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RPN to RN: Nursing Program Transformation Initiative (Online)

The Nursing Program Transformation Initiative (NPTI) offers an alternative pathway for registered practical nurses (RPNs) to join the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program at Loyalist College.

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Home / Learn / Programs List / RPN to RN: Nursing Program Transformation Initiative (Online)
Locations
Online
Open to
Domestic Students

About the NPTI

The bridge semester pathway is designed for practising RPNs and consists of six online bridge courses to support your advanced standing into semester five of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Loyalist College.

Delivery
  • Part-time and online available via St. Lawrence College or Cambrian College.
  • The courses are available 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
  • Students learn with the support of course facilitators to provide support and feedback.

Program length

Students are required to complete the pathway within a two-year timeframe and are encouraged to take at least two courses at a time to complete the program. Register for the bridge courses online at ontariocolleges.ca:

Learn more and Register

Admission requirements

To join the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program at Loyalist College, apply at ontariocolleges.ca.

Students who are eligible to apply to join the BScN program at Loyalist College must meet the following requirements:

  • Graduated from a two-year Practical Nursing diploma program approved by the College of Nurses of Ontario with a 65 percent or higher cumulative program GPA.
  • Be a registered practical nurse (RPN) in good standing with the College of Nurses of Ontario.
  • Work experience as an RPN in Ontario within the past five years on at least a part-time or casual basis.
  • Completed the following online courses through the NPTI pathway at St. Lawrence College or Cambrian College:
    • Scholarly Writing
    • Nursing Informatics
    • Health Assessment
    • Transition to the Role of RN
    • Microbiology
    • Biochemistry and Pathophysiology
    • Complete the 16-hour skills review course at Loyalist College (in-person, August 29 – 30, 2025)

Find your career

The nursing profession is in high demand across Canada. The health care sector is expected to see an increasing need for knowledgeable and diverse skills to support the growth in health care.

 

Graduates of the BScN program have a greater depth of knowledge and more options in their career.

 

Nurses provide health care in a variety of settings to patients in all stages of their life from birth to end of life. Nurses work in fast-paced environments with a team of health care practitioners, including physicians, social workers, laboratory staff, personal support workers and other interprofessional health care professionals.

 

Health care environments are typically located in hospitals, but also in long-term care, family health clinics, medical offices, schools, government agencies, birth clinics and online health care providers.

 

Is this program for you?

  • Ability to be flexible and adaptable
  • Willingness to work as part of team
  • Strong commitment to improve the overall health and well-being of patients
  • Proficiency in science and math
  • Ability to work shift work, including evenings and weekends

 

Apply to the BScN program here

How you'll learn

All accepted applicants will be required to participate in a weekend, in-person skills review course (August 29 – 30, 2025) at Loyalist College in Belleville to support your transition to the BScN program. The BScN program at Loyalist College is delivered in-person in September at the Belleville campus.

  • The BScN program offers a concurrent model that connects coursework, learning in the simulation lab and clinical experience.
  • Loyalist College offers small class sizes, providing an opportunity to engage with qualified staff with expertise in nursing, research, patient partnerships and interprofessional education.
  • Loyalist College has a strong commitment to Indigenous Ways of Knowing and delivers curriculum that recognizes diversity and difference. We train students to understand the needs of rural communities utilizing local knowledge and interprofessional education.
  • The faculty have a strong commitment to integrate research into practice to ensure the most current and effective nursing practices.
  • Program faculty are dual professionals, experienced registered nurses and other health care practitioners, with advanced training in emergency and trauma care, maternal care, chronic illness and palliative care.

Transition to Loyalist College

Upon successful completion of the skills review course (August 29 – 30, 2025) at Loyalist College, students will be enrolled in full-time courses in semester five at Loyalist College. The link below provides a list of BScN courses for incoming students. Students are also expected to enrol in one elective course per semester.

 

Learn about the Nursing – Honours Bachelor of Science program at Loyalist College