Emergency Nursing Specialty (Combined Emergency/Critical Care Option)

Entrance requirements

The following are requirements for entry into Specialty Nursing certificate and degree courses. Enforcement or waiving of any or all entry requirements is at the discretion of the program head.

If you have any questions about your experience or qualifications, please contact the program head.

• English: two years of education in English in an English-speaking country with one of the following:
  • English Studies 12 (73%) or
  • English First Peoples 12 (73%) or
  • Other acceptable BC and Yukon courses or
  • ENGL 1177 - Academic Writing (73%) or
  • 3.0 credits of post-secondary English, humanities or social sciences (73%) from a recognized institution
  
  What if I don’t meet these English requirements?
• Post-secondary education: diploma in nursing


• Current practicing registration with one of the following:
• BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) or
• Canadian provincial equivalent or
• Registered Nurse (RN) license number (if practicing outside Canada)
• Work Experience: minimum six months work experience in an acute care setting
  
  

  Submit a resume of work experience with your application.

  Exceptions may be granted for undergraduate students taking entry-level theory courses or new graduates. A resume is required for placement in the program. If you have questions about whether your work experience qualifies, please contact the program head.

  Interested nurses from international practice, residential, or other areas of care lacking recent (within two years) acute care experience may be required to complete a refresher course. BCIT recommends the following programs:

  • Douglas College
  • Kwantlen Polytechnic University
  • Thompson Rivers University

  Please contact one of the institutions above, as well as the program head, to determine an appropriate preparatory course of study.

Read more about how to meet BCIT’s entrance requirements

Clinical requirements

Note: Effective immediately, 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, will have to get 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 prior to being placed in your clinical studies.

Basic Cardiac Life Support Certification

All students participating in clinical courses must have current Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Level C or Level Health Care Provider (HCP). The original certificate must be presented upon application to the clinical courses.

BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) registration

As well as providing this information at the time of admission, BCIT requires students to provide proof of BCCNM membership, Canadian provincial equivalent, or RN license number for each clinical course. Without proper registration, you will not be permitted to continue in the course.

Face Respirator Fit Testing

A face piece respiratory fit test is 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.

International applicants

International students outside of Canada

International students must be currently working in their nursing specialty area and have a practicing registered nurse’s license in their country to be eligible for this program. All courses are delivered through an online format, so students do not need a study permit.

International students working in Canada

International students who currently hold a work permit and are working in their specialty nursing area with a practicing registered nurse's license are eligible for this program. Students are responsible to maintain a work permit that is valid throughout clinical training. All courses are delivered through an online format, so students do not need a study permit.

International students are required to have a study permit before they attend any in-class courses/exams as part of the program.

Program declaration

Please contact the program assistant to declare this program.

Scheduled Intakes

Ongoing Part-time Studies intakes: January, April, and September.

Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)

If you are an experienced emergency nurse with more than three years of full-time nursing experience in the emergency department, then PLAR may be for you. PLAR is a process intended to provide students with an opportunity to receive credit for both credit-based and non-credit-based prior learning that has been acquired in a variety of ways, including work experience.

For additional information on PLAR and to order a PLAR manual ($15), which explains the options in detail and guides you through the process, contact the Program Head at 604.451.7078 or toll free 1.800.663.6542 local 7078.

Tuition fees

Please see the Part-time Studies Tuition & Fees page for information on part-time tuition fees.

Tuition is charged on a course-by-course basis. View the courses in the program matrix for individual course fees.

Books & supplies

All listed costs are estimates and subject to change.

Course books:

Core course books for the advanced certificate program: $449

Core course books for the degree program: $735

Please check the BCIT Bookstore for most current prices.

iPads:

The Critical Care Nursing courses are delivered on iPads and require that students have an iPad capable of downloading iOS 11 or newer.* Students that do not have an iPad can purchase one from the Apple Store or another computer retailer. The cost is approximately $550. You may be able to receive an educational discount by showing your BCIT ID.

Students must be registered in a course to access the course materials on iTunes U. Codes for the e-texts can be purchased from the BCIT Bookstore.

*In special circumstances, an iPad can be borrowed from the BCIT Library.

Program matrix

Check current availability of courses for this program.

Check current availability of courses for this program.

Transfer credit

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.

Program length

The length of the program varies, as it is offered in a variety of formats:

• BCIT offers theory and some clinical courses by part-time, independent study. We deliver theory courses over a 12-week term using guided-learning modules and telephone tutor support. They often include teleconferences, which provide opportunities for students and tutors to discuss issues relevant to the course. If you work full-time, you would generally register for one theory course per term, although this can vary depending on your additional commitments.

• Through independent study, learn in your own community and structure your learning schedule in a manner that is most convenient for you. Complete full-time clinical courses at clinical sites throughout BC, over 4 to 6 weeks. If you live outside BC, clinical placements may be negotiated.

• Most Specialty Nursing programs arrange special offerings of courses as "Compressed time frame programs". Offered in full-time study formats, they enable you to take several courses over a specified period of time. If you are interested in this option of study, contact the program assistant for more information and program start dates.

• Nurses with three or more years of experience can apply for PLAR, Prior Learning Assessment recognition credits towards their Advanced Specialty Certificate.

Program length for either the Advanced Certificate or the Bachelor of Science in Nursing can range from 2 to 7 years depending on your individual pace. Preparedness for employment can take from 10 weeks to 1 year.

Additional program options

• Emergency Nursing Specialty Standard Option

Graduate employment outcomes

The BCIT student outcomes report presents summary findings from the annual survey of former students administered by BC Stats one to two years after graduation. These reports combine the last three years of available results for the 2018-2020 BCIT Outcomes Surveys of 2017-2019 graduates and for Degree 2015-2017 graduates. The reports are organized into three-page summaries containing information on graduates’ labour market experiences and opinions regarding their education. More detailed information can be accessed at the BC Student Outcomes website.

To view these results, you may need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed in your Web browser.

• Emergency Nursing Specialty (Combined Emergency/Critical Care Option)

Apply for graduation

Upon successful completion of all program requirements, complete an Application for BCIT Credential [PDF] and submit it to Student Information and Enrolment Services.

Allow approximately six to eight weeks for processing.

All financial obligations to the Institute must be met prior to issuance of any credential.

Professional associations

Canadian Nurses Association (CNA)
Graduates of the BCIT program are eligible to write the Specialty Nursing exam for Emergency Nursing through the CNA Certificate program. CNA views certification as a method of validating nurses' competence in an area of specialization within the field of nursing.

Emergency Nurses Association of BC (ENABC)
ENABC is the professional organization for emergency nursing in BC. ENABC's main goal is to provide standards for emergency nursing care, offer a forum in which emergency nurses can exchange ideas, promote the specialized education of emergency nurses, and support community relations. ENABC has an affiliation with the National Emergency Nurses Association (NENA).

National Emergency Nurses Association (NENA)
NENA represents emergency nurses across Canada. The association works closely with the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) to improve quality of care in Canada's emergency settings. If you register with ENGBC you are a member of NENA.