Nurse practitioner applicant guide

Key dates

• October 31: application deadline
• November 15: document submission deadline; applications without all required documents (including assessment reports and letters of reference, but see below for two exceptions) will not be considered for admission, but applicants will be welcome to submit a new application the following year
• July 31 (following year): document submission deadline to confirm completion of the statistics and Indigenous Cultural Safety course requirements

Personal statement

The personal statement gives you an opportunity to articulate your preparation for the NP role and your knowledge of and commitment to the NP profession. The statement also serves as a formal sample of your writing ability, a critical component of successful graduate work.

The personal statement is uploaded as a supporting document to your application.

For your personal statement, please address the following questions in paragraph form (point-form is not acceptable). Maximum 750 words total, excluding references.

1. What skills or lived experience do you have that demonstrate your suitability for the Nurse Practitioner role?

2. Discuss three issues the Nurse Practitioner profession is currently facing in British Columbia.

• In your discussion, you must cite at least four sources, using APA style.
• You may use a generative AI tool such as ChatGPT for one of these sources if you wish
  • to avoid violating principles of academic integrity, you must cite the AI tool and add as an appendix to your personal statement all prompts used to create AI-generated content
• References are not included in the word count

3. Please describe specific strategies you will use to meet the time demands of the program.

• The Master of Nursing – Nurse Practitioner program is very demanding. Each course requires at least 12 hours of preparation time per week in addition to class time and clinical placement hours. Working full-time therefore is not feasible.
• In addition, you will be expected to commute over a longer distance or relocate for one practicum placement. Please describe how you will manage the workload and the travel requirement. 
• Address any financial plans and support systems you will have in place

Direct clinical hours

• Applicants must have spent a minimum of 3600 hours in direct clinical care as an RN within the five years prior to the application deadline
  • Hours in an administrative role such as Clinical Nurse Educator, or roles that are primarily management-focused or supervisory-focused, do not count toward this minimum
  • If you have not worked the required 3600 hours as an RN in direct clinical care in the past five years, in most cases you should wait to apply to the NP program once you have attained the required minimum. In exceptional circumstances, you may apply to the program without the minimum required hours. Please add a statement to your application explaining the reason(s) for not reaching the minimum hours. This will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• You will be asked to indicate the number of direct clinical hours you have worked and to upload documentation of employer verification of these hours
  • Human Resources departments at health authorities or other organizations can provide this documentation on request
  • You’ll upload employer verification as your “Summary of Experience” in the application.
  • Uploads must be in PDF or TIFF format.
  • If you have had more than one employer, obtain hours verification from each of them, and combine into a single PDF document. Alternatively, you may upload second and subsequent hours verification documents as “additional documents.”

Prerequisite courses

Statistics Course

You must provide evidence of completion of an upper-level (300- or 400-level) undergraduate statistics course at a recognized post-secondary educational institution with a final grade of B or above, by July 31 following the application deadline.

Find examples of acceptable statistics prerequisites.

Indigenous Cultural Safety Course

You must complete a course in Indigenous cultural safety and upload verification of completion by July 31 following the application deadline.

A variety of courses are available.

Indigenous Applicants

We are committed to contributing to increasing the number of Indigenous health professionals in British Columbia and Canada, as called for in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action. We welcome applications from those who self-identify as Indigenous.

Supporting documents

Resume

Take note of these points when preparing your resume:

• Clearly describe your responsibilities, indicating whether they were/are clinical or administrative to show your RN experience meets the minimum requirement for 3600 direct clinical hours.
• Describe fully the units you worked in (for example: “Victoria General Hospital 6 North (6C/D Acute Medical)” rather than “VGH 6C/D”)
• Include languages spoken (optional)
• Include volunteer experiences
• Include research, publications, policy briefs, etc., as applicable

BCCNM registration

• Applicants must have current registration as a Registered Nurse with the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) at the time of application.
• You will be asked to upload a screenshot from the BCCNM website showing your registration number.

Assessment reports & letters of reference

You are required to arrange for two assessment reports from individuals who can comment on your academic and clinical strengths and suitability for master’s-level work.

We recommend referees include a letter of reference along with their assessment report.

In your application, you will submit the names and contact details of these referees. They will receive a link through which they can upload their report and letter in confidence directly to our application portal. This link is typically sent within 24 hours of your application submission.

• If you last attended a post-secondary institution LESS than five years ago, submit one assessment report from an academic referee (an instructor or professor who has taught you) and one from a current or former employer (your supervisor or manager).
• If you last attended a post-secondary institution MORE than five years ago, both assessment reports may be from an employment supervisor if you are unable to obtain at least one academic assessment report.

Choose your referees carefully

• Do not ask a peer for an assessment report and letter of reference, even if they know your work well. Reports and letters must be submitted from those who have taught or supervised you.
• Do ask your referees to provide details in their letter of reference of their assessment of your skills and suitability for master’s level academic work, focusing on the qualities needed for success, including clinical competence, academic ability, and professionalism, giving examples wherever possible.
• Note that only the first two assessment reports and letters submitted will be read by the selection committee. There is no benefit to submitting more than two.

Follow up with your referees

• Follow up with your referees to ensure they submit their reports and letters by the November 15 document submission deadline.

Questions?

If you have questions about applying to the NP Program, email Russell Hawkins or Mitchell Brown, Graduate Programs Assistants.