Program Overview
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”.
Nursing practice is built upon the foundational blocks of both the sciences and arts. You will get to know faculty, staff 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.
- Two-year, full-time program, including summer term.
- Exact same degree as the four-year BNSc program.
- 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
- Setting students up to succeed; we have dedicated program Academic Advisors and a Student Mental Health 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 but not limited to: Student Wellness Services, Student Academic Success Center, Student Affairs and Peer Support.
- 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).
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 learning about professional relationships and practice applying therapeutic communication skills 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 are automatically registered in the following courses for the Fall, Winter and Summer terms:
- NURS 101 - Professional Relationships
- NURS 202 - Health Assessment
- NURS 205 - Medical-Surgical Nursing
- NURS 206 - Nursing Practicum: Care of Chronic and/or Acutely Ill Adults I
- NURS 207 - Nursing Practicum: Care of Chronic and/or Acutely Ill Adults II
- NURS 209 - Gerontological Nursing
- NURS 371 - Nursing Practicum: Maternal and Child, Family-Centred Care
- NURS 372 - Family-Centred Maternal and Newborn Nursing Care
- NURS 373 - Family-Centred Pediatric Nursing Care
- MICR 121 - Microbiology for Nursing
- PHAR 230 - Pharmacology for Health Sciences
- PSYC 251 - Developmental Psychology
Course sequencing and descriptions 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 with the majority of clinical completed in the spring/summer term. Students are automatically registered in the following courses for the Fall, Winter and Summer terms:
- NURS 100 - Nutrition and Health
- NURS 103 - Philosophy and Healthcare
- NURS 305 - Medical-Surgical Nursing II
- NURS 324 - Nursing Research
- NURS 325 - Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
- NURS 345 - Nursing Practicum: Medical-Surgical and Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing
- NURS 401 - Current Issues in Nursing and Health Care
- NURS 403 - Concepts of Acute and Critical Illness
- NURS 404 - Community Health Promotion Theory
- NURS 414 - Management and Leadership in Health Care
- NURS 405 - Practicum in Community Health Promotion
- NURS 492 - Integrated Practicum
- BCHM 102 - Introduction to Biochemistry
Course sequencing and descriptions can be found in the current Academic Calendar. Course offerings and program requirements are subject to change each year.
Questions about our programs?
Contact the Undergraduate Office.
Email: bnsc.programs@queensu.ca
Questions about your admission requirements, transcripts and/or application?
Contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office.
Email: admission@queensu.ca
Admission Requirements
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: February 1
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 student admission 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.
Please contact Undergraduate Admissions for all pre-requisite inquiries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have more questions? Our team is here to help. Contact us to learn more about the program, admissions, or student experience.
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 BLS (Basic Life Saving) or HCP (Health Care Provider). 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 email sonplacement@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 required for admission to this program.