Course Delivery: Combined delivery (includes in-class, online, face-to-face labs & clinical practice)
Duration: 76 weeks, including 23 weeks of hands-on experience
Start: February, June & October
Wages: $32.53-$45.96/hour (BCNU April 2024)
Regulated By: British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM)
Student Diversity:
Stenberg supports diversity in our student population, and we hold one seat per program for a self-identified Indigenous applicant who meets admission requirements. If the seat remains unfilled at 12 weeks prior to the program start, the seat will be released and offered to other qualified applicants.

Scholarships

We are excited to announce the following scholarships for the February 2025 start of our Practical Nursing Diploma program.

Recent Secondary School Grads Scholarship*
Individuals who graduated from high school within 12 months of the February 2025 program start may be eligible for a $2,000 Practical Nursing scholarship.

Health Care Assistant Scholarship*
Registered Health Care Assistants may be eligible for a $6,500 Practical Nursing scholarship to the February 2025 program start.

*Conditions apply.

About the Career

The British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives provides the following definition of Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs): “LPNs are health care professionals. Most work as frontline nurses caring for a wide range of clients at all stages of life. LPNs provide nursing services ranging from health promotion, to acute care, to long-term and palliative care.

LPNs work in collaboration with other members of the health care team. Their education and practice — while rooted in the same body of knowledge as other nurses — focuses on foundational competencies within the LPN scope of practice and ​standards.” – bccnm.ca

To learn more about the role of a Licensed Practical Nurse in Canada, visit nnpbc.com.

What is the difference between a Registered Nurse and a Licensed Practical Nurse? 

The British Columbia Ministry of Health explains: 

“Both RNs and LPNs work autonomously within their professional scope of practice and level of competence, and as part of a collaborative team, to support safe, competent and ethical care for patients, families, and communities. Although both RNs and LPNs take similarly titled foundation courses, there is a difference in both the depth and breadth of knowledge covered, in the competencies developed, and expectations for clinical practice. 

LPNs care for individuals at all life stages, with a focus on stable or predictable states of health. In specific settings, LPNs may be able to care for those with more complex care needs if they have additional education and/or training and/or supervision. As RNs have more comprehensive education, they have a more in-depth and broader knowledge base to draw upon in areas such as clinical practice, advanced clinical decision-making, and utilization of health research. RNs can provide care for any type of individual including those with complex, unstable or unpredictable conditions.” – pcnbc.ca

Potential employers:

  • Public hospitals
  • Long-term care facilities
  • Public health facilities like veterans’ hospitals
  • Centres for individuals with developmental disabilities
  • Mental health facilities
  • Home care and home support agencies
  • Assisted living facilities
  • Hospice care facilities
Practical Nursing Program | Stenberg College
More coming soon.

About the Program

Our Practical Nursing program follows the B.C. provincial curriculum and is approved by the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM). 

Theory is delivered in a hybrid format that combines online and in-class delivery. In addition, students receive 23 weeks of hands-on experience in our state-of-the-art nursing labs and clinical placements. 

You will be taught by working Nurse Educators who are committed to your success. The curriculum focuses on the competencies that are required to successfully complete the Regulatory Exam – Practical Nurse (REx-PN), previously the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination (CPNRE). There are 79 entry-level competencies, organized into five categories: 1) professional practice, 2) legal practice, 3) ethical practice, 4) foundations of practice, and 5) collaborative practice. To learn more about the entry-level competencies of LPNs, click here. To learn more about the requisite skills and abilities of LPNs, click here.

This program includes the following certifications: Workplace Hazardous Materials Information SystemRed Cross Workplace SFA/CPR-HCP-AEDFOODSAFE Level 1, and Provincial Violence Prevention Certification.

After term two, you will be registered as a Health Care Assistant by the B.C. Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry. This will allow you to work in extended care facilities while completing your studies.

Admission Requirements

Pre-requisites:

  • Grade 12 graduation, or equivalent (General Educational Development, Adult Basic Education), or mature student status as defined by the educational institution (19 years of age or older)
  • Math 11 Foundations with a minimum grade of 60%, or equivalent such as Math 11 Principles, or Pre-calculus with a minimum grade of 60%
  • English 12 with a minimum grade of 65%, or English First Peoples 12 with a minimum grade of 65%, or equivalent such as Communications 12 with a minimum grade of B
  • Anatomy and Physiology 12 or Biology 12 with a minimum grade of 60%
  • Completion of Stenberg College Entrance Informational Interview
  • Successful completion of the Online Computer Skills Entrance Test
  • Completion of Criminal Record Consent Form under the Criminal Record Review Act

Stenberg College Practical Nursing applicants may write challenge exams or take upgrading courses to meet admission requirements for Math 11, English 12 and A&P/Bio 12 which must be passed with the above noted minimum grades. Any Post-Secondary level Math, English or Anatomy & Physiology courses are also acceptable.

As English is the language of study in BC, students must meet English language proficiency at an appropriate level to be accepted into the provincial Practical Nursing program. These requirements can be satisfied through three years of full-time, face-to-face secondary or post-secondary education at an accredited institution where English is the language of instruction and is also one of the country’s official languages. English as a Second Language/Additional Language courses are not included in this three-year calculation. Those not meeting this requirement must achieve scores identified in one of the two tests below:

  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic version with minimum scores of: Speaking 7, Listening 7, Reading 6.5, Writing 6.5, and Overall Band Score 7.
  • Canadian English Language Benchmarks Assessment for Nurses (CELBAN) with minimum scores of: Speaking 8, Listening 9, Reading 8, Writing 7.

Program Courses

Student Support

  • Academic tutoring
  • Assessment and skill development support
  • Open study skills tutorials
  • Typing practice support
  • One-on-one student support coaching sessions
  • English language learning support
  • Online learning resources
  • Online academic journals and databases
  • Campus life events

Our Faculty

Accreditation and Recognition

Stenberg College is designated by the BC government’s Ministry of Advanced Education through the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB). This program is approved by PTIB, which is responsible for setting standards of quality and ensuring consumer protection. Stenberg College has also received the BC government’s Education Quality Assurance (EQA) designation, which is BC’s brand or “seal” of quality post-secondary education for public and private institutions.

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