Year 1
Health and Healing I: Living Health
(90hrs, 6 credits)
(Semester One) (Formerly 261-105)
This course is an introduction to the meaning of health including personal health, family health, community health and societal health. Students examine significant theoretical and conceptual frameworks of health including health promotion, primary health care, prevention and determinants of health. By reflecting on personal experiences, students have the opportunity to identify personal resources and/or challenges that impact health as well as recognize the diversity of beliefs, values and perceptions of health held by others. Opportunities to learn basic health assessment skills are included in this course.
Professional Practice I: Introduction to the Profession of Nursing (45hrs, 3 credits)
(Semester One) (Formerly 261-111)
This course is an introduction to the profession of nursing. Students examine the foundational concepts of the curriculum and how the concepts relate to nursing practice. Students also explore the history of the profession of nursing and have the opportunity to explore and critically reflect upon the political and socioeconomic forces that have shaped the status of women in society and the evolution of the nursing profession. Standards of nursing practice and responsibility for safe and ethical nursing practice are also explored.
NURS 0122 Relational Practice I: Self and Others
(45hrs, 3 credits)
(Semester One) (Formerly 261-121)
The premise underlying this course is that nursing is an experience lived between people (Paterson & Zderad, 1976). Students explore the multiple factors that influence their own capacity to be in caring relation to others (individual, family, groups, populations, communities). They learn to question personal perspectives of experience; to uncover attitudes, beliefs and values, and to share and acknowledge differences. Emphasis is placed on a phenomenological attitude to view the structure and experiences that make up one’s own and other people’s lives (Hartrick, 1997).
Nursing Practice I: Introduction to Nursing Practice (45 Hours, non credit)
(Semester One) (Formerly 261-115)
This course is an opportunity for students to integrate their learning from other Semester One courses with their beginning understanding of nursing practice. Students are engaged with healthy families in the community and with nurses in practice to explore the breadth of nursing practice.
Academic Reading and Writing
(45hrs, 3 credits)
(Semester One) (Formerly 360-109)
Students will gain key skills in academic reading, writing, critical thinking, and research, building on their existent reading and writing skills toward the advanced level of literacy that is the hallmark of the educated citizen.
HLTH 0141 – Health Sciences I
(45hrs, 3 credits)
(Semester One) (Formerly 360-141)
This course provides an overview of human anatomy and physiology. Topics include microbiology, cell biology and the organization of cells into tissues. Select body systems will be examined, including integumentary, skeletal, muscular and reproductive.
HLTH 0106 Health and Healing II: Health Indicators
(90hrs, 6 credits)
(Semester Two) (Formerly 261-106)
Building on Health and Healing I, this course focuses on individual, family and community health assessment. Students will have opportunities to explore and critique various theoretical and conceptual frameworks in relation to health assessment including early childhood development, family development, healthy aging and community development. The concept of assessment within the context of decision making is explored. Opportunities to learn basic health assessment skills are included in this course.
Professional Practice II: Introduction to the Discipline of Nursing
(45hrs, 3 credits)
(Semester Two) (Formerly 261-112)
This course is an introduction to the discipline of nursing. Students explore the historical development of nursing knowledge and theory as well as contemporary understandings of nursing as a discipline and the body of knowledge that defines it. Relationships between practice, theory and research are explored.
Nursing Practice II: Coming to Know the Client
(84hrs, non-credit)
(Semester Two) (Formerly 261-116)
This nursing practice experience provides opportunities to develop caring relationships with groups, families and individuals across the lifespan. Emphasis will be placed on health assessment and coming to know how clients understand and promote their health, and the role of the nurse in partnering with the client in this process. Students work with groups, families and individuals in the home and community, in agencies and in care facilities to incorporate concepts and learning from all courses in this semester into their nursing practice.
Health Sciences II
(45hrs, 3 credits)
(Semester Two) (Formerly 360-142)
This course continues the examination of human anatomy and physiology. The following systems will be explored in this course: nervous, special senses, cardiovascular, endocrine, lymphatic and immunity, respiratory, urinary, digestive, nutrition and metabolism.
Non-Nursing Social Sciences Elective
(45hrs, 3 credits) (Formerly 360-151)
Students may transfer in previous university level courses as transfer credit to meet this program requirement. Course work may be completed at the college or university level, post basic certificate/diploma programs, and/or approved university level non-nursing courses. The University of Victoria deems acceptability for transfer credit.
Introduction to Psychology
(45hrs, 3 credits) (Formerly 261-290)
This course provides students with a foundation of knowledge about the theories, research methods and applications of psychology. There is an emphasis on students developing the understanding and skills necessary to be effective consumers of psychological research. This course will survey topics in psychology related to personal functioning, including: human development across the lifespan, motivation and emotion, stress and coping, theories of personality, psychological disorders and social behaviour.
