Licensed Practical Nurse Access to Psychiatric Nursing (Bachelor of Science)

Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs) are nurses who specialize in psychiatric or mental health care. They may perform standard nursing functions but also possess the clinical knowledge and skills required in mental health care settings. RPNs practice as part of a multidisciplinary team. They assess patient needs, develop therapeutic relationships, and assist them in reaching their optimum level of health.

Registered Psychiatric Nurses practice in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon Territory and certain eastern provinces (refer to a provincial regulatory body website for more information). RPNs (or equivalent) practice in many of the Commonwealth countries. United States does not have a distinct regulatory body for RPN employment.

Registered Psychiatric Nurses are governed under the Health Professions Act along with other nursing bodies and health professionals in this province. RPNs are not educated to practice in obstetrics, pediatrics or advanced medical/surgical settings.

If you do not have all the required courses to apply for the LPN Access to Psychiatric Nursing Program, the first step is to apply apply to Douglas College. We recommend applying for the Academic Foundations for Potential Psychiatric Nursing Applicants (AFPNUR) program.  

Once you are admitted to Douglas College, you will receive a registration date and time to register for courses.  While waiting to register, review the academic admission requirement for the LPN Access to Psychiatric Nursing Program and the course requisites. 

For help planning your courses, please contact Michelle Hunt at huntm1@douglascollege.ca

AFPNUR is a limited enrolment program that allows for priority registration into the courses required for admission to the LPN Access to Psychiatric Nursing program. Students who are admitted to AFPNUR are not guaranteed admission to the LPN Access program. 

If you do not meet the admission requirement for this program, Admissions offer you admission into another program at the College so you can work towards the admission requirements.

Yes, most students can transfer equivalent coursers provided they meet our transfer credit requirements.  For detailed and up-to-date information on transferring credits to Douglas College, see our Transfer Your Credits page. 

Transfer credit from other educational institutions is not automatically granted. Students must request transfer credit by submitting an official transcript from the educational institution where the course was taken, along with a Transfer Credit Request Form. 

Detailed course outlines of courses taken at a B.C. institution may also need to be submitted before credit can be evaluated. Submission of detailed course outlines will be required for credit evaluation of courses taken outside of B.C. institutions.

No. Courses that were used to meet the graduation requirements of your Practical Nursing Diploma cannot be used a second time toward graduation of the Bachelor of Science in Psychiatric Nursing.

Academic admission requirement courses are not offered every semester, seats are limited in each course, and registration is competitive. It is recommended that you register on the date and at the time your registration period begins to increase your chances of securing seats in the courses you require to be admitted into the LPN Access program. Students that have been admitted to AFPNUR will receive early registration. 

Recommended course Schedule:

You will take AFPNUR courses to increase your scope and breadth of knowledge to practice in the psychiatric nursing profession. This is a recommended schedule for the AFPNUR courses that are required before applying to the LPN Access to Psychiatric Nursing program. Certain courses will have reserved seats for LPN students in the semesters as outlined below:

Notes: The Biology Department has reserved seats in BIOL 1104 for the Winter semesters only. There are reserved seats for BIOL 2401 (only offered in an online, asynchronous format) in the Fall semesters. As online BIOL 1104 and BIOL 2401 can only be taken at Douglas College, it is recommended that students take these courses in the semesters as outlined above. 

PSYC 2300 can only be taken after PSYC 1100 and PSYC 1200 are completed as they are prerequisites for this course. It is recommended that PSYC 1100 is taken in the Winter semester and PSYC 1200 is taken in the Summer semester so PSYC 2300 can be taken in the Fall semester.

As part of AFPNUR, LPN students will be required to take either MATH 1160, PSYC 2300, or BUSN 2429 (or an equivalent course). Math upgrading may be required to meet the math prerequisites for registration into one of these courses. 

Students may apply to the LPN Access to Psychiatric Nursing program following completion of all university transfer courses with a minimum grade of C+ in each course. Students are accepted into the LPN Access program on a first qualified, first admitted bases. 

There is one intake per year in the Winter semesters. After completing the AFPNUR courses, students will be able to apply to the LPN Access program. After applying, students will receive an email from the Admissions Officer with detailed instructions regarding your next steps.