• Current registration as a Registered Nurse or Registered Practical Nurse with the College of Nurses of Ontario
• You must maintain an overall average of 60% or a GPA of 2.0 in order to graduate
• A minimum of 25% of courses must be completed through Durham College
• This program contains 2 courses that will not be completed through Durham College: Transition to Practice and Perioperative Nursing Field Placement.
• International students are not eligible to apply for this program.

Click to access the Program Application Form

This form must be submitted and an Admission Acceptance Letter received prior to registering for any courses. *Please note – This is a high demand program and spaces are limited. Students are encouraged to watch course registration details to ensure they register into their required courses as soon as the website opens each semester to secure a space.

• For more information on admissions click here.

Students are required to print or save a copy of the Program of Study when beginning the program. This document contains critical details about program progression and graduation requirements specific to the academic year in which your program was started.

Click to access the Program of Study for the current academic year.

Students who began this program prior to the current academic year may contact the Professional and Part-Time Learning office at ppl@durhamcollege.ca or 905-721-3052 to obtain your Program of Study and graduation requirements.

Program Length

• You will have a maximum of 15 semesters (5 years) from the start date of your first course to complete this program.
• The minimum amount of time to complete a program is unique to each student and based on multiple factors:
• Your capacity: How much time do you have to dedicate to your studies. A person with more time is able to take more courses each semester and complete the program faster then a student that has additional commitments.
• Number of courses in the program: The number of courses in each program differs and this is a key factor when calculating a completion timeline.
• Course pre-requisites: A pre-requisite is a course that must be completed prior to taking another course. The number of course pre-requisites in a program can play a factor in how quickly a program can be completed.
• Course availability: Not every course is offered every semester. In some instances, students may need to wait until the next time a specific course is offered and this may impact their completion timelines.

Program Cost

Professional and Part-Time Learning offers courses individually with no upfront program cost. You pay for each course when you register, and most courses cost between $350 and $400. To see the most up-to-date prices, visit the “Current Course Offerings” section on the program page and select the course of your choice. The cost will be displayed next to the “Add to Cart” button.

Directions for Durham College students wishing to complete the perioperative nursing field placement will be sent via email. If you have not received this information, please reach out to our team for further instructions. (ppl@durhamcollege.ca)

The Transition to Practice (TTP) workshop is an in person offering offered in Sarnia, Ontario (Lambton College) or Trenton, Ontario (Loyalist College). The student must physically attend this location for the workshop. The registration fees cover course costs only and do not include costs for food, travel or accommodation.

About Transition to Practice

This workshop is designed to provide the nurse with an introduction to Perioperative basic scrubbing skills prior to clinical experience with a Perioperative instructor in a simulated OR environment, prior to their clinical experience. The focus will be on the OR environment, the principles of asepsis, scrubbing, gowning, gloving, procedure set up, instrument identification, draping and sharp handling.

Who can take this course?

Registration in this workshop is only open to students who have successfully completed the 4 requisite theory courses- NURS 1581; NURS 2581; NURS 3581; NURS 4581.

Where do I go to complete this course? Is it online?

The Transition to Practice (TTP) workshop is an in person offering offered in Sarnia, Ontario (Lambton College) or Trenton, Ontario (Loyalist College). The student must physically attend this location for the workshop. The registration fees cover course costs only and do not include costs for food, travel or accommodation.

The student must physically attend this location for the workshop. The registration fees cover course costs only and do not include costs for food, travel or accommodation. How to Register?

• This course will be completed through one of our OntarioLearn partner colleges, Lambton College or Loyalist College.
• Students will be required to register for this 2-day workshop located in either Sarnia, Ontario or Trenton, Ontario. Course fees will be paid directly to either Lambton or Loyalist College. The registration fees cover course costs only and do not include costs for food, travel or accommodation.
• Once you have successfully completed the workshop we will transfer your course credit back to Durham College.
• Students must contact the Professional and Part-time Learning Office to obtain further details of how to register with Lambton College.

Notes:

• Participants are to dress comfortably in scrubs. No long sleeves, as you will not be able to complete the required practical aspects of the course. Please wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes. A nursing/running shoe is preferred.
• Bring snacks and lunch or purchase food on campus. Students must provide a photo ID.
• Latex Allergy or Accommodations – Please inform the hosting college of any accommodation needs upon registration.

Directions for Durham College students wishing to complete the perioperative nursing field placement will be sent via email. If you have not received this information, please reach out to our team for further instructions. (ppl@durhamcollege.ca)

The Perioperative Nursing Placement is 150 hours and completed full time over a 4-week span. This may require students to take a leave of absence from their current employment to complete the placement requirement. Placement is a learning experience without reimbursement or contractual commitments of any kind.

This course will be completed through our OntarioLearn partner, Loyalist College.

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Prior to completing the field placement course, you must register for a Pre-Placement Orientation Course (LMPS 8001) which is designed to prepare Perioperative students for their placements.

Please note - Hospitals require Loyalist to submit placement requests 4-6 months prior to the semester the placement will be completed in.

Based on this, Loyalist will only accept and submit placement requests three times a year. The Placement Request Form, where students will submit their requests to hospitals to complete placement is available:

1. December to January 15th for Spring semester placements
2. April to May 15th for Fall semester placements
3. August to September 15th for Winter semester placements

Late submissions will not be accommodated.

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Students cannot begin placement hours until they have received approval from the Loyalist Placement Coordinator.

The following must be completed before Loyalist is able to provide approval to begin placement:

1. All theory courses successfully completed (NURS 1581; NURS 2581; NURS 3581; NURS 4581).
2. Complete Transition to Practice Lab with Lambton College OR Loyalist College (all Durham College students).
3. Submit your hospital choice(s) through the Placement Request Form (provided during the free pre-placement orientation course (LMPS 8001).
4. Complete and submit all paperwork.
5. Placement location and start date are secured and confirmed.
6. After all the above is completed, Loyalist will provide you with instructions on how to register and pay for WKPL8003 – Perioperative Nursing Placement. While LMSP8001 is a free course, WKPL8003 does have a tuition fee as this is a credit course towards your credential.
7. Loyalist provides final approval to begin placement.

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Read the frequently asked questions about Field Placement here.

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be equipped to:

• Practice in a professional manner, within the legislated and ethical framework
• Develop and sustain therapeutic relationships with surgical clients and their families
• Communicate effectively with surgical clients, health care team members and others
• Participate effectively as a team member to support surgical clients’ achievements of their expected outcomes
• Integrate theory, principles and concepts into competent perioperative nursing practice
• Complete health assessments in a holistic comprehensive and analytical manner
• Prioritize and organize nursing and health care
• Implement and evaluate nursing interventions competently
• Use a variety of technological tools to support surgical clients’ achievement of their expected health outcomes
• Apply principles of teaching-learning to promote surgical clients’ health and wellness
• Practice according to the Standards of Practice of Operating Room Nurses Association of Canada, the College of Nurses of Ontario and The Canadian Nurses’ Association
• Emphasize sustainable practices minimizing the environmental footprint consistent with the highest standards of practice in the perioperative setting

Potential career and industry options may include:

• Scrub Nurse
• Circulating Nurse

Have you completed all your courses and program requirements? If so, please complete an Application for Graduation form and submit the required fee to the Office of the Registrar. For more information, visit the graduation page.