NURS 0127 – Consolidated Practice Experience I
(167hrs, non-credit)
(Spring Semester) (Formerly 261-161)
The consolidated practice experience is designed to assist students to move forward with the health focus of Year One towards the focus on health challenges in Year Two. Students will have the opportunity to practice personal care while furthering the development of their assessment skills and their understanding of health and health promotion.
Year 2
Health and Healing III: Health Challenges/Healing Initiatives
(90hrs, 6 credits) (Semester Three) (Formerly 261-107)
Building on the students’ understanding of health, the focus of this course is on people’s experience with healing for both chronic and episodic health challenges. Students integrate theory and concepts of health as they relate to healing. This course is complementary to Health Sciences III and provides opportunities for students to integrate pathophysiology with their understanding of health and healing and the nursing approaches that accompany this understanding.
Relational Practice II: Creating Health-Promoting Relationships
(45hrs, 3 credits) (Semester Three) (Formerly 261-222)
Building on Relational Practice I, in this course, students move beyond personal discovery to a focus on relational caring. The major emphasis of the course is relational practice with individuals, families, and groups from diverse backgrounds of age, culture, and experience. This is an experiential course designed to deepen the students’ understanding of caring and how the connection between caring and relationship provides the context for health and healing. Students explore theories and processes of caring, relational identity, development of self as nurse, and relational practice as enacted across a range of settings and contexts.
Nursing Practice III: Promoting Health and Healing
(225hrs, non-credit) (Semester Three) (Formerly 261-117)
This nursing practice experience continues to provide opportunities for students to develop caring relationships with individuals and families for the purpose of health promotion while coming to understand their health and healing processes when experiencing more complex health challenges, both episodic and chronic. Students will have opportunities to practice nursing approaches that accompany this understanding. Students work with families and individuals in the home and community, in agencies, and in care facilities to incorporate concepts and learning from all the courses in this semester into their nursing practice. The community and society are considered as contextual influences on the promotion of health for the individual and the family.
Health Sciences III
(45hrs, 3 credits) (Semester Three) (Formerly 360-243)
The major emphasis of this introductory course is to gain a foundational knowledge of concepts related to human pathophysiology. This course will examine the presentation and pathogenesis of health challenges across the life span including pharmacology, microbiology, diagnostics, epidemiology, genetics, and nutrition. Topics will be closely coordinated with practice, nursing learning centre and the health courses.
Health and Healing IV: Health Challenges/Healing Initiatives
(90hrs, 6 credits) (Semester Four) (Formerly 261-108)
Building on the students’ understanding of health, the focus of this course is on people’s experience with healing for both chronic and episodic health challenges. Students integrate theory and concepts of health as they relate to healing. This course is complementary to Health Sciences IV and provides opportunities for learners to integrate pathophysiology with their understanding of health and healing and the nursing approaches that accompany this understanding.
NURS 0213 – Professional Practice III: Nursing Ethics
(45hrs, 3 credits) (Semester Four) (Formerly 261-213)
Building on previous Relational Practice and Professional Practice courses, this course focuses on the growing body of knowledge related to nursing ethics. Beginning with an understanding of bio-medical ethics that have dominated nursing ethics in the past and moving to an understanding of developing ethical theory related to nursing and nursing issues, students will have opportunities to explore nursing ethics in the context of their nursing practice.
Nursing Practice IV: Promoting Health and Healing
(225hrs, non-credit) (Semester Four) (Formerly 261-118)
This nursing practice experience continues to provide opportunities for students to develop caring relationships with individuals and families for the purpose of health promotion while coming to understand their health and healing processes when experiencing more complex health challenges, both episodic and chronic. Students will have opportunities to practice nursing approaches that accompany this understanding. Students work with families and individuals in the home and community, in agencies, and in care facilities to incorporate concepts and learning from all the courses in this semester into their nursing practice. The community and society are considered as contextual influences on the promotion of health for the individual and the family.
Health Sciences IV
(45hrs, 3 credits) (Semester Four) (Formerly 360-244)
The major emphasis of this course builds on concepts related to human pathophysiology. This course will examine the pathogenesis of health challenges across the life span including pharmacology, microbiology, diagnostics, epidemiology, genetics, immunology and nutrition. Topics will be closely coordinated with practice, nursing learning centre and the health courses.
NURS 0152 – Non-Nursing Social Sciences Elective
(45hrs, 3 credits) (Formerly 360-152)
Students may transfer in previous university level courses as transfer credit to meet this program requirement. Course work may be completed at the college or university level, post basic certificate/diploma programs, and/or approved university level non-nursing courses. The University of Victoria deems acceptability for transfer credit.
