Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing

Navi Mental Health Wayfinder

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN)

Program Overview
Program Requirements
Year 1 Courses
Year 2 Courses

  • Program Overview & Objectives

    The University of Toronto, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing’s accelerated, two-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program opens the door to a long and rewarding career in health care. The Faculty of Nursing has a long history of educating nurses at the baccalaureate level and is internationally recognized for its educational programs and the quality of nursing research conducted by our leading faculty researchers.

    Graduates of the program will practice nursing safely, competently, and ethically by:

    • providing nursing care for sick and vulnerable persons
    • promoting health of individuals, families, groups and communities
    • establishing and maintaining interpersonal and therapeutic relationships and partnerships
    • enacting values of equity and social justice in addressing the social determinants of health
    • examining, synthesizing and incorporating multiple knowledges to provide care
    • collaborating as members of an interprofessional team

    Apply to the BScN Program

     

     

  • All BScN undergraduate courses are compulsory. Withdrawal from any course in the BScN Program requires special permission and will lengthen your time to completion beyond the typical 2 year timeline. Please contact student services for more information. Email: ask.nursing@utoronto.ca

    Courses with clinical nursing practice

    For those courses with a clinical nursing practice component, the evaluation of clinical performance is on a “PASS/FAIL” basis.

    To pass the course, the student must pass both the clinical and classroom components.. Normally students will receive a verbal mid-term evaluation and a written final evaluation of their clinical performance from their clinical instructor.

    Students who are identified at the mid-term point as being at risk of failing clinical practice, will receive a written mid-term evaluation. Students whose performance is unsatisfactory at any time after the midpoint of the clinical experience, will also be informed in writing.

    Year 1

    For a complete course list, please refer to Year 1 courses

    Year 2

    For a complete course list, please refer to Year 2 courses

     

    Apply to the BScN Program

  • Year 1 Courses

    Note: Y denotes 1.0 Full Course Equivalent (FCE) and H denotes 0.5 FCE

    Course 
    NUR350Y1 INTRODUCTION TO NURSING PRACTICE

    This course provides an introduction to the practice of nursing. Consideration is given to caring for individuals of different ages, ethnicity and gender in a variety of clinical contexts. This course consists of three components: health assessment and appropriate diagnostic interventions, relational skills as central to nursing practice, and therapeutic nursing skills relevant to each system. Content from this course integrates with content learned in NUR351H (Introduction to the Discipline and Profession of Nursing) and NUR361Y (Introduction to Nursing in Health and Wellness). Knowledge gained in this course is consistently applied within clinical settings.
    NUR351H1 INTRODUCTION TO THE DISCIPLINE AND PROFESSION OF NURSING

    This course provides an introduction to the ethical and theoretical foundations of the profession of nursing and the place of nursing within health care. The course focuses on nursing's social history and the way in which the profession of nursing is organized as part of the Canadian health care system. Issues within nurse-patient relationships are highlighted through readings in ethics, interpersonal theory, and feminism.
    NUR361Y1 INTRODUCTION TO NURSING IN HEALTH AND WELLNESS

    In this course students will be introduced to nursing practice across a range of practice environments for two client populations and their families: older persons and persons with mental disorders. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the complexities involved in supporting clients and their families through transitions in care within and across institutional and community health care settings.

    Course content is presented within a framework of knowledge translation, exposing students to the various sources of knowledge that inform nursing practice. Of particular focus will be the theoretical concepts and research evidence that guide best practices when caring for older persons and persons with mental disorders, as well as their families.

    Students will acquire knowledge in areas applicable to both client populations such as: client safety and living at risk; client choice and informed decision making; informal caregiving; and person-centered, collaborative, cross-cultural practices. Students will also acquire knowledge and skill specific to the health care needs and lived experiences of older persons and of persons living with mental disorders.

