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Option 1: Interactive Classroom (MS Teams)

  • Delivery: Part-time, Interactive Classroom (MS Teams)
  • Program Length: Courses must be taken within three years prior to beginning semester 5 of BScN. Learners have a period of seven years to complete the bridging and BScN programs combined.
  • Start Dates: September, January, May (all courses)
  • Open To: Domestic applicants only. This program is not available for international applicants.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the bridging courses is made available to practicing RPNs through SLC+ Continuing Education. These courses are available for anyone to take but it is important for all prospective students to understand what will be required for admission to semester/level 5 of the BScN program after completion of the bridging courses.

Applicants enrolled in the RPN to BScN Bridging courses who wish to apply to BScN advanced standing must apply through ontariocolleges.ca by the February 1st equal consideration date. Applicants must select 1124 Bachelor of Science in Nursing level 5 entry. To select level 5 entry, applicants must declare all their post-secondary education on their OCAS application. 

BScN is a highly competitive program. To be included in the competitive ranking, applications must be complete by providing the following requirements by February 1st. Meeting the minimum entrance requirements does not guarantee admissions to the program. Only applications that are complete will be considered.

In order to enter semester 5 of the BScN program, students will apply through OCAS and will need to:

  • Have completed a Practical Nursing program at an Ontario College (programs from other colleges in Canada will be reviewed for equivalency) with a minimum 65% average
  • Be a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) with no restrictions
  • Have completed a minimum of 1,000 practice hours as a Registered Practical Nurse within the previous 3 years. The minimum 1,000 hours must be completed before you apply to this program.
  • Have completed five of the RPN to BScN bridging courses with a minimum 65% final grade in each course
    • Transfer credits will be considered as part of the five completed courses (if you feel that you have credits for transfer, please email pathways@sl.on.ca)
    • Students must complete ALL seven bridging courses before beginning semester 5 of the BScN program

These requirements will need to be supported by the submission of the following documents by the February 1st equal consideration date:

  • Letter of employment as an RPN with a minimum of 1,000 hours within the previous 3 years
  • Proof of RPN registration with CNO with no restrictions
  • Official post-secondary transcripts from all current and previous colleges and universities attended (transcripts must be requested through OCAS application)
  • Proof of enrolment in current courses

Full Disclosure of any other College or University Education:

  • Applicants to the Bachelor of Science - Nursing (Honours) program who are currently attending or have attended any other College or University must disclose and provide their full academic history by providing official transcripts from all colleges and universities they currently and previously attended.
    • Proof of current enrollment is required if currently enrolled at a college or university.
    • Official transcripts and documentation are required for all courses, including those not leading to a completed credential, where credit was not granted, and where academic work was not related to the field of nursing.
    • Failure to disclose previous post-secondary course work is considered academic misconduct under the academic integrity policy and may result in a revoked offer of admission or removal from the program.
  • Your most recent post-secondary education must meet a minimum standard (overall average of 70% or a 2.80 GPA) and you must be in good academic standing with your last college or university to be considered for entry.
    • For applicants who receive an offer of admission and a final transcript reveals that the applicant did not meet the minimum standard, the College can revoke their offer of admission.
    • If the applicant becomes a student in the program and a final transcript reveals that the student does not meet the minimum standard, the College can remove the student from the program.

BRIDGING COURSES

  • CHEM1000 Biomedical Chemistry & Lab Diagnostics for the Transitioning RPN Nursing Theory Bridge
  • WRIT1000 Fundamentals of Writing and Evidence
  • MICR1000 Microbiology Health Sciences
  • BIOL1003 Pathophysiology for the Transitioning RPN
  • HLTH1002 Primary Health Care Across the Lifespan
  • NURS1008 Professional Transition for RPNs
  • MATH1002 Statistics

Frequently Asked Questions

Each bridging course is delivered online through Microsoft Teams. Students who cannot attend class during the scheduled time are able to view a class recording at a different time.

NURS1008 Professional Transitions for RPNs has a lab component that requires learners to participate in one weekend of labs on Kingston campus.

It is important to note that if learners do successfully enter the BScN program in semester 5, they will be required to attend classes in person.

Learners must complete a minimum of five of the bridging courses before applying to semester 5 of the BScN program through OCAS.

It is important for learners to know that advanced entry admission into the BScN program as a bridging student is going to be highly competitive. There are limited seats on each campus.

Advanced entry into level 5 of BScN is highly competitive. Applicants will be ranked by their bridging course grades first. Should there be a need to rank applicants further, RPN diploma program grades and prior work experience will be considered.

This number is going to fluctuate per year, per campus. Capacity is based on the availability of clinical placements. We anticipate that the demand for admission to Kingston campus will be greater than for Brockville and Cornwall campuses. So, if you have the ability to attend more than one of the three campuses, we recommend that you keep that in mind while you choose your preferred campus. You will have the opportunity to rank your campuses of choice in order. Do not however, apply to a campus that you have no intention of attending. Once accepted to a campus there will be no opportunity to transfer to another campus.

We do have student placements in Ottawa, Trenton, Belleville, and others surrounding our home campus communities, but we cannot guarantee the availability of these. We do guarantee placements in Kingston, Brockville, and Cornwall, but will work with students to determine which of our available placements is most appropriate for an individualized learning experience. 

The fees for each RPN to BScN bridging course can be found on the registration site.

The tuition fees for the BScN program can be found here: Kingston, Brockville, Cornwall.

You must complete the bridging courses within the three years before beginning semester 5 of the BScN program.

Students must complete both the bridging courses and years 3 and 4 of the BScN program in a total of seven years or less.

Students can take as few as one or as many as seven of the bridging courses at one time. It is important to remember that you need to compete the bridging courses within the three years before beginning semester 5 of the BScN program AND that the admissions process is a highly competitive one. Learners should take only as many courses as they feel will set them up for a high course grade that at will support their application to semester 5 of the BScN program.

Learners must be Canadian citizens or hold permanent residency status.

Courses taken at other colleges and universities can be evaluated for transfer. If you think that you have taken a course that is transferrable, please send your transcript and the course outline to pathways@sl.on.ca for evaluation. There is no guarantee that these will be approved and all courses that are to be transferred must have been taken within the previous five years.

Learners who wish to pursue studies at other post-secondary institutions are encouraged to check with the receiving institution regarding specific admission requirements and possibility for transfer of credits.

Yes, you can work on your courses without having completed 1,000 hours of work. However, you will need to have completed these hours before applying to semester 5 of the BScN program. Learners must also determine what balance between academic and work life will be best for their own situation and recognizing that admission to semester 5 of the BScN program is going to be highly competitive.

Yes, you can work on your courses under a temporary registration with the CNO but you must obtain full registration prior to applying to semester 5 of the BScN program.