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If you’ve missed a Nursing (BSN) information session, you can watch the latest video recording.
Note: This information session was held May 27, 2024. Topics discussed in this session are subject to change without notice.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is a three-year full-time Program, that is delivered in three terms per year. The program is based on a concept, competency-based approach. Students are exposed to the latest technology, innovative practice-based experiences, and provide with a range of resources.
Note: The January 2025 intake is now closed for new applications. Applications for re-admission may still be submitted. The April 2025 intake will open for applications on October 1, 2024. The September 2025 intake will open for applications on February 3, 2025.
Delivery: in person. See details.
The BCIT BSN is committed to preparing excellent nurses who are practice ready to meet the complex care needs in today’s health care environment.
Visit Program Details to learn more about our BSN program.
This program is for individuals who:
This BSN program is guided by the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) standards. In order to work as an RN, graduates must meet the required competencies and standards set by the College. You can find out more on these sites:
Visit Entrance Requirements to learn more about program entry requirements and registration.
Registered nurses work in hospitals and community healthcare settings around the world. Visit Graduating and Jobs to discover opportunities.
The BCIT Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is committed towards decolonizing nursing education. In doing so, we are demonstrating an awareness of and commitment towards the cultural safety needs of Indigenous students, colleagues and clients with whom we work. To this end, we recognize and honour the territorial lands upon which BCIT campuses are situated: the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish Nations of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səlilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) . These are the lands that bring us together in a reciprocal relationship of teaching and learning to bring about an equitable Canada for all.
British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) Registration Requirements
Once you graduate from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, you must apply for registration as a Registered Nurse with the BCCNM to be eligible for employment. To register you must meet the BCCNM Competencies and Standards for Entry-Level Registered Nurse Practice in British Columbia.
It is important that you are aware of these prior to applying for admission to the Nursing program.
These requirements are described on the BCCNM’s Website at the following links:
If you have concerns about whether or not you have the required skills and abilities for admission to or progression through the Nursing program, contact BCIT’s Accessibility Services.
This program is open to applications:
We recommend that you apply early. All supporting documents must be submitted by the application deadline.
Indigenous applicants: Read about Indigenous student support available for the Nursing program.
BCIT does not guarantee admission to applicants who meet the minimum requirements. Obtaining a seat in the Nursing program is competitive. The Nursing program mandate is to select those applicants deemed to have the best opportunity for success. The Nursing program does not maintain a waitlist into future intakes.
Competitive Entry: Three-step process
Step 1: Meet the following entrance requirements
All Academic Foundations courses must be completed prior to application. Midterm grades are not accepted. Only official transcripts are to be submitted with your online application. An official BCIT transcript is not required.
Applicants who have completed post-secondary studies outside of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand will require a comprehensive evaluation of their credentials by the International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES). Credential evaluation reports from other Canadian services may be considered. These reports must include course-by-course evaluations and GPA calculations.
Step 2: Conditionally selected applicants
If you have been conditionally accepted to BCIT you will be notified, and the following information will be required in order to be accepted into the program:
Once these and any other outstanding conditions have been met, you will receive notification of your full acceptance.
Note: All health care workers who come into contact with patients at publicly funded health care facilities or in the community, including at long-term-care facilities, must have the influenza vaccine or wear a mask during flu season. This policy affects all students who will be entering a clinical setting. As such, you will be required to provide proof of your immunization or agree to wear a mask at all times through the flu season prior to being placed in your clinical studies.
Face Respirator Fit Testing
A face piece respiratory fit test may be required before students are permitted to enter the clinical practicum. Upon successful completion of the fit test, the original certificate must be presented to the program and annual re-fitting is required. Students are expected to carry their certificate with them at all times during their practicum.
For the Respirator Fit Testing, fit testing with a N95 respirator (1860, 1860s or 1870) is required and must be performed, in accordance with CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z94.4-02. Fit Testing must also include, inspection, cleaning, maintenance and storage of protective equipment. Students will be given specific instructions in preparation for their fit testing by the provider they choose.
