Practical Nurse Professional Diploma

Program Description
Columbia?s Practical Nurse Professional Program students have consistently achieved some of the best results in Canada. Our reputation for graduating highly competent professionals is something we are very proud of. This program is one of the few in North America that follows a Mastery Learning Model.

This is a full-time, 2 year diploma program that is completed in 80 weeks (approximately 20 months).
Classes are normally scheduled to run between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. During the program, students should be prepared to attend classes that may be scheduled in the evenings and on weekends.
Designed to give students Practical Nursing theory and clinical experience in continuing care and acute care
Practicums (clinical) will be scheduled according to the co-operating health care employer?s availability of clinical practicum placements. This means that the 722 hours of practical experience may be scheduled during the day, evening, night and/or weekends.
Clinical placements will need to be scheduled in alternative locations. The College may be required to delay the date of completion until a clinical placement can be arranged.
In the lab, the facilitator to student ratio is 1:12. In the practicum, the facilitator to student ratio is 1:8. In the classroom, the class sizes may be up to 27 students.
Mastery Learning in the Practical Nurse Program
Columbia?s Practical Nurse Diploma Program students have consistently achieved some of the best results in Canada. Our reputation for graduating highly competent professionals is something we are very proud of. This program is the only one we have found in Canada that follows a Mastery Learning Model.

Columbia?s Mastery Learning Model provides students with up to 500 additional hours of free Mastery Learning tutorials over the course of the 20 month program. The tutorials provide learners with support from faculty, who work with them on strengthening competencies and skills and working towards mastery. Our free tutorials have proven to be an excellent resource for the students.

Practical Nurse Olympic Games
Columbia College follows an Olympic Games approach in the delivery of 4 hour Gamification sessions once a week when required. The sessions are delivered using a fun-based approach to support student learning, by using a series of nursing-related activities to build and consolidate the knowledge and skills they have acquired in their regular courses throughout the preceding week.

The Olympic Games sessions were added to the nursing program to help ensure that students moving into field-based practicums are able to recall information learned earlier in the program. This strategy and delivery is aimed to greatly increase their confidence, ability to perform in a nursing role, and successfully complete the program.