Queen's Nursing gives you the tools needed to become an experienced health professional. This baccalaureate degree program prepares you to take the NCLEX-RN exam, to secure registration to practice with the title 'Registered Nurse (RN)'. Our commitment to nursing science includes evidence-based teaching and rapid translation of research to nursing education and practice.
- Get a head start on your nursing career. This is a two-year accelerated program (includes courses during the summer terms).
- Clinical placements begin in the winter term of your first year. You will complete rotating placements in a variety of community and clinical settings. These include hospitals, public health, clinics and community agencies.
- By 2025, 20% of Queen's health sciences courses will be interprofessional; nursing, rehab, and medical students will learn together, reflecting the realities of our health systems.
- Setting students up to succeed; we have dedicated program academic advisors and wellness counsellors 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 compliment their degree by applying for research assistant or simulation lab assistant positions, choosing to take the Certificate in Business, Certificate in Law, Arts and Science certificates, or by completing a dual degree in Arts and Sciences.
- By 2025, 20% of Queen's health sciences courses will be interprofessional; nursing, rehab, and medical students will learn together, reflecting the realities of our health systems.
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).
Please read our Statement on Accommodation of Students with Disabilities.
Learn more about the Essential Requirements for studying in an Ontario nursing program.
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:
- Professional Relationships
- Medical-Surgical Nursing
- Pharmacology for Health Sciences
- Microbiology for Nursing Students
- Developmental Psychology
- Nursing Practicum: Care of Chronic and/or Acutely Ill Adults I
- Medical-Surgical Nursing II
- Family-Centred Maternal and Newborn Nursing Care & Family-Centred Pediatric Nursing Care
- 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.
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:
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
- Philosophy and Healthcare
- Concepts of Acute and Critical Illness
- Community Health Promotion Theory
- Management and Leadership in Health Care
- Introduction to Biochemistry
- Nutrition and Health
- Gerontological Nursing
- Nursing Research
- Practicum in Community Health Promotion
- Nursing Practicum: Medical-Surgical and Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing (Fall or Winter)
- Current Issues in Nursing and Health Care
- 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 | Document Deadline: February 15 (supplementary essay is required)
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:
- Equity Admission Self-Identification Pathway,
- 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.
FAQ
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.
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.
Our undergraduate program is not online degree. All courses are in-person unless specifically stated in advance.
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.
Please see Queen's undergraduate admissions page for more information about external transfers to our program.
No, the CASPer test is not an application requirement for our nursing programs.
The Undergraduate Program (BNSc) has been granted a 7-year accreditation from the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) as of June 2020.