    Students will have the opportunity to apply knowledge at a beginner level while working with clients and their families in two institutional settings during the clinical placement component of the course: an older person setting, followed by a mental health care setting. They will draw on knowledge related to health assessment and to basic therapeutic and relational skills when caring for clients and their families. Clinical practice expectations for students focus on building trusting, compassionate, and therapeutic relationships with clients to provide support, promote healing, and enhance functioning.
    NUR325H1 Pathophysiology and Pharmacotherapeutics 1

    The focus of this introductory course is the study of the pathophysiology of selected prevalent health conditions that affect diverse populations across the life span. This course will examine the risk factors, etiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic testing, clinical management and potential complications of selected health conditions. It will include a focus on pharmacotherapeutics, that is, the pharmacological management of selected health conditions. The class will also include a focus on health promotion and disease prevention. This first of two courses on pathophysiology and pharmacotherapeutics will introduce concepts essential to the understanding of the pathophysiology of diseases, including a focus on fluids and electrolytes, the inflammatory process, and basic concepts of pharmacotherapeutics.
    NUR330H1 INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP IN NURSING

    Nurses need to be knowledgeable consumers of research who are able to find, understand, critique and apply evidence in everyday nursing practice. This course focuses on the application and critical examination of the research process used in the development of nursing science. The link between nursing research and scholarship is emphasized through an understanding of the relationships between research, theory and practice. Critical analysis of the underlying paradigms and activities within qualitative and quantitative research will enable students to understand and appropriately integrate research into practice. 
    NUR371Y1 INTRODUCTION TO ACUTE CARE NURSING: ADULT

    In this course, students will be introduced to adult acute care medical-surgical nursing practice.
    Content in this course is presented within a framework of evidence-informed decision-making. By conscientiously and judiciously using current evidence when making decisions in acute care nursing practice, students will gain an understanding of the key professional values that shape problem solving, nursing knowledge, and client care in clinical situations. Students will be introduced to the 6 cognitive skill areas of the NCSBN’s Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (NCJMM) which builds upon and expands the nursing process. The NCJMM is the basis of the New Generation NCLEX (NGN) licensing exam beginning in April 2023. The nursing process along with the introduction of the Clinical Judgement Measurement Model (CJMM) will serve as the organizing framework to approach the care and management of hospitalized adults.

    Course content explores and determines priority nursing assessments and interventions associated with advanced symptom management of common illness conditions relevant to hospitalized medical and surgical clients. The lived experience of clients and families coping with acute illness, as well as cultural and ethical concerns and their implications for nursing practice, will also be considered. Students will have the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge and nursing therapeutic skills at a novice level while working with clients and their families in the adult acute care setting.

    NUR 371Y1 is taken concurrently with NUR 325H. The lecture component of
    NUR 371Y1 will highlight the challenges of caring for medical and surgical patients in acute care settings.
    NUR373Y1 INTRODUCTION TO NURSING CARE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

    In this course students will be introduced to key concepts foundational to pediatric nursing practice. The course is grounded in the principles of child and family centered care and developmental theory – both of which are integrated throughout the classroom and clinical learning environment. The Nursing Process and the Clinical Judgement Model provide the organizing framework to develop nursing knowledge, skill, and judgement while planning and prioritizing nursing management of common acute and chronic illnesses and conditions affecting hospitalized children and their families. Students will be introduced to the 6 cognitive skill areas of the NCSBN’s Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (NCJMM) which builds upon and expands the nursing process. The NCJMM is the basis of the New Generation NCLEX (NGN) licensing exam.

    This course will explore relevant topics to the pediatric population including growth and development, nutrition, sleep, safety, special needs, child maltreatment, fluid and electrolyte imbalances, respiratory distress, anemia, pain, mental health, shock, head injury, seizures, meningitis, leukemia, and palliative care. Developmental, ethical, and sociocultural concerns related to pediatric nursing practice are integrated throughout the course. Asynchronous learning activities provide students with the opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of common pediatric topics, illnesses and conditions and the nursing care required for these situations. In-person classroom learning activities provide students with the opportunity to apply, analyze and evaluate recently learned pediatric content. Students will be encouraged and supported to develop their critical thinking, problem solving, clinical reasoning and clinical judgement skills through a variety of clinical case studies and unfolding clinical scenarios that aim to simulate caring for hospitalized children and their families. During clinical practice, students will further apply their learning while actively caring for children and families in an acute or rehabilitative setting under the supervision and support of their clinical instructor. This course is taken concurrently with NUR 325Y.
    NUR374Y1 INTRODUCTION TO NURSING CARE OF CHILDBEARING PERSONS AND FAMILIES

