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  • Practical Nursing for Internationally Educated Nurses

Practical Nursing for Internationally Educated Nurses

Ministry-approved title: Practical Nursing


Credential
Ontario College Diploma
Location
Oshawa
OCAS Code
PNIE
Next Intake
September 2025
View all intakes
Faculty
Faculty of Health Sciences (HS)
Length
Four semesters
Laptop
Learn more about laptop requirements
Delivery
Hybrid Learn more.
  • Overview
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Program Overview

The Practical Nursing program option for internationally educated nurses is designed for applicants with nursing credentials from outside of Canada. It has been designed as a means to apply your nursing academic knowledge and skills from colleges and universities in other countries into the Ontario health care system. Successful graduates, who become registered practical nurses (RPNs), will combine knowledge, skills and good judgment to provide safe, competent, ethical nursing care to meet the needs of all patients throughout the continuum of care. 

Intakes and Availability

Date Domestic Availability International Availability
September 2025OpenClosedApply now
January 2026OpenClosedApply now
May 2026OpenClosedApply now
ProgramHighlights
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Durham College 2025 Program Guide
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Admission Requirements

  • After an assessment from the National Nursing Assessment Service, applicants must provide a letter from the CNO outlining the learning gaps and knowledge, skills and experience required to write the practical nurse registration exam.
  • Applicants must have practiced as a nurse, or completed their nursing education within the last 10 years, as stated in the letter of direction from the CNO.
  • As part of the application process:
    • An interview with the program coordinator is required.
    • Transcript and resume may be required.

Tuition

  • Year one domestic: $3,985 (CAD)

View full costs


Semester 1 Courses

  • Anatomy & Physiology (ANAT 1500)
  • General Education Elective (GNED 0000)
  • Medical Terminology (NURS 1514)
  • Development Of Self I (NURS 1520)
  • Health & Healing I (NURS 1521)
  • Professional Practice I (NURS 1522)
  • Practice Lab I (NURS 2528)

View all courses


Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE

Once you become a registered practical nurse (RPN) you can be employed as a frontline RPN caring for a wide range of patients/clients.  

View all career options

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I AM A CANADIAN APPLICANT

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I HAVE ALREADY APPLIED

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I AM AN INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT

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905.721.2000 ext. 7697

I HAVE ALREADY APPLIED

Please contact the international office.

Program Details

Approved by the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO), the Practical Nursing full-time program teaches the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to practice as a safe, competent and professional practical nurse, within the province of Ontario, Canada. 

Applying the concept of caring as the basis of nursing, you will develop knowledge, skills and judgment in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating nursing care across the lifespan as they experience various health challenges. A particular focus is placed on the ability to communicate in a caring and therapeutic manner. 

With a strong emphasis on practical hands-on experience, you will apply theory gained in the classroom and simulated lab practice to environments including: 

  • Community
  • Long-term care
  • Maternal/child
  • Mental health
  • Medical surgical care

Upon completion of your program, you must successfully complete the Regulatory Exam – Practical Nurse (REx-PN) to become a registered practical nurse (RPN) in Ontario and a member of the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO).

Please note: in Ontario the following conditions are laid out by the Nursing Act to be registered as a practical nurse. These conditions may impact your ability to register with CNO as an RPN post-graduation.

To register as an RPN in Ontario you must meet the CNO requirements.

PROGRAM APPROVAL STATUS

In accordance with the mandate of the CNO to communicate Practical Nursing program approval status with current and prospective students please note that:

The Practical Nurse Program at Durham College is approved by the Practical Nursing (PN) Programs (cno.org). Current graduates from this program are eligible to apply for registration as a Registered Practical Nurse in Ontario.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

The Practical Nursing for Internationally Educated Nurses program is designed to meet the needs of:

  • Nurses educated outside of Canada who have a College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) letter and are interested in working as registered practical nurses (RPNs) in the province of Ontario.

