Certificate in Registered Nurse Prescribing

Type: Credit-based

Offered by:  Faculty of Health, School of Nursing

Coordinator: Dr. Audrey Steenbeek, a.steenbeek@dal.ca

Overview:

The Certificate in Registered Nurse Prescribing program prepares Registered Nurses with the knowledge to deliver evidence-based practice in prescribing, while further refining their clinical decision-making skills, to prescribe safely and cost efficiently. The certificate program is aligned with the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) Framework for RN Prescribing and has been developed collaboratively by the Dalhousie University School of Nursing, Nova Scotia College of Nursing, IWK Health Centre, Nova Scotia Health, and the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness.

Upon completion, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate competency in clinical decision making, driven by rigorous/trustworthy peer-reviewed evidence combined with patient/family choice and ability.
2. Extend and optimize their current scope of practice by learning to safely and efficiently prescribe, enabling them to meaningfully contribute to meeting the needs of patients.

Please note, the certificate program is in its pilot phase and will only be offered as determined by the needs of the province.

At this time, applications will only be considered for NSH / IWK nurses who have been endorsed by their employer and have been approved by the Director of Interprofessional Practice and Learning (NSH) or the Director of Nursing (IWK).

When the province identifies a need, the following application process is followed:

The Program Director (NSH or IWK) will provide the School of Nursing with a list of endorsed employees and a letter of endorsement (from respective managers) for each sponsored employee, requesting that the applicant be considered for admission and outlining the program intent to sponsor and to support RN prescribing in the designated area where the applicant is practicing.

Admission Requirements / Eligibility:

• Undergraduate degree in Nursing or Diploma in Nursing
• Active RN License in the Province of Nova Scotia
• Minimum GPA of 3.3 on a Dalhousie grade scale

Baccalaureate prepared nurses must have a minimum of three (3) years of continuous clinical practice in an employer-designated area of clinical practice. Diploma prepared nurses must have a minimum of four (4) years experience in a designated area. Additionally, all nurses must have a minimum of 3,450 hours in the past 5 licensure years In Canada caring for the clients with the health conditions for which they will be prescribing.

Certificate Requirements:

Core course requirements:

NURS 5740.03 Advanced Health Assessment
NURS 5736.03 Pharmacotherapeutics for Registered Nurse (RN) Prescribing (P)
NURS 5630.03 Integrated Professional Practicum for Registered Nurse (RN) Prescribing (P)

Application Process:

• Submit online application and appropriate application fee. Third party billing is not accepted for application processing. See Faculty of Graduate Studies website for more information. Please ensure the correct academic term is selected (e.g., January 2023 is “202320”, September 2023 is “202410”, etc).
• Submit one academic letter of reference (provide name and institutional email address of reference on application portal via EREF when completing application) from a previous nursing faculty member or any individual that can speak to your academic abilities (e.g., clinical educator).
• Request official transcripts of all post-secondary education be sent electronically (email preferred) directly to rnpc@dal.ca (Dalhousie transcripts are not required). Diploma graduates who completed training in NS can request transcript from NSCN.
• Submit resume (including RN license number) to rnpc@dal.ca. Applicants who are selected for an interview will be contacted by the Dalhousie School of Nursing.

Please note that RN Prescribing Certificate Students will be required to submit preclinical documentation, regardless of whether a clinical placement is with a current employer.

Please see the School of Nursing website for more information on documentation that will be required.

Application of Credit Hours Towards Other Degree Requirements:

Courses completed as part of this certificate may be counted towards the requirements of a concurrent degree, subject to approval by the student’s supervisor/advisor and graduate coordinator in their primary degree program. Courses not approved to count towards the primary degree requirements will result in additional tuition fees on a per-course fee basis.