Practical Nurse - Overview
Program Overview
To meet Alberta's growing needs in health care, the demand for Licensed Practical Nurses is increasing. NorQuest's program, one of the largest in Canada, will prepare you to become a professional practical nurse educated to give high-quality care to clients in a variety of health-care settings.
Student Success
Students are more likely to be successful in this program if they:
- are physically and emotionally able to manage workplace demands.
- have access to a vehicle to travel to complete their clinical practice experiences.
- have access to a computer and basic computer skills.
- Edmonton Downtown: full-time face-to-face – at capacity, and no longer accepting applications for the waiting list.
Online delivery options for Winter 2017 still has seats available.
If you are on the waiting list, seats typically become available one week prior to the start of term and during the first week of classes, and can be filled by students who are able to attend on short notice. Check your MyMail regularly so you don’t miss an opportunity that may become available.Career Potential
Practical nurses find jobs in acute care hospitals, continuing care centres, community care settings, client homes, clinics, or doctors' offices.
For more information on related careers see:
To research your career, you may complete a Career Investigation Report.
Additional Certification
To practise as a licensed practical nurse, you must obtain licensure from the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA). You must pass a national exam, the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Exam (CPNRE) to attain active licensure with the CLPNA. In 2016, 91 per cent of NorQuest graduates passed the exam on their first attempt. Visit the website of the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta for further details on the registration for new graduates.
Program Length
2 yearsDelivery Options
Full-time (FT), Open Studies, OnlineThe following are the program start dates for the 2016/17 Academic Year:
| Program Delivery | Terms starting |
| Edmonton - full-time face-to-face | Fall 2016 Winter 2017 |
| Westaskiwin - full-time face-to-face | Fall 2016 |
| Online (distance) classes with lab instruction at the Edmonton downtown campus - | Continuous monthly intakes |
| Online PN for HCAs – online classes with lab instruction at the Edmonton downtown campus | Continuous monthly intakes |
NOTE: Students may be required to do labs and/or clinical in another location due to clinical site availability, instructor availability and the number of students