Primary Healthcare Nurse Practitioner Diploma

The PHCNP Diploma program is a one-year, full-time or two-year, part-time course of study for nurses who already have a master’s degree and wish to prepare for advanced practice in primary health care nursing. The program consists of courses provided through the Ontario Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner (PHCNP) program. This provides opportunities for students to develop advanced skills and knowledge in health assessment for clinical nursing roles in primary health care settings. Our PHCNP graduates work in a wide variety of positions in public health, long-term care, primary health care, and community settings.

General Information

Queen’s Nursing collaborates in a consortium of nine Ontario universities to deliver the seven courses of the Ontario Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner program that are required to complete PHCNP Diploma program. Successfully finishing the program allows graduates to apply to complete the Canadian family/all-ages nurse practitioner examination and apply for Extended Class registration as a Nurse Practitioner in Ontario.

The Nurse Practitioner Primary Health Care Program at Queen's University is approved by the College of Nurses of Ontario (www.cno.org). Additional information about the Ontario Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner program can be found at http://np-education.ca.

Please Note: International students cannot apply to this program unless they have active registration as a registered nurse with the College of Nurses of Ontario in Canada.

Additional Resources

Fall 2024 Information Webinar Recording

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Full-Time Program

Fall:

NURS 850A Pathophysiology for Nurse Practitioners
NURS 853A PHCNP Roles and Responsibilities
NURS 856 Advanced Health Assessment & Diagnosis I (includes clinical placement)
NURS 858 Therapeutics in Primary Health Care I (includes clinical placement)

Winter:

NURS 850B Pathophysiology for Nurse Practitioners
NURS 853B PHCNP Roles and Responsibilities
NURS 857 Advanced Health Assessment & Diagnosis II (includes clinical placement)
NURS 859 Therapeutics in Primary Health Care II (includes clinical placement)

Summer:

NURS 854 Integrative Practicum (includes clinical placement)

Part-Time Program

Fall Year 1:

NURS 850A Pathophysiology for Nurse Practitioners
NURS 856 Advanced Health Assessment & Diagnosis I (includes clinical placement)

Winter Year 1:

NURS 850B Pathophysiology for Nurse Practitioners
NURS 857 Advanced Health Assessment & Diagnosis II (includes clinical placement)

Summer Year 1:

If not taking any courses (NURS 853 or an elective), students will be registered in a place-holder 'course' to maintain active registration.
OPTIONAL - NURS 853 PHCNP Roles and Responsibilities (instead of Fall/Winter of Year 2)

Fall Year 2:

NURS 853A PHCNP Roles and Responsibilities
NURS 858 Therapeutics in Primary Health Care I (includes clinical placement)

Winter Year 2

NURS 853B PHCNP Roles and Responsibilities
NURS 859 Therapeutics in Primary Health Care II (includes clinical placement)

Summer Year 2

NURS 854 Integrative Practicum (includes clinical placement)

Clinical Placements - PHCNP

Clinical placements are arranged by our Clinical Placement Coordinator. Students are not permitted to arrange their own placements. Placements typically occur within the city of Kingston and/or communities within a 90 minute drive of Queen's campus. Our placement catchment area covers an area along the north shore of Lake Ontario from Peterborough to Smiths Falls to Brockville to just west of Cornwall. As students are responsible for transportation to and from clinical placements, a vehicle may be necessary.

Some of our clinical placement partners include:

Kingston Health Sciences Centre
Tsi Kanonhkhwatsheríyo Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Team
Quinte Health
Corrections Canada
Providence Manor
And variety of rural family health teams and clinics

The final clinical course Integrated Practicum requires 416 hours of clinical and 39 hours of tutorial over the 13 week term.

For more course information please visit the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs Academic Calendar.

Apply Now

Deadline to apply: Applications for Fall 2026 are due February 1, 2026.

Applications to all graduate programs are made through the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs starting in September for admission the following year.

Please note, only complete applications will be reviewed by the Graduate Program Committee in the School of Nursing.

