The Program
How many seats?
Historically, around 120 seats are allocated for nursing students. This does make the program quite competitive to get into, with a myriad of diverse people from the application pool. Yearly, around 500-800+ people apply (both domestic and international) based on both hearsay from students and statistics. If we do the math, the acceptance rate would be somewhere <30%. In 2022 the BC Government added more nursing seats to most nursing schools nationwide in order to address our critical nursing shortage. The expanded number of seats brings current admission spots for 2022 and beyond to 150.
Does it rank nationally?
Yes, if this matters to you. Contrary to popular outdated belief, UBC Nursing Vancouver is not “more theory-based” nor is there a “lack of clinical experiences”. I can attest to this strongly. The program has changed in the past 5 years. My classmates and I went through very competitive amounts of evidence-based theory, medical knowledge, and clinical-practical training altogether like any other nursing school—and there are pros and cons to every nursing school out there, too; this includes some disorganized courses, awful professors, and so on, and so forth. Hence, the UBC Nursing stereotype needs to be thrown out!
As a proud alumni, I’ve seen the incredible dedication of my fellow alumni/classmates who 1. returned to UBC to pursue an MSN or NP degree or conducted key research to improve nursing care, 2. became renowned nurses making their own names in the field by seeking specialization/further specialty training (e.g. me!), or a combo of all this + more. In exciting UBC fashion, the program ranked among the Top 1-2 in Canada according to Maclean’s Nursing Program Education rankings for 2021 (my graduating class/year) and 2022.
At the end of the day, don’t listen to others when making a scary yet fulfilling decision. Breathe. It’s in your hands. Listen to your gut. Do research. Talk to alumni such as myself. Ask questions. Deep-dive into the world of nursing. Love what you see? Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? Go with what feels beneficial for you and your future!
How many intakes?
One intake yearly every September (cohorts). I was part of the September 2019 cohort…and yes, you’re correct, we were part of the very first nursing student batches who had to deal with the unprecedented impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, like every generation of nurses, we adapted. Looking back, our resilience brought us and all nurses globally to where we are today: always saving, learning, and promoting, preventing, and protecting.
What’s the fail rate?
I don’t know. Every situation is different. Different people fail or leave nursing school for various valid reasons e.g. family emergencies, mental challenges etc. Others drop out after failing classes/clinical because perhaps they dislike nursing/medicine, or they realize they want to succeed somewhere else. That’s okay. My cohort began with 120 people. By the time we finished the program, only 111 of us graduated. Don’t ever be scared to seek help—rely on UBC resources and friends available to you!
How long is it?
2 years of rigorous full-time study and clinical. The program is split up into 5 terms. Each term is comprised of 3-4 months in the typical UBC Winter Session system. For example, assuming you get admitted to the September 2023 cohort:
Term 1 begins from September—December of the 2023 Winter Session, followed by winter break. Term 1 comprises your introduction to nursing, with your first exposure into clinical inpatient (hospital) practice settings as a nursing student.
Term 2 begins from January—April 2024 (the second half of Winter Session). This term builds on your introductory nursing knowledge and so on for the duration of the program. In general, clinical practice will link your theory to real life experiences from start to finish, thus developing and subsequently determining your competent ability to act, talk, and think like a nurse upon graduation: Entry-to-Practice.
There will be a short break after Term 2 is completed. Term 3 takes place in May—July, with summer break in August. Although I’m aware some of the term academic foci shifted around since I graduated, I recall that Term 3 and Term 4 are considered the “weed out” terms because nursing students do tend to struggle the most here. After all, Term 3/4 makes up the key bulk of medical jargon, medical-surgical nursing theory, pharmacology (the study of medications) and pathophysiology (the study of pathologies/diseases). During this term, nursing students learn about and learn to treat hard-hitter acute/acute-on-chronic diseases of major organ systems (heart, lung, liver, kidney, brain) that they will encounter at work daily where acute deterioration can lead to loss of life if untreated e.g. Stroke, hypoxic brain injuries, DKA, Congestive Heart Failure, COPD, pneumonia, Coronary Artery Disease, Cirrhosis, Hepatic Encephalopathy, ARDS/Respiratory Failure, MI, Sepsis, Shock states, and more! Term 3 in 2020 was the hardest term my friends and I ever experienced in school, but it’s my favourite.
Buckle up because you’ll be grinding hard, especially in Term 1 and Term 3/4. I know you will do AMAZING!
Term 4 begins from September—December of the 2024 Winter Session. Besides what I mentioned above for Term 3, nursing skills are cumulative by Term 4, with a much more enhanced understanding of nursing practice by this point. You’ll notice concepts linking together and building on all previous foundational knowledge you learned! Most students start to develop a routine for themselves between Term 3 and 4 while learning to exercise the nursing process mentally. In short, things will start clicking!
Term 5 (January—May) is senior year (the second half of Winter Session). Pat yourself on the back for reaching this term! You’ll begin consolidating all the knowledge/skills you accumulated since the beginning of nursing school, with one main academic obstacle left: final preceptorship, where you get paired with an employed RN, focus on fulfilling nursing competencies based on the BCCNM (the RN licensing body in British Columbia) Practice Standards, and work towards writing the NCLEX-RN exam that, once passed, grants you your official RN license. It’s a busy yet exciting time!
Prospective employers from numerous health authorities start reaching out to the Graduating Class of 2025, as well. You can do anything with your flexible RN degree. The world truly is your oyster.
Feel free to reach out to me on Reddit if you’re considering a specialty nursing role upon graduation down the road; I obtained my Critical Care Nursing certification from BCIT via sponsorship by my hospital and health authority.
