Applications are now open for Brock University’s new concurrent Bachelor of Nursing/Master of Nursing (BN/MN) program — the first of its kind in Canada.

The concurrent BN/MN degree in Nursing is an innovative, course-based program designed to provide students with a high-quality alternative entry to practice that includes a hands-on and theoretical approach.

Accepting applications until Sunday, March 13, the 20-month expedited program offers students opportunities to gain experience in five areas, including knowledge-based practice and self-regulation. The innovative approach to the program structure provides students with a balance of clinical and theoretical experience.

The program combines an undergraduate and graduate degree in Nursing, providing students with an opportunity to become nursing leaders upon graduation. Graduates of the program are also eligible to write the NCLEX-RN registration exam.

The Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities approved this one-of-a-kind program on Jan. 28, allowing for a quick turnaround start in May.

“We are very excited to finally see this program come to life,” says Dawn Prentice, Graduate Program Director and Professor. “It’s been many years in the making and a journey that began with the program’s proposal in 2017 with Dr. Joyce Engel, former Chair and Associate Professor of Nursing.”

This was not Prentice’s first time pioneering a program. In 2005, she was part of the team that launched the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program at Brock.

“It is amazing to relive the excitement of receiving approval from the Ministry. There are a lot of stakeholder approvals needed to launch a program, not including the interruptions we encountered during the pandemic,” she says. “I’ve been able to watch the BScN program grow, and I am looking forward to seeing the same with the BN/