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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.

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 work full-time during the practicum and provide your own transportation to the facility. These clinical placements are required for all delivery options.  

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 

Once you have applied for your program in a specific delivery option, it is expected that you will continue and complete your program in that chosen option. If an extenuating circumstance arises, you will be required to meet with a student program advisor and leadership to determine if it’s possible to change your delivery method. 

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 to 4 years  

Offered in Edmonton or Wetaskiwin 

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 Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA) to practice as a licensed practical nurse. You must pass the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Exam to attain active licensure with the CLPNA.

Visit the College of Licensed Practical Nurses 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

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