BNSc Accelerated Standing Track

Same degree, same courses, same clinical hours.
Accelerate your nursing career with Queen's Bachelor of Nursing Science AST program, designed to build on your previous university education and get ahead of the game. The AST program is completed in two years, including both summer terms. After passing the professional certification exam, graduates of this program are designated as Registered Nurses.

About the Program

There has never been a more exciting time to consider a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree! Nurses are among the most in-demand professionals in the health care environment. Along with enjoying a high degree of respect and trust from the public, students who graduate with a BNSc degree from Queen’s enjoy a high employment rate both internationally and across Canada.

This professional degree program qualifies graduates to apply to the regulatory body of the province in which they plan to work, to secure registration to practice with the title “Registered Nurse”.

Our philosophy is that exemplary nursing practice is built upon the foundational blocks of both the sciences and arts. You will get to know faculty and your peers well, as our smaller class sizes and group settings allow for community building, mentorship, and collaboration.

Students learn how to care for patients and their families in various settings, such as hospitals, long-term care, clinics, and the community. You will also engage in collaborative and team building opportunities with students from other Faculty of Health Sciences programs. Furthermore, Queen’s BNSc degree options not only prepare you to become a capable practitioner in health care, but they also build a foundation for future graduate studies.

General Overview

1. Two-year, full-time program, including summer term.

2. Exact same degree as the four-year BNSc program.

3. All Queen’s Nursing students receive instruction and practicums in the following areas:

Community health promotion
Pediatrics
Maternity
Acute and/or chronic care
Mental Health

4. Setting students up to succeed; we have dedicated program academic advisors and a wellness coach available to support you as you complete the program. Queen's University also offers numerous academic and wellness supports to the nursing student community, including: Student Wellness Services, Student Academic Success Center, Student Affairs and Peer Support.Students can customize their degree by applying for research or simulation lab assistant positions, choosing to take the Certificate in Business, Certificate in Law, Arts and Science Certificate, or by completing a dual degree in Arts and Sciences.

5. Students can customize their degree by applying for research or simulation lab assistant positions, choosing to take the Certificate in Business, Certificate in Law, Arts and Science Certificate, or by completing a dual degree in Arts and Sciences.

6. Queen’s nurses work all over the world in many settings, including hospitals, community organizations, and in research, education and government. The program builds a strong foundation for future graduate-level studies, including becoming a Nurse Practitioner (NP).

Year 1

Clinical placements start in winter term of your first year. Students begin preparing for the clinical practice environment in fall term of first year by interviewing people at the GSK Clinical Education Centre (CEC). There are also physical assessment and nursing skills labs throughout the program to help you prepare and progress in the practice environments. Students will take the following courses throughout the Fall, Winter and Summer terms:

NURS 101 - Professional Relationships
NURS 202 - Health Assessment
NURS 205 - Medical-Surgical Nursing
NURS 230 - Pharmacology for Health Sciences
PSYC 251 - Developmental Psychology
Medical-Surgical Nursing II
Family-Centred Maternal and Newborn Nursing Care
Family-Centred Pediatric Nursing Care
Microbiology for Nursing
Nursing Practicum: Care of Chronic and/or Acutely Ill Adults II
Nursing Practicum: Maternal and Child, Family-Centred Care

Brief descriptions of the courses offered can be found in the current Academic Calendar. Course offerings and program requirements are subject to change each year.

Year 2

Students have a community rotation in the winter term of their second year. The majority of clinical rotations are in the spring/summer term after the first and second year. Students will take the following courses throughout the Fall, Winter and Summer terms:

NURS 103 - Philosophy and Healthcare
NURS 403 - Concepts of Acute and Critical Illness
NURS 404 - Community Health Promotion Theory
NURS 414 - Management and Leadership in Health Care
BCHM 102 - Introduction to Biochemistry
NURS 100 - Nutrition and Health
NURS 209 - Gerontological Nursing
NURS 324 - Nursing Research
NURS 325 - Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
NURS 405 - Practicum in Community Health Promotion
NURS 345 - Nursing Practicum: Medical-Surgical and Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
NURS 401 - Current Issues in Nursing and Health Care
NURS 492 - Integrated Practicum

Brief descriptions of the courses offered can be found in the current Academic Calendar. Course offerings and program requirements are subject to change each year.

Applicants must have already completed at least 10 full university courses to be eligible for the program. For more details, click the "admission requirements" button below. Both external applicants and current Queen's students must select the "transfer" option to see the AST nursing requirements.

Application Deadline: January 15

We welcome and encourage applications from all equity seeking individuals. Queen's offers a number of additional and alternative admissions pathways that nursing applicants may apply through, including the:

Indigenous students admission pathway
First-generation pathway (for students whose parents did not attend post-secondary).

Candidates must meet the general admission requirements for each program and deadlines for undergraduate admission.

Admission Requirements

FAQ

Can I take a tour of the School of Nursing?

We would be happy to meet with you, answer any questions you may have and give you a tour of the nursing facilities.  Please write to bnsc.programs@queensu.ca to arrange a visit to the School of Nursing.  We recommend you also contact Queen’s campus tours and work in a tour of the campus also while you are visiting.

Do I require First Aid and CPR certification, or a criminal records check?

Yes, you do! You require first-aid and CPR HCP (health care provider level). You must take in-person classes and they should be dated after May 1st of the year you are entering the program. You will receive an email from us, once admitted, advising you how to submit these certifications.

You are also required to provide a criminal records check. You will receive information about this from the School of Nursing once you accept your admissions offer. If you require a letter from Queen's Nursing to give to the police station, please write bnsc.programs@queensu.ca and we will provide you with this letter.

Is the program online?

Our undergraduate program is not online degree. All courses are in-person unless specifically stated in advance.

Can the program be taken part-time?

The program is full-time (two years). If you have transfer credit for certain courses, you may not need to re-take them. Courses will be assessed once admitted to the program.

Can I transfer into the program if I’m enrolled at another university (AST)?

Please see Queen's undergraduate admissions page for more information about external transfers to our program.

Is the CASPer test needed to apply to the program?

No, the CASPer test is not an application requirement for our nursing programs.

Casn Logo The Undergraduate Program (BNSc) has been granted a 7-year accreditation from the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) as of June 2020.

The Queens University Baccalaureate Nursing Programs (Bachelor of Nursing Science and Bachelor of Nursing Science - Accelerated Standing Track) are approved by the College of Nurses of Ontario (www.cno.org). Current graduates from these programs are eligible to apply for registration as a Registered Nurse in Ontario.

Bachelor of Nursing Science - Accelerated Standing Track

BNSc Accelerated Standing Track

Questions about our programs? Contact the Undergraduate Office.

Questions about your application? Contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office.

Program Overview

About the Program

Year 1

Year 2

Additional Requirements

Clinical Placement
Information

Immunization Requirements

Admissions

FAQ

Can I take a tour of the School of Nursing?

Do I require First Aid and CPR certification, or a criminal records check?

Is the program online?

Can the program be taken part-time?

Can I transfer into the program if I’m enrolled at another university (AST)?

Is the CASPer test needed to apply to the program?

External Resources

Nursing Science Society

Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario

Canadian Nurses Association

College of Nurses of Ontario

Interested in becoming a Queen's nursing student?