is comprised of 80 hours of preceptored nursing experience in the acute care maternity setting.
Child Health Nursing focuses on the nursing care of children and families in Canada. Several topics explored in relation to child health nursing include: common acute and chronic illnesses, family centered care, growth and development, and health promotion and injury prevention. Child health nursing practice focuses on the nursing care of children and families. The course is comprised of 80 hours of preceptored nursing experience in an acute care child health setting.
Mental Health Nursing focuses on psychiatric/mental health problems across the lifespan. The course is designed to provide an overview of mental health nursing concepts. The meaning of mental health and mental illness to individuals, families and vulnerable populations is explored using a holistic perspective. Mental illness is considered using a biological, psychological, social and spiritual framework.
Mental Health Nursing Practice provides the opportunity to apply knowledge acquired in the Mental Health Nursing course to the practice setting. The course is comprised of 80 hours of preceptored nursing experience in an acute care mental health setting.
Community Health Nursing provides an overview of the knowledge required to practise nursing with individuals and families in the community setting and with the community as client. The nursing role in promoting, restoring, protecting and supporting the health status of clients and the community are covered.
Community Health Nursing Practice provides the opportunity to integrate and consolidate the knowledge acquired in the community health nursing theory course and apply it to community health nursing practice in Canada. The course is comprised of 80 hours of preceptored experience in a community health practice setting.
For more information
For more information about this program, please contact Natasha Churchill, continuing nursing studies coordinator, Natasha.churchill@mun.ca, 777-8196.
An application for each academic year is posted on this website. Submission of an application and supporting documentation should be submitted by the deadline outlined in the application guide. Please note that submitting an application does not guarantee a seat in the IEN Bridging/RN Re-Entry Program.
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 registration form(PDF) before submitting your documentation.
We invite you to see the student handbook below for admission requirements for the IEN Bridging/RN Re-Entry program. If you have any questions regarding the IEN Bridging/RN Re-Entry program, please contact the secretary for Continuing Nursing Studies, Stephanie Barrington, by email at stephanie.barrington@mun.ca or by phone at 709-777-8162.
More information can be found in the 2023-24 IEN Bridging RN Re-Entry Student Handbook (PDF)