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Communicate therapeutically with clients and members of the health care team.
  2. Assess clients across the life span, in a systematic and holistic manner.
  3. Plan safe and competent nursing care, based upon a thorough analysis of available data and evidence-informed practice guidelines.
  4. Select and perform nursing interventions using clinical judgment, in collaboration with the client and, where appropriate, the health care team, that promote health and well-being, prevent disease and injury, maintain and/or restore health, promote rehabilitation, and/or provide palliation.
  5. Evaluate the outcomes resulting from all interventions in the nurse-client interaction and modify the plan of care as required.
  6. Act equitably and justly with clients and members of the health care team.
  7. Adapt to a variety of health care settings, using different leadership skills and styles as appropriate to each setting.
  8. Contribute to creating a healthy and safe work environment in a variety of health care settings.
  9. Practice in a self-regulated, professional and ethical manner, complying with relevant legislation and with the standards of both the regulatory body and the practice setting to provide safe and competent client care.

Admission Requirements

  • After an assessment from the National Nursing Assessment Service, applicants must provide a letter from the CNO outlining the learning gaps and knowledge, skills and experience required to write the practical nurse registration exam.
  • Applicants must have practiced as a nurse, or completed their nursing education within the last 10 years, as stated in the letter of direction from the CNO.
  • As part of the application process:
    • An interview with the program coordinator is required.
    • Transcript and resume may be required.

Courses

The courses listed below are for incoming students. If you are a current student, please refer to your program of study for the year you began your program. Your program of study can be found on MyDC.

Semester 1

  • Anatomy & Physiology (ANAT 1500)
  • General Education Elective (GNED 0000)
  • Medical Terminology (NURS 1514)
  • Development Of Self I (NURS 1520)
  • Health & Healing I (NURS 1521)
  • Professional Practice I (NURS 1522)
  • Practice Lab I (NURS 2528)

Semester 2

  • Health Assessment (HASS 2500)
  • Applied Math for Nurses (MATH 1503)
  • Practice Lab II (NURS 2523)
  • Health and Healing II - The Older Adult (NURS 2524)
  • Health and Healing II - Maternal - Child (NURS 2525)
  • Professional Practice II - Older Adult (NURS 2526)
  • Professional Practice II - Maternal Child (NURS 2527)

Semester 3

  • Practice Lab III (NURS 3514)
  • Pharmacology (NURS 3517)
  • Professional Practice III - Mental Health (NURS 3525)
  • Health & Healing III - Mental Health (NURS 3526)
  • Health & Healing III - Community (NURS 3527)
  • Professional Practice III - Community (NURS 3528)
  • Pathophysiology (PATH 3505)

Semester 4

  • General Education Elective (GNED 0000)
  • General Elective Credit (GNED 1000)
  • Health & Healing IV (NURS 4506)
  • Professional Practice IV (NURS 4508)
  • Development Of Self II (NURS 4520)

Semester 5

  • Professional Practice Preparation (NURS 5501)
  • Professional Practice V (NURS 5502)

Courses, course descriptions and delivery formats are subject to change.

Course delivery

Hybrid

The rest of the coursework will be delivered using hybrid, flexible or online formats. Detailed schedules, with course-specific delivery information, will be available after registration. Courses, course descriptions and delivery formats are subject to change.

In person:
Course is delivered in person, on campus within a classroom, lab, shop or studio.
Hybrid:
Part of the course is delivered online, remotely, and part is in-person on campus within a classroom, lab, shop or studio.
Online:
Fully remote course delivery.

Costs

Career Options

WHAT YOU COULD BE

Once you become a registered practical nurse (RPN) you can be employed as a frontline RPN caring for a wide range of patients/clients.  

WHERE YOU COULD WORK

  • Hospitals (acute care, psychiatric)
  • Community service agencies
  • Long-term care facilities
  • Industry, clinic or physicians’ offices

Practicum

Practicum allows students to apply their learning with a variety of clinically supervised practicum experiences that are designed to prepare you to function as a graduate in diverse settings. Placements are located at various local hospitals and agencies throughout Durham Region and at times, in the immediate surrounding areas. Please note that hospital placement may begin as early as 6 a.m. Placements may take place on weekdays and on Saturdays or Sundays in 12-hour shifts with the exception of Semester 5 Professional Practice V (consolidation), where students are expected to be available to follow the preceptor’s schedule. Students are responsible for their transportation to and from their practicum placement. 

