School of Nursing News

On April 12, 2018 The Dalhousie School of Nursing (SON) received approval from the University Senate related to the offering of Nursing Certificates as an option to undergraduate students in the modified BScN program.

“We are excited to share that we have Dalhousie Senate approval for the Nursing Certificates Option and have been informed by Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) that this is a first in Canadian nursing undergraduate education,” said Dr. Gail Tomblin Murphy, Professor & Director School of Nursing and Assistant Dean Research, Faculty of Health.

“The certificate will enable our students to explore an area of nursing in-depth and is responsive to service sector demands in various targeted areas of nursing practice, as communicated to the School of Nursing by our NSHA and IWK Health Centre partners,” said Dr. Tomblin Murphy. “Providing the option of a certificate within the program offers advanced education in areas that new graduate nurses traditionally were not considered for until they had one to two years of general practice,” she continued.

Currently, there are four approved Nursing Certificates: Oncology, Public Health, Mental Health, and Acute/Critical Care Nursing. There are other Nursing Certificate options currently in development. 

Each certificate has two, three-credit hour theory courses and a six-credit hour clinical practicum course. The theoretical courses aim to expand the students’ knowledge, skills and abilities beyond the RN Entry to Practice Competencies in relation to specific areas of nursing.

The SON currently graduates a generalist nurse and this will not be altered with the introduction of nursing certificate options. The option will enable students to choose to increase their learning in one area of nursing at a level that is beyond the generalist novice Registered nurse.

To learn more about Nursing Certificates options read the brochure [PDF 111KB]