    This course will introduce students to key concepts and practices foundational to nursing care of childbearing persons and their families. Course learning will focus on the perinatal care continuum of childbearing from pre-conception through pregnancy, birth and postpartum transition. This course is grounded in principles of person centred care, family centered care and trauma informed care – all of which are integrated throughout the classroom and acute care clinical learning environments. The Nursing Process will serve as the organizing framework for critical thinking, knowledge development, and the care and management of childbearing persons and their families. Students will be introduced to the 6 cognitive skill areas of the NCSBN’s Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (NCJMM) which builds upon and expands the nursing process. The NCJMM is the basis of the New Generation NCLEX (NGN) licensing exam beginning in 2023. Students will explore topics relevant to the perinatal population including: sociocultural and institutional contexts of perinatal care in Canada; healthy physiologic and psychologic changes in pregnant, labouring, and postpartum clients; nursing management of common adult and newborn complications; and the nursing role in the transition from hospital to home. Students will develop a beginning understanding of pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, and newborn feeding and care experiences.

    In the classroom and clinical settings, students will be supported to continue building their critical thinking, problem solving and clinical judgment skills through engagement with life-like and real clinical situations. During clinical placement in acute care settings, students will have the opportunity to work with childbearing persons and families throughout the ante/intra/postpartum phases of the care continuum. Students are expected to apply current course knowledge at a beginner level integrated with foundational nursing skills and nursing therapeutic skills learned during the fall term/Term 1.
    This course is taken concurrently with NUR 370Y and NUR 390Y.
    NUR390H1 INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY HEALTH: NURSING PERSPECTIVES

    This course introduces students to the theory and practice of community health nursing through the ‘lens’ of primary health care. The course focuses on the health of various populations and explores the ways in which ‘health’ is largely a socially determined phenomenon. The care of diverse populations within Canada such as the homeless/under-housed, the incarcerated, rural dwellers, First Nations Peoples, and the GLBTQ community feature prominently in class readings and lectures as students develop a critical understanding of the complex contexts and everyday circumstances in which members of different social groups negotiate access to health. Students explore a variety of key concepts including principles of primary health care trauma-informed care, social determinants of health, cultural safety, harm reduction, population health, health promotion, social marginalization, disease prevention, and community capacity building. Students will ground their understanding of these concepts in core values of primary health care, including social justice and equity, as they begin to develop their skills in caring for diverse communities of people. This course lays the theoretical groundwork for the senior year course in primary health care and community health nursing practice.

     

  • Year 2 Courses

    Note: Y denotes 1.0 Full Course Equivalent (FCE) and H denotes 0.5 FCE

    Course 
    MPL202H1 Current Topics in Medical Microbiology

    Common infectious diseases that are relevant in the current healthcare setting are discussed. Expert clinicians in the fields of microbiology, infectious diseases and infection control discuss current research in the field of medical microbiology and its relevance to nursing practice. Lecture topics include: review of bacteria and viruses, role of the diagnostic microbiology lab, travel medicine, skin and soft tissue infections, central nervous system infections, sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, “superbugs”, influenza, and infection prevention and control.
    NUR410H1 NURSING AND THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: POLICY, ETHICS AND LEADERSHIP

    This course provides students with an overview of the structure of the health care system at multiple levels, including national, provincial, regional or municipal, and organizational or institutional levels. Students examine current issues and challenges in the health care environment and the impact of these issues on patient/population health, nursing practice and the nursing profession. A critical-social perspective is used to examine the structures and relationships – including personal, political and professional - that affect the everyday decisions of nurses and their approach to health care and health promotion. Students learn and apply the fundamentals of political action, policy analysis, and ethical decision-making skills in the context of their own current practice of nursing.
    NUR420H1 CRITICAL REFLEXIVITY: THEORY AND PRACTICE