PRE-PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS

Please note: There are costs associated with Electronic Requirements Verification (ERV), immunizations, lab tests and certifications.  Be sure to keep all of your receipts for income tax purposes.  These costs include:

  • Service fees for Verified, our documentation collection and ERV verification partner.
  • Costs to complete mandatory immunizations, lab tests, and certifications.

It is required that students have completed the ERV with Verified to be eligible for the field placement component of this program. You must (at your expense) provide:

  • A clear and current Criminal Reference Check (CRC) with Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS). If you cannot provide a clear CRC with VSS, you may not be accepted for placement by a field placement agency. A CRC with VSS must be obtained from your local police station. You will be required to obtain additional CRCs with VSS prior to each placement term to meet field placement agency requirements.
  • Current Level-C cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and mask fit testing.
  • Entry immunization form completed by a health-care provider.
  • N95 Mask Fit.

Students will be placed on a Practicum Schedule following the Practical Nursing Program or the Practical Nursing Flex Program. Once determined, please refer to the appropriate program practicum page:

  • Practical Nursing Program Field Placement
  • Practical Nursing FLEX Program Field Placement

Program Transfer, Degree Completion and Additional Credentials

Qualified graduates can apply to Durham College’s:

  • Addictions and Mental Health (graduate certificate).
  • Communicative Disorders Assistant (graduate certificate).

Qualified graduates could also apply to the Ontario Tech University’s (Ontario Tech) Bachelor of Allied Health Sciences or Registered Practical Nursing to Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree programs.

Graduates may also be eligible to apply their academic credits toward further study through Durham College’s partnerships with many Canadian and international colleges and universities.

  • Bachelor of Allied Health Sciences (Hons) -  Ontario Tech University (Ontario Tech).
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Post-RPN) - Ontario Tech.
  • Bachelor of General Studies - Thompson Rivers University.
  • Bachelor of Health Science - Thompson Rivers University.

Looking for more pathway opportunities or to transfer to Durham College? Click here for more information.

Tech Requirements

SUGGESTED MINIMUM LAPTOP SPECIFICATIONS:

A laptop is required for this program. Most students tend to use Windows-based computers. Some prefer to use an Apple (Mac) device. Either platform can work within the Faculty of Health Sciences Practical Nursing program.

Here are suggested minimum hardware specifications recommended for your DC related computer activities like DC Connect and the Virtual Classroom:

WINDOWS PC MAC
Operating System Windows 10/11 must have the latest updates installed  Mac OS 11 or higher (Big Sur)
Processor Type Core i5 or Higher Processor Core i5 U or Higher Processor
Memory Minimum 8GB RAM Minimum 8GB RAM
Hard Drive Minimum 250GB Minimum 250GB
Graphics Card Intel Integrated Graphics or better Intel Integrated Graphics or better
Wireless Network Card Optional Optional
Virus Protection An up-to-date Antivirus client is required. (Note:  Windows 10 has built-in Windows Defender) An up-to-date Antivirus client is required.
Additional requirements
  • If required to do any on-site presentations, note that Durham College projectors support VGA and HDMI connections. If your machine does not have a supported display connector, you may be required to obtain an adapter.
  • Webcam required.
  • If required to do any on-site presentations, note that Durham College projectors support VGA and HDMI connections. If your machine does not have a supported display connector, you may be required to obtain an adapter.
  • Webcam required.
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Durham College is situated on the traditional lands of the First Peoples of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. These lands are covered under the Williams Treaties and rest within the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg. We offer our gratitude to the Indigenous Peoples who care for and, through the treaty process, share the lands on which we live, learn, teach and prosper today.

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