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Practical Nurse

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Practical Nurse

To meet Alberta's growing needs in health care, the demand for licensed practical nurses is increasing. NorQuest College's Practical Nurse 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.

Learn in your own community

Live in or around Castor or Killam and interested in this program? We offer a pathway designed for learners like you. You can study, complete your practicum, and move into employment without leaving your own community.

You’ll receive the same quality instruction, flexible blended learning, and practicums close to or within where you live. No relocation required.

How to apply: Select the Rural Intake option in your application

Questions? Reach out to us

Clark Castello - Practical Nurse

My whole goal is to one day continue my education and earn my registered nurse degree. I now know that is something that can happen. NorQuest helped with my confidence. I will always remember what NorQuest did for me.

Clark Castello

Practical Nurse, 2017

What to expect from the program

Do you enjoy helping others? Are you looking for a rewarding and meaningful healthcare career? Practical nurses are essential to Alberta’s healthcare system and are currently in high demand. In this program, you’ll gain a combination of the theoretical knowledge, hands-on training, and practicum experience you will need to successfully write your Canadian Licensed Practical Nurse registration exam. 

NorQuest College education is inclusive, and our students are supported and prepared to meet the needs of a diverse society with hands-on training, caring for, and with, people from a variety of cultures, religions, and genders.  

Graduate with experience

NorQuest College believes in the importance of on-the-job experience that provides an enriched learning opportunity.  

Hands-on learning  

You’ll graduate with 195 hours of hands-on practice in a variety of lab settings.   

Engage with standardized patients, high fidelity mannikins, and virtual reality learning throughout your program in our Olson Centre for Health Simulation  

Clinical placements 

You’ll graduate from this program with 680 hours of work experience from four practicums.  

You will take part in a full-time clinical practicum and must arrange your own transportation to and from the facility. You may need to travel up to 100 km.

Clinical shifts may include daytime, evenings, weekends, holidays, or a combination of shifts, depending on the course and delivery location.

Bringing nursing education to you

NorQuest is committed to providing accessible education, and that includes meeting the needs of rural students. Our flexible approach for our rural delivery options combines blended learning, a mobile training lab, and local clinical placements, so you can get the education you need, right where you live.

Choosing your delivery option 

This program offers multiple options—select the format that best fits your life and the way you learn. 

Your class schedule will depend on the delivery options and locations you choose: 

  • Daytime: Monday to Friday (evening and weekend classes may be offered/required in certain courses)  
  • Evenings: Classes are delivered Monday to Friday after 5PM (weekend classes may be offered in certain courses)  
  • Weekends: Classes are delivered on weekends  
  • You will be required to complete your labs and clinical components in person at your designated lab location 

Students are expected to complete the program in the delivery option to which they were admitted. Changes in delivery require reapplication to the desired delivery option and are subject to applicable program requirements and seat availability. Students considering a delivery change should contact a Student Advisor to discuss available options.

In person — 2 years  

Offered in Edmonton or Wetaskiwin

Classes are held in a classroom with face-to-face instruction and regularly scheduled meeting times. 

Online anytime with in-person labs — 3 years  

Offered in Edmonton

Classes have no set meeting times, so you can work on your own schedule within set start and end dates. Some assignments have deadlines, and your in-person labs will usually occur over one to two weeks.

Blended — 2 years 

Offered in Edmonton, Wetaskiwin, or mobile/rural lab 

Lectures and theory components offered online real-time, online anytime, in-person, and/or hyflex. All courses will be scheduled in the option that best suits the schedule. 

Additional information  

You must get licensure from the College of LPNs and HCAs of Alberta (CLHA) to practice as a licensed practical nurse. You must pass the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Exam to attain active licensure with the CLHA.

Visit the College of LPNs and HCAs of Alberta website for further details on the registration for new graduates.

Career opportunities

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: 

This program prepares you to step confidently into your field while providing the flexibility to continue your education. Credits you earn may be transferable toward additional diplomas, degrees, or certifications—helping you advance your career and increase your earning potential. Explore transfer pathways.

What to expect as a practical nurse

Applicants should assess their ability to fulfill the demands of the practical nurse occupation. 

As a practical nurse, you must be able to: 

  • Work shifts and weekends
  • Be on your feet for extended periods of time
  • Use your knees, back, and arms to move clients who have minimal body strength
  • Provide care to support people of various diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, gender identities, sexual preferences, and socio-economic status
  • Function effectively in stressful situations
  • Perform all skills independently

See where you'll learn

Explore the classrooms and program labs designed to enhance your learning.

View the virtual tour

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Attend an upcoming information session

Join a student recruiter and program expert to explore everything you need to know, from program structure, career pathways, transfer agreements, admission requirements, and more. Bring your questions—we’re here to help!

October 17, 2026

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

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