HLTH 0295 – Health Psychology Across the Lifespan (45hrs, 3 credits) (Formerly 261-295)
This course has been designed to introduce students to the principles of health psychology from birth to older adulthood. This course places emphasis on current theories and the latest research in the filed of health psychology. This course will cover health enhancing and compromising behaviours and health issues from a developmental perspective, such as childhood and adolescent mental health disorders, addictions, family relationships, stress and coping, the experience of illness and pain and death and dying.
NURS 0262 – Consolidated Practice Experience II
(153hrs, non-credit) (Spring Semester) (Formerly 261-262)
In this consolidated practice experience, opportunities are provided to develop caring relationships for the purpose of healing and health promotion with individuals and families experiencing increasingly complex chronic and episodic health challenges. The community and society are considered as contextual influences on the promotion of health for the individual and the family. Students have opportunities to consolidate learning from the first and second year of the program in a variety of settings.
Year 3
HLTH 0304 Health and Healing V: Complex Health Challenges/Healing Initiatives
(90hrs, 6 credits)
(Semester Five) (Formerly 261-305)
NURS 0323 – Relational Practice III: Connecting Across Difference
(45hrs, 3 credits) (Semester Five)(Formerly 261-323)
Building on the concepts introduced in Relational Practice I and II and other previous courses, Relational Practice III provides a synthesis of knowledge that is the basis of critical analysis. This course focuses on enhancing students’ everyday relational practice with individuals, families, and groups. The emphasis is on engaging with the complexities of difference in everyday nursing practice and the challenges these complexities might pose for being in-relation with clients.
NURS 0417 – Nursing Practice V: Promoting Health and Healing
(225 hrs, non-credit) (Semester Five) (Formerly 261-335)
This nursing practice experience continues to provide opportunities for students to develop caring relationships with individuals and families experiencing complex health challenges while coming to understand their health and healing processes. Students will have opportunities to practice nursing approaches that accompany this understanding. Students work with families and individuals in the home and community, in agencies, and in care facilities to incorporate concepts and learning from all the courses in this semester into their nursing practice.
Indigenous Peoples of the NWT
(45hrs, 3 credits)
(Semester Six) (Formerly 035-211)
Drawing from research, writing, oral histories and indigenous knowledge of anthropologists, archaeologists, historians, and indigenous peoples and organizations, students will gain an understanding of the histories and cultures of indigenous peoples in the NWT from pre-contact to the present day. Students will gain an understanding of histories and cultures by learning about cultural and spiritual practices, subsistence lifeways, political development, and the influences and impacts of newcomers. Key concepts and themes such as indigenous knowledge, colonization, missionization, decolonization, and ongoing social impacts of these phenomenon will be introduced from the perspectives of indigenous peoples and perspectives of scholars. Indigenous perspectives will be an integral part of the course delivery based on writings of indigenous peoples and scholars, new media produced by indigenous peoples’ representative organizations, and possibly the knowledge of indigenous guest speakers (depending on their availability).
Non-Nursing Social Sciences Elective
(45hrs, 3 credits) (Formerly 360-153)
Students may transfer in previous university level courses as transfer credit to meet this program requirement. Course work may be completed at the college or university level, post basic certificate/diploma programs, and/or approved university level non-nursing courses. The University of Victoria deems acceptability for transfer credit.
Health and Healing VI: Global Health Issues (NURS 342)
(45hrs, 3 credits) (Semester Six) (Formerly 261-306)
Students in this course continue to develop an understanding of people’s experience with health and healing related to a variety of increasingly complex chronic and episodic global health challenges and issues.Emphasis is placed on the role of the nurse as care provider, community organizer/facilitator, educator, global citizen and advocate within the context of global societies (within and outside Canada) and the changing health care environment. Students examine a variety of emerging health issues and trends using these as a context for further developing their personal understanding of nursing practice that supports meaningful interactions with individuals, families, groups, communities and society.
HLTH 0307 – Health and Healing VII: Promoting Community and Societal Health
(NURS 350) (45hrs, 3 credits) (Semester Six) (Formerly 261-307)
This course focuses on the role of the nurse in the promotion of community and societal health. It is intended to be a companion course with Health and Healing VI. Students will continue to develop their competencies in relational practice with a focus on community and society as client. The political role of the nurse is explored as the emphasis is placed upon working with communities from a social justice and equity perspective. Community development and capacity building, as a pattern of community-health promotion practice, is explored. In addition, students will further develop their understanding of teaching and learning focusing on transformative and emancipatory approaches.