    The overall intention of the course is to facilitate student curiosity and promote critical reflexivity in relation to nursing practice. Critical reflexivity brings together the skills of critical thinking and reflexivity, and entails three components: first, interrogating our taken-for-granted assumptions that inform our practice; second, reflecting on our social position in relation to knowledge; and third, considering how knowledge is shaped by culture, history, power and politics. Students will engage with theoretical ideas drawn from the humanities and social sciences in order to gain a better understanding of the complexities of care. Theoretical ideas covered in this course are also helpful in showing up how nursing both shapes and is shaped by broader social, historical, political and economic forces, prevailing ideologies, dominant discourses, and social relations of power which have profound effects on our subjectivities and the lived bodies and daily realities of people whom we serve. Thoughtful engagement with the course readings will open up alternative modes of thought which will, in turn, generate productive possibilities for ethical nursing practice.
    NUR430H1 RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP IN NURSING
    Last time offered: Fall 2022

    Students learn to be knowledgeable consumers of research who are able to find, understand, critique and apply evidence in everyday nursing practice. This course focuses on application and critical examination of research processes used to develop of nursing science. Students explore relationships between research, theory and practice. Critical analysis of the underlying paradigms and activities within qualitative and quantitative research enables students to appropriately integrate research into practice.
    NUR425H PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND PHARMACOTHERAPEUTICS 2

    First time offered: Fall 2023

    The focus of this course is the study of the pathophysiology of selected prevalent health conditions that affect diverse populations across the life span. The second of two courses on pathophysiology and pharmacotherapeutics, this course will build upon concepts introduced in NUR 375. This course will examine the risk factors, etiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic testing, clinical management and potential complications of selected health conditions. It will include a focus on pharmacotherapeutics, that is, the pharmacological management of selected health conditions. The class will also include a focus on health promotion and disease prevention.
    NUR460Y1 COPING WITH COMPLEXITY IN PERSISTENT ILLNESS
    Building on understanding from introductory courses in year 1, students gain a deeper understanding of the complexity of challenges which are specific to selected age groups, illness categories, institutional and home contexts. Complexity includes pathophysiology, individual and family circumstances, related interventions, and the care delivery context. Classes are in seminar format and students have the opportunity to explore and critique issues that arise from readings and how they relate to clinical practice and concurrent Year 2 courses. In addition, all students participate in a number of simulation lab experiences. The goal of these sessions is to provide students with key content and practice in a series of selected advanced nursing skills of clinical practice relevance.
    NUR461Y1 PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: NURSING PERSPECTIVES

    NUR461 focuses on an examination of the multiple factors and processes that impact health and
    health care for individuals across the lifespan. Rather than situating health as the result of personal
    choice or individual behavior of clients and families, discussion in this course will focus on examining
    health and healthcare access as socially determined, including the complex contexts and everyday
    circumstances in which members of different social groups experience health and negotiate access to
    the mainstream healthcare system. Factors such as social class, income, gender, migration,
    race/ethnicity, ability/disability, and sexual orientation will be explored using social justice and
    intersectionality as organizing concepts to guide class discussions and assignments. Students will be
    introduced to the role of the community health nurse and how it is framed around the model of Primary
    Health Care and the Standards of Practice developed by the Community Health Nurses of Canada.

    This course introduces advanced theoretical and conceptual perspectives and is designed to provide
    students with clinical practice skills caring for individuals, families, and communities. Primary Health
    Care is positioned as a model for health care reform, and an organizing system for health care that
    supports partnership relationships, community activism and advocacy, facilitating access and equity,
    and capacity building. The dynamic role of nursing and the importance of practicing collaboratively with
    members of inter-professional health teams and diverse communities is emphasized.

    This course involves a two-hour in-person seminar class on Mondays and a weekly one-hour online
    synchronous post-clinical conference, as well as 16 hours of clinical practice in the community each
    week. All students lead one group seminar with their peers, and everyone is encouraged to participate
    actively in seminar discussion and small group work. Students in all sections can develop and apply
    their knowledge in both synchronous and asynchronous clinical learning activities.
    NUR470Y1 INTEGRATIVE NURSING PRACTICUM

    This course provides students with an opportunity to further develop their nursing knowledge and entry-level Registered Nurse competencies. The focus of practice will be on integration of theoretical understandings from entry and senior year courses to a selected clinical practice area under the supervision of a preceptor and faculty advisor, including competencies related to workload management and priority setting. The course will also assist students with beginning to prepare for registration exams. All previous program requirements must be successfully completed prior to beginning this final course. The course is offered from mid-April to the end of June.

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