Diploma in Nursing

This technical Diplôme d'études collégiales (DEC) in Nursing at Cégep de Matane is delivered over six semesters, with an optional four-year format, and prepares students to assess patients, plan care, and administer nursing and medical treatments across a range of settings and populations. Coursework covers human anatomy, physiology, and pathology, clinical assessment methods, pharmacology, microbiology and immunology, mental-health nursing, pediatric and perinatal care, geriatric nursing, emergency care, and health promotion. Clinical placements begin in the first session and include specialized observation rotations in pediatrics, perinatal care, and psychiatry, supported by high-fidelity simulation mannequins in updated laboratories that replicate hospital units; an optional international cooperation placement is also available. The program suits students interested in direct, hands-on patient care across the lifespan. Graduates work as registered nurses in hospitals, health centres, private clinics, home care, and palliative-care settings, and can continue through a DEC-BAC pathway to a bachelor's degree in nursing science, typically through partner universities such as UQAR, in two additional years of study.