CPR - BLS (HCP)
Current Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) - Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers (HCP). Certificate must be submitted prior to the first day of term 1 and be recertified annually..
Certifications from any of the following agencies are accepted: Lifesaving Society, Red Cross, Heart & Stroke Foundation, St Johns Ambulance, and the Canadian Ski Patrol.
This program is not available to international students. View available programs
Note: The January 2025 intake is now closed for new applications. Applications for re-admission may still be submitted. The April 2025 intake will open for applications on October 1, 2024. The September 2025 intake will open for applications on February 3, 2025.
Note: BCIT’s application system is being upgraded. We are pausing applications for this program on Monday, September 16 at 12:00 pm (PDT) and reopening on Tuesday, October 1 at 9:00 am (PDT) through EducationPlannerBC.
To submit your application:
January, April and September each year.
Within two business days of submitting your completed application, BCIT will send a message to your personal and myBCIT email addresses. All correspondence regarding your application will be posted to your online myCommunication account at my.bcit.ca. We will send you an email when a new message is posted. It is important to watch for these emails or regularly check your account online.
You can expect to receive communication concerning the status of your application within four weeks.
Note: Applicants who have not previously completed a portion of this program at BCIT must apply to Term 1. Direct entry to an advanced level (e.g. for LPNs or RPNs) is not an option.
You can apply for re-admission if you:
Please refer to the BSN Re-admission Policy [PDF] to determine your re-admission eligibility and review student responsibilities.
Applications to each upcoming term are due by noon on the Friday of Week 12 in the prior term.
Ready to submit your application? Apply now.
The Nursing Student Tuition Grant released by the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills will be available to all students enrolled in Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing (BPN) and practical nursing (PN) programs from September 1, 2023, through to August 1, 2026. The value of the grant is $2,000 per program year per eligible participant. The maximum value of this grant per student is $6,000 for bachelor’s programs.
Indigenous students in BSN programs will receive an additional tuition credit of $5,000 per year. This funding is already available to Indigenous students enrolled in BPN and PN Programs.
The Nursing Student Tuition Grant is available to Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents only, there is no application process. Tuition grants will be automatically applied by the post-secondary institution.
More information on the Nursing Student Tuition grants can be found here [PDF].
Use our tuition estimator to find tuition and fees for this program.
For more information on full-time tuition fees, visit Full-Time Studies Tuition & Fees.
Costs of the Nursing program include education materials, CPR certification, criminal record check, annual face respirator fit testing, uniforms, shoes, stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, copying, stationary, penlight, and transportation expenses.
Information on obtaining a criminal record check and the fees involved will be mailed to students upon acceptance.
These are general estimated costs and subject to change. Students may incur additional expenses.
*Education materials will include electronic and text materials.
Financial assistance may be available for this program. For more information, please contact Student Financial Aid and Awards.
| Term 1 | Credits | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| BSNC 1030 | Practice of Nursing 1 | ||
This course welcomes students to the BCIT BSN program and provides an overview of learning within a concept and competency-based curriculum. This course emphasizes foundational knowledge required to transition into a professional nursing program. Students will explore how to apply an indigenizing lens to concept and competency-based learning, and be introduced to approaches and strategies to help support success in the BSN program. This is a blended course, both online and in-class and will employ active learning strategies.
Prerequisite(s):
Students must take 6.0 from one specialty (e.g. If Emergency is chosen as the focus of practice the courses completed must be NSCC 7150 & NSER 7110). Students who select Neonatal or Perinatal as their focus of practice also complete a Neonatal Resuscitation course. To take a specialty nursing elective at another post-secondary institution student contact the Nursing Placement Coordinator.
