The Loyalist College two-year Practical Nursing diploma program has received a full Category I, five-year approval from the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) Council. This is the highest attainable rating, reflecting the standards developed to prepare students graduating from practical nursing programs to meet the entry-to-practice competencies which address the health care needs of Ontario. The rating applies to the full-time program at the Belleville campus and the part-time program offered through the College’s Bancroft campus.
In December 2001 the CNO recommended that all new Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) obtain a two-year diploma in practical nursing from a community college of applied arts and technology as a basic educational requirement. In September 2002 Loyalist extended the curriculum of the College’s previous Practical Nursing certificate program to meet the new provincial standards and received approval from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. The curriculum was designed to comply with the CNO’s practice competencies, professional standards and guidelines. Graduates of the diploma program are eligible to apply for registration with the CNO and to write the national Canadian Practical Nurse registration examination. Following successful completion of the examination, they are registered as practical nurses by the CNO and are qualified to work in a wide range of health care facilities including hospitals, nursing homes, public health units and private industry.
“Graduates of the Loyalist Practical Nursing program have a history of successfully passing the national examination and scoring at or above provincial and national averages in all assessed areas,” said Karen Brooks Cathcart, Dean of Health and Human Studies. “To receive this approval from CNO is additional affirmation that Loyalist is preparing students to graduate with the knowledge, skills and interpersonal capabilities necessary to enter the health care field as professional, competent practical nurses. The achievement of this approval is a testament to the dedication and commitment of the Loyalist faculty and staff who support Practical Nurse education.”
Norah White is a second-year practical nursing student and will graduate in June 2009. “It will become known to all of Ontario’s health care professionals that Loyalist has received this approval and in turn I feel that employers will take more notice of our résumés, knowing that we are graduates of such a highly-rated program. Loyalist has always been known for its exceptional nursing programs and this reinforces the fact that I definitely made the right choice. It makes me very proud that I will be a Practical Nursing graduate from Loyalist College.”
Media Contact: Marilyn Warren, Communications, Loyalist College (613) 969-1913, ext. 2332; e-mail: mwarren@loyalistc.on.ca or Karen Brooks Cathcart, Dean of Health and Human Studies, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2313