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Queen's Health Sciences (QHS) and Graduate Nursing Programs are committed to advancing equitable and inclusive approaches to admissions and education. Faculty, staff, and learners involved in application review complete training designed to detect and minimize bias in admissions. See https://healthsci.queensu.ca/academics/edi for more information.

Academic Requirements

Baccalaureate degree in nursing and a master's degree (nursing preferred). Both must be from accredited universities.
Minimum overall average equivalent to B in both degrees.
Two academic letters of reference (e.g. course professors). This is submitted as part of your SGSPA application.
One clinical reference (three referees total). See Additional Required Information tab below for more details.
Active registration as a registered nurse with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO).
- International students cannot apply to this program unless they have active registration as a registered nurse with the CNO.

Additional Requirements

In addition to the online application submitted to the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, the following must be submitted by email or hard copy to: Graduate Program Coordinator in the School of Nursing, Queen’s University, 92 Barrie Street, Kingston, ON Canada K7L 3N6.

Proof of current registration as a registered nurse with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) (e.g. your Find a Nurse profile) or equivalent. Applicants licensed in other Canadian provinces/territories must register with CNO prior to starting the program.
One clinical reference (e.g. your manager or supervisor), submitted directly by the referee.
"Verification of Employment Hours" form submitted directly by employer(s). Applicants must have the equivalent of two years of relevant full-time practice as a registered nurse within the past five years (minimum of 3640 hours).
Curriculum Vitae (Resumé).
Statement of Interest - Use standard font and margins. Include your surname in the filename, e.g. "Doe, Jane_NP SOI".
- What is your motivation for becoming a Nurse Practitioner? What are your career goals? Max. 300 words.
- What personal attributes and professional experiences do you bring to the NP role? What are your current strengths and weaknesses with respect to the *entry-level competencies for NPs? Max. 300 words. *See https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/become-a-nurse.
- As you transition from RN to NP, how do you see your role evolving as both a clinician and advocate? How will you incorporate principles of indigeneity, equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and anti-racism (I-EDIAA) into your future NP practice? Max. 300 words.

Indigenous Applicants

Queen’s welcomes and encourages inquiries and applications from Indigenous candidates. If you are an Indigenous applicant and wish for your application to be considered under the “Indigenous Student Admission Regulation,” you must self-identify as Indigenous upon application for admission. For the purposes of this regulation, Indigenous is defined as First Nation, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI). Visit our Indigenous applicants pathways page for further details.

I am an international student who is not registered with the College of Nurses of Ontario, can I still apply?

International students cannot apply to this program unless they have active registration as a registered nurse with the College of Nurses of Ontario in Canada.

Can I take the program part-time?

Yes this program can be taken part-time. If taking the program full time, students are advised not to work.

Is this program offered by distance?

No. This program requires attendance at on-campus courses, most of which are organized as seminars requiring active discussion among and presentations by you and your classmates. There is an expectation that you attend and actively participate in courses, scholarly presentations and research events in the School of Nursing, within the Faculty of Health Sciences and within the University's community in general. Clinical placements occur within the Queen's catchment area.

What is the time commitment for this program?

Due to the intensive time demands of the program, full-time employment is not recommended. The full-time PHCNP diploma requires substantial commitment, especially during the integrated practicum. In the final course, students will be on placement 4-5 days per week for 12 weeks.

The Nurse Practitioner Primary Health Care Program at Queen’s University is approved by the College of Nurses of Ontario (www.cno.org). Current graduates from this program are eligible to apply for Extended Class registration as a Nurse Practitioner in Ontario.

Primary Healthcare Nurse Practitioner Diploma

Primary Healthcare Nurse Practitioner Diploma

Questions? Contact the graduate nursing office →

Program Overview

General Information

Full-Time Program

Part-Time Program

Clinical Placements - PHCNP

Apply Now

Academic Requirements

Additional Requirements

Indigenous Applicants

Frequently Asked Questions

I am an international student who is not registered with the College of Nurses of Ontario, can I still apply?

Can I take the program part-time?

Is this program offered by distance?

What is the time commitment for this program?