BSN students select from the following Specialty Nursing courses:
Learners are introduced to critical care nursing practice and the nature of critical illness, including patients' experience of critical illness, the role of the critical care nurse and the context of critical care nursing practice. Theoretical concepts that are foundational to critical care nursing practice are examined, including: oxygen supply and demand as a basis for cellular oxygenation and physiological function, comprehensive assessment and analysis of arterial blood gas analysis, hemodynamic monitoring and assessment, and clinical decision-making. Simulation sessions support application of theoretical aspects to nursing practice, laying the foundation for clinical practice experience. Please note: You must achieve 75% or greater to register in NSCC 7220.
Prerequisite(s):
This course supports the development of fundamental knowledge required to systematically analyze and interpret basic cardiac dysrhythmias. Participants will explore myocardial electrophysiology in relation to cardiac monitoring and develop a systematic approach to dysrhythmia analysis and interpretation. Further, participants will consider the predisposing factors and associated interventions related to the conduction defect present and the consequences of the dysrhythmia to both systemic and myocardial oxygen supply and demand. Finally, the significance of dysrhythmia analysis, interpretation, and management to critical care nursing practice will be explored. Although this course is conducted within the specific context of critical care nursing practice, it would also be suitable for other nurses or qualified health professionals requiring this skill. If you are not a registered nurse or a student nurse in the final years of your BSN program you must consult the Critical Care Nursing Program Head prior to registration. Health professionals who are not nurses may register for this course with approval of the Critical Care Specialty Program Head. If you are registering in the NSCC, NSHA or NSER nursing program follow the program course matrix. Program Head approval is required to take NSCC 7150 as a co-requisite with NSCC 7120, NSCC 7220, NSHA 7100, or NSER 7110. You must achieve 75% or greater in this course to continue forward in the Critical Care Nursing Program and register in NSCC 7220.
Prerequisite(s):
The purpose of this course is to introduce participants to the high acuity nursing specialty and the role of the high acuity nurse. The participants will focus on expanding their ability to think critically and engage in participatory relationships; examine the concept of health and explore their understanding of health in order to promote health for high acuity patients and families. The participants will explore the lived experience of an acute illness (e.g. COPD and respiratory insufficiency) while applying the theory of oxygen supply and demand, comprehensive assessments, and ethical clinical decision-making within the high acuity nursing practice environment.
Prerequisite(s):
Healthy Childbearing Experiences and the Newborn is the combined introductory theory course of the Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing Specialty Programs. This course explores a number of concepts that are foundational to the practice of perinatal and neonatal nursing and healthy childbearing experiences. Within the context of building partnerships, learners are exposed to holistic caring for childbearing women, their fetuses and newborns, and their families.
Prerequisite(s):
Focuses on the experience of the individual with end stage renal disease. Links pathophysiology of renal disease and treatment options to the lived experience of various individuals. Provides an understanding of the physiological, psychological and social impact of renal disease as it varies over the life span and with individuals.
Prerequisite(s):
An introduction to the nursing specialty of pediatric nursing, this course focuses on characteristics of children and families which influence how they interpret and respond to life events and to their environments, and shapes how nurses respond to and interact with them. The overall intent of this course is to provide opportunity for you to increase your understanding of pediatric nursing practice as you consider some critical issues related to children and childhood, factors that influence children’s health, pediatric assessment and delivery of health care to children. Along with a focus on developmental assessment we will also look at medication safety, nutrition, prevention of infectious diseases within the context of these developmental stages. This course introduces you to the concept of oxygen supply and demand and the significance of this knowledge for the provision on optimal care. Finally this course also introduces the process of comprehensive pediatric assessment as a means of understanding the patients experience and the meaning they attach to these experiences.
Prerequisite(s):
Healthy Childbearing Experiences and The Newborn, is the combined introductory theory course of the Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing Specialty Programs. This course explores a number of concepts that are foundational to the practice of both perinatal and neonatal nursing, and healthy childbearing experiences. Within the context of building partnerships, learners are exposed to holistic caring for childbearing women, their fetuses and newborns, and their families.
Prerequisite(s):
The Breastfeeding Experience course explores foundational concepts for healthcare providers who support mothers, newborns and their families through the breastfeeding continuum. This is a theory-only course that will enable students to acquire the knowledge required by health care providers to support mother/infant dyads in a successful breastfeeding experience. This 3 credit course may be used for those seeking International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) certification or recertification: 1) For certification through pathways 1 and 3 ONLY; this course is equivalent to 45 education hours that may be used as part of the total 90 education hours required. 2) For recertification; this course has been recognized by IBCLC for 45 L-CERPs. Please note that those challenging this course will not receive IBCLC L-CERPs. The IBCLC L-CERPs will be reserved for those who complete the whole course.
Prerequisite(s):
In this course, we start out by considering what makes perioperative nursing distinctive from other areas of nursing. We discuss what caring looks like in the perioperative area, and how it is enacted by perioperative nurses. You will learn about the complementary scrub and circulating nursing roles, and their related activities. You will have the opportunity to consider how professional scope of practice will guide your nursing activities in this setting. We then move to patient-centered care by looking at strategies for how the nurse can seek to understand the patient’s individual perioperative experience using framing concepts of vulnerability and dignity. You’ll consider how to provide ethical perioperative care based in relational practice, and how to advocate for patients and families. We will relate the concept of health to perioperative patients, and reflect on how the perioperative nurse promotes health. You will learn about environmental and cultural factors unique to the perioperative setting, and how these factors affect team function, patient care, and the patient’s lived experience. You will be introduced to the importance of self-care in this setting. We will look at how partnership is enacted in this specialty area. You will consider communication and interprofessional collaboration as they relate to perioperative patients and teams. We take an in-depth look at the CIHC National Interprofessional Competency Framework to help you think about how perioperative teams can work together effectively to promote safe patient care and a culture of safety. The modules that focus on clinical decision-making and the Situated Clinical Decision-making Framework are important to help you develop your perioperative nursing foundational knowledge. You will consider case study applications of the Framework in preparation for future perioperative theory and clinical learning. We conclude the course with how you can prepare for the transition from your current area of nursing practice to perioperative nursing.
Prerequisite(s):
Do you have credits from another BC/Yukon post-secondary school? Do you want to know if they transfer to courses here at BCIT? Check out BCIT's Transfer Equivalency Database to find out.
The program prepares highly skilled, practice-ready graduates eligible for nurse registration. Upon completion of the program, graduates are eligible to write the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is committed to educating and equipping learners to graduate and launch successful careers in nursing. To support this aim, the BSN program emphasizes the development of professionalism, communication, professional growth, reasoning and reflection, creative leadership, facilitation skills, and technical skills.
Courses are offered in a variety of formats including lecture, laboratory, small group work, online, and clinical experiences. Learning opportunities in hospitals include clinical practice with acutely ill seniors, adults, children, and families. Learning opportunities in community health include clinical practice in public health, home care and other community health agencies. The clinical practice experience can be during the day, evening or night shift, including weekends and holidays.
The program uses self-directed learning, small group learning, and a scrambled classroom teaching learning strategy, to help students develop the skills required in the health-care system.
Self-directed learning is a method that encourages students to take charge of their learning by identifying learning needs, implementing strategies to meet these learning needs, and evaluating progress toward learning. These skills prepare students for lifelong learning and professional growth.
Small group learning is an approach in which students work in groups of four to twelve people to learn material and discuss course issues. This approach also develops communication and facilitation skills.
A scrambled classroom is a combination of short bursts of lecture interspersed with active learning strategies. The effectiveness of this teaching learning strategy is dependent on students completing readings and pre-class work. Active learning contextualizes knowledge and provides an opportunity for learners to build on and apply knowledge through active engagement with content, peers and the instructor, providing learners with the skills and competencies required for safe patient care within a complex health care system. One key nursing competency this teaching methodology promotes is collaboration and teamwork. Additionally, completing prep work is critical to the success of a practice profession.
Aboriginal applicants: Read about Indigenous student support available for the Nursing program.
International applicants: This program does not accept applications from international students. View programs that do