NURS 0314 – Professional Practice IV: Nursing Inquiry (NURS 341)
(45hrs, 3 credits) (Semester Six) (Formerly 261-314)
Building upon concepts introduced in Professional Practice I, II, and III, in this course students will explore the historical and philosophical approaches to the development of nursing knowledge and inquiry. Relationships between practice, theory, and research are explored.
Nursing Practice VI: Promoting Health of Communities and Society
(NURS 351) (120hrs, non-credit) (Semester Six) (Formerly 261-336)
This nursing practice experience provides opportunities to develop caring relationships with families, groups, and communities within a societal and global context with emphasis on health promotion and community empowerment. Students have opportunities to work with a community (geographical, self-identified, population based, institutionally based, etc.)
NURS 0363 – Consolidated Practice Experience III (NURS 370)
(220hrs, non-credit) (Spring Semester) (Formerly 261-363)
This Consolidated Practice Experience is designed to provide opportunities for students to integrate, consolidate and expand concepts from previous learning. Students have opportunities to consolidate learning from the first, second and third years of the program in a variety of settings and with any of age or type of client.
Year 4
NURS 0415 – Professional Practice V: Leadership in Nursing (NURS 430)
(45hrs, 3 credits) (Semester Seven) (Formerly 261-415)
This course explores the ways nurses can provide leadership, influence, create and manage change for the promotion of health for individuals, families, groups and communities within the context of society and the world. Emphasis is placed on leadership roles of the nurse within practice contexts. The role of the nurse within the current and evolving Canadian health care system is explored including considerations of the impact of global trends and issues. Issues facing nurses in the current work environment will be discussed. Collaborative and ethical approaches for working within institutional philosophies and frameworks will be explored.
NURS 0416 – Professional Practice VI: Nursing Research (NURS 360)
(45hrs, 3 credits) (Semester Seven) (Formerly 261-416)
Building on Professional Practice II, III, and IV, the intent of this course is to enhance students understanding of nursing scholarship and enhance their abilities to comprehend, critique, and utilize nursing research. Students critically reflect on various scholarly works and research methodologies. Students experience ways to critically examine their practice in relation to nursing research and to pose research questions for evidence-informed practice.
NURS 0437 – Nursing Practice VII: Engaging in Leadership (NURS 431)
(120hrs, non-credit) (Semester Seven) (Formerly 261-437)
This nursing practice experience provides opportunities for students to further develop their competencies in the areas of leadership, influencing and managing change, and the utilization of research for the purpose of promoting the health of individuals, families, communities and society, within the context of the Canadian health care system. This nursing practice experience focuses on students’ growth in their practice as professional nurses. They have opportunities to explore interprofessional practice and nursing leadership in the context of emerging Canadian and global health issues and trends.
NURS 0471 – Nursing Elective (NURS 482 – Pharmacology)(45hrs, 3 credits) (Semester Seven) (Formerly 261-471)
A systematic approach to develop knowledge of pharmacological, herbal and homeopathic interventions. Students will have opportunities to explore populations of interest and local, national, and/or global issues related to pharmacological interventions and marketing. Students will work collaboratively to develop and disseminate nursing knowledge.
Consolidated Practice Experience IV (NURS 470)
(192hrs, non-credit) (Semester 8) (Formerly 261-470)
This consolidated practice experience is designed to provide opportunities for students to integrate learning from previous semesters, and to advance their professional nursing practice. Students have opportunities to consolidate learning and advance their clinical decision making in a variety of settings.
NURS 0475 – Consolidated Practice Experience V (NURS 475)
(192hrs, non-credit) (Formerly 261-475)
This consolidated practice experience is designed to provide opportunities for students to integrate learning from previous semesters, and to advance their professional nursing practice. In a variety of settings, students have opportunities to consolidate learning, and advance their clinical decision making.
NURS 0491 – Nursing Practice VIII: Transitioning to BSN Graduate (NURS 491)
(192hrs, non-credit) (Formerly 261-491)
This nursing practice experience provides opportunities for students to consolidate their learning and prepare for assuming the role of BSN graduate. Students also explore and critique changes and issues in the health care system, and the workplace, that affect nurses. Students develop their nursing competencies and enhance their nursing knowledge so that they may practice in a variety of settings at a novice level. Students may choose to focus their practice within a specific area, for example, a particular setting of practice, a certain client population, or a specific health challenge.
International Nursing Practice Experience. This nursing practice experience is designed to assist international students to explore nursing practice in the Northwest Territories. Students will have an opportunity to develop collaborative relationships, and gain cultural experience. Students will work with individuals, families, and/or communities to further practice nursing care while developing their assessment skills and understanding of health and health promotion in northern Canada.