Access to Practical Nursing Diploma is a diploma in Health Sciences programme taught at Vancouver Community College in Vancouver, Canada. The programme runs for 13 months, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition is CAD 14,000 per total for local students.
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Health Sciences
Duration: 13 months
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 14,000 / total
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The Access to Practical Nursing diploma apply your previous training and experience as a Health Care Assistant (HCA) or Resident Care Attendant (RCA) to accelerate your practical nursing training. Level Access provides the foundation for the development of nursing practice and introduces you to the healthy adult, the older adult and concepts related to aging and chronic illness in various settings. Level three examines a continuum of care in the community health setting and applies concepts from level one, two and three in the management of stable clients across the lifespan. Level four integrates knowledge from previous levels and examines concepts related to the care of the medical/surgical client. Each level is supported by a Consolidated Practice Experience (CPE) which reinforces the learning that has taken place within each level.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: This is the bridging route for working care aides, so the entry list is longer than for the standard diploma and every item must be met. Academic entry is Grade 12 graduation or an equivalent, English Studies 12 at a minimum 'B' grade, Foundations of Math 11 at a minimum 'C', and BIOL 1602 Human Anatomy and Physiology at 68 per cent or better taken within the previous three years. You also need a BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry number, evidenced by the registration confirmation letter, and where applicable an HCA, RCA or HS/RCA certificate from an institution the Registry recognises. On top of that VCC requires 600 hours of work experience gained in the last two years in a care facility or individualised home-care setting, verified by an official employer letter. English proficiency must be at the level VCC specifies for the Practical Nursing and Access to Practical Nursing programmes. Applicants with transcripts from outside Canada may be asked for a comprehensive credential evaluation. On acceptance you must clear a criminal record check carried out to VCC's instructions — a result indicating risk to vulnerable populations prevents you from completing practicums or graduating, hold valid CPR-BLS certification throughout, submit a negative tuberculosis skin test or chest X-ray dated within six months of the start, complete the School of Health Sciences immunisation record, and pass an annual N95 respirator fit test with the original certificate produced in the first week. VCC states this programme is open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents and directs international students to VCC International, which lists separately the programmes open to them. College-wide rules also apply: applicants must be 16 or older or a secondary-school graduate, with some exceptions, and official transcripts and every required supporting document must reach VCC before the application counts as complete.
Application Details
Start Date:September intake only. VCC's academic year runs in three terms: Winter (January to April), Spring/Summer (May to August) and Fall (September to December).
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) apply through EducationPlannerBC. VCC publishes this programme's windows term by term on its When to Apply page: Fall 2027 entry (September start) — applications open 1 October 2026 and close 1 June 2027. Seats go to eligible applicants in the order their applications are completed, so the programme can close before the listed end date once it fills. VCC's page for this programme states it is open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, and points international students to VCC International, which lists separately the programmes and intakes open to them; there the application periods open on 1 February, 1 June and 1 October of the previous year for the Winter, Spring/Summer and Fall terms, with no fixed closing date — a programme accepts applications until roughly three to four months before classes begin, or until its seats are gone.
