COURSE CURRICULUM

The Queen’s University Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc) program is designed to progressively prepare students for professional nursing practice through a combination of core courses, electives, and extensive clinical experiences. In the first year, students focus on foundational knowledge, including courses such as Nutrition and Health, Professional Relationships, Philosophy and Healthcare, Health Assessment, Introduction to Human Anatomy, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Principles of Psychology, and Introduction to Statistics. Early exposure to clinical practice occurs through interviews at the GSK Clinical Education Centre (CEC) and hands-on learning in the simulation lab. In the second year, students begin structured clinical placements, completing weekly lab sessions and eight-hour shifts in healthcare settings, while taking courses in Medical-Surgical Nursing I, Nursing Practicum, Gerontological Nursing, Nursing Research, Pharmacology, Mammalian Physiology, Developmental Psychology, and one elective. Third-year students rotate through children’s, maternity, mental health, and medical-surgical nursing, supported by courses in Medical-Surgical Nursing II, Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, multiple practicums, and three electives. In the fourth year, the focus shifts to community health promotion and acute and critical care, with courses including Current Issues in Nursing, Concepts of Acute and Critical Illness, Community Health Promotion Theory, Practicum in Community Health Promotion, Management and Leadership in Health Care, and the Integrated Practicum, alongside one elective. The program ensures students graduate with both theoretical knowledge and extensive hands-on experience, ready for professional nursing practice.