Psychiatric Nursing Refresher Certificate Program at Douglas College in New Westminster, Canada is a certificate in Health Sciences programme. The programme is delivered on campus. Teaching is in English.
At a glance
Degree:Certificate
Field:Health Sciences
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
We have no tuition fees on record for this programme yet.
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Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The Psychiatric Nursing Refresher Certificate Program is a self-paced, online, instructor-supported program offered through Douglas College Continuing Education for Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs) who have been out of practice for up to five years and want to update their knowledge and skills to meet the competencies expected of a beginning graduate before returning to registration. The program is recognized by the regulatory bodies for psychiatric nursing in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It consists of five theory courses covering areas such as therapeutic relationships, assessment and care planning, and professional communication, an online clinical skills component, and a full-time clinical preceptorship placement in an acute care psychiatric setting. Nurses who only want to refresh their theoretical knowledge, rather than complete the full program, may instead register in any or all of the individual theory courses on their own. Admission includes proof of completion of English 12 with a minimum grade of "C," or equivalent language proficiency test results. Each course carries its own tuition fee rather than one combined program fee, and students have up to 31 months to complete the program, though self-paced, monthly-start courses may allow faster completion. Graduates receive a Douglas College Continuing Education Program Certificate in Psychiatric Nursing Refresher, issued through the Office of the Registrar.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: To register, applicants must submit proof of completion of a recognized Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN) education program, and proof of completion of English 12 with a minimum grade of C, or equivalent Language Proficiency Index (LPI) test results with a score of 4 on all sections. The certificate is intended for RPNs who want to refresh their psychiatric-nursing knowledge and skills before returning to practice, and applicants apply by emailing the program's Continuing Education contact directly rather than through a general college application. No minimum GPA, interview, reference letter, or portfolio requirement is stated on the programme page.
Application Details
Application Deadline:Douglas College publishes college-wide application windows rather than a single date for every programme, and the domestic and international timetables differ. Domestic applicants apply through EducationPlannerBC: for the 2027 entry cycle, Fall applications open 1 October 2026, Winter applications open 1 February 2026, and Summer applications open 1 June 2026; limited-enrolment programmes set no fixed close and shut once seats fill, while open-enrolment programmes stay open until 4:00 p.m. the Friday before the semester starts. International applicants apply directly to Douglas: Fall 2026 entry is now closed, Winter 2027 entry is accepted until 30 September 2026, and Summer 2027 entry until 31 January 2027. Admission is effectively rolling within each window until seats or the deadline are reached. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
