Protected: Registered Nurse Critical Care Nursing
This one-year graduate certificate prepares Registered Nurses to provide specialized holistic care to patients and their families experiencing life-threatening illness. Students will gain advanced knowledge in assessment and management of critically ill patients.
How you'll learn
All courses (including the skills and simulations labs) will be delivered using a flexible, completely asynchronous yet interactive approach. Placements will be done on-site in an intensive care unit of the student’s choosing (subject to approval by the agency).
Courses
HLTH8155 Perioperative Nursing 1
This course is designed to provide the nurse with a basic knowledge level of the roles s/he will fulfill in the perioperative setting. The role of the scrub and circulating nurse are explored as part of the perioperative team. The course focuses on patient and staff safety, infection control and aseptic principles, the nurses role in assisting with anesthesia and patient positioning in collaboration with other team members, basic instrumentation, sutures and needles and surgical modalities. The focus will be on the adult patient(age 19-65). The overall goal of the course is to present the information and skills required to prepare the nurse to practice within a surgical setting at a beginners level. The ORNAC Standards (Operating Room Nurses Association of Canada) are referred to whenever applicable to support learning.
HLTH8156 Perioperative Nursing 2
This course explores wound healing, post-operative care and pain management. The focus is then on the nursing care required and the various procedures related to gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary, gynecologic, hernias and breast surgeries. The adult patient (ages 19-65) is the targeted population. The overall goal of the course is to present the information and skills required to prepare the nurse to practice within a surgical setting at a beginner’s level. The Operating Room Nurses Association of Canada (ORNAC) Standards are referred to whenever applicable to support learning.
HLTH8157 Perioperative Nursing 3
This course focuses on the nursing care required and the various procedures related to ENT, neck/thyroid/parathyroid, paediatrics, plastics/reconstructive, orthopedics, trauma, neurosurgery and ophthalmic surgeries. The adult patient (ages 19-65) is the targeted population with the exception of the paediatric lesson. The overall goal of the course is to present the information and skills required to prepare the nurse to practice within a surgical setting at the beginner’s level. The Operating Room Nurses Association of Canada (ORNAC) Standards are referred to whenever applicable to support learning.
Prerequisite: HLTH 8155
HLTH8158 Perioperative Nursing 4
This course focuses on the nursing care required and the various procedures related to cardiac, vascular, thoracic, geriatric, genitourinary and ambulatory surgeries. Interventional and Image Guided procedures are aslo explored. A lesson is included on the surgical hand scrub, gowning and gloving as a refresher for the student prior to entering the clinical placement. The adult patient (ages 19-65) is the targeted population with the exception of the geriatric lesson. The overall goal of the course is to present the information and skills required to prepare the nurse to practice in a surgical setting at the beginner’s level. The Operating Room Nurses Association of Canada (ORNAC) Standards are referred to whenever applicable to support learning.
Prerequisite: HLTH 8155
HLTH8549 Perioperative Nursing Lab
This lab will prepare the student for the Perioperative Nursing placement by providing opportunities to
demonstrate an awareness of safe and sterile practices in the perioperative environment. The student will
review and demonstrate self-preparation, handling, and set-up techniques designed to maintain
sterilization in the operating room, with additional emphasis on patient outcomes and positioning related to
a variety of surgical procedures. Activities will be evaluated according to standards of professional practice
as set forth by the Operating Room Nurses Association of Canada. This course consists of online course work that is available on the course start date and ends with two (2) days in-person at Quinte Health - Trenton Memorial Hospital where you will be in a lab setting in the operating room.
*** Must have a current RN or RPN registration.
Prerequisite: HLTH 8155, HLTH 8156, HLTH 8157, HLTH 8158
WKPL8003 Perioperative Nursing Placement
A 150-hour placement to apply theory to the perioperative clinical setting that suits your learning needs.
Pre-Clinical Requirements: current RN or RPN registration, current CPR, completed Loyalist College health form, clear criminal record check (dated within one month of clinical).
Prerequisite: HLTH 8155, HLTH 8156, HLTH 8157, HLTH 8158, HLTH 8549
*Courses subject to change.
Admission requirements
Current and unrestricted registration as a Registered Nurse with the College of Nurses of Ontario (or equivalent from another Canadian jurisdiction).
Costs
Approximate costs (2025 – 26, at full-time student status)*
- Domestic Tuition: $3,986.64 (year one) and $5,954.73 (year two – three semesters)
- Full-Time Ancillary Fees: $1,595.26 for year one; and $2,392.89 for year two (three semesters)
- Additional Program Costs: $776 (year one) and $226 (year two)
- Students are required to have a laptop with a camera.
Additional student-purchased costs may include textbooks, supplies, software, and other resources. Additional expenses related to off-campus experiential learning activities may also be incurred.
*All fees are subject to change. Fees for programs shorter or longer than two semesters will be adjusted accordingly. In addition to the costs listed above, some programs also have program ancillary fees based on their specific requirements. For a detailed breakdown of tuition and ancillary fees – including any program-specific charges – please visit the Tuition and fee schedule 2025–26.
Paying for college
At Loyalist College, we believe that cost should never be a barrier to your success. We’re here to help you navigate the costs of college and connect you with a variety of financial aid programs, resources and donor-supported awards. Explore paying for college.
Ontario Learn and Stay Grant – NEW!
First-semester students in this program may be eligible for the Ontario Learn and Stay grant.
The Ontario Learn and Stay Grant provides funding for students studying in priority programs in priority communities in Ontario with a focus on:
- encouraging learning and working in the same region where you study
- meeting current labour market needs
- ensuring communities have the workers they need for in-demand jobs
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Nursing – Honours Bachelor of Science
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Perioperative Nursing (Online)
Advance your nursing career with specialized training in perioperative care. Prepare for an in-demand role in the operating room by enhancing your surgical nursing skills to support patients before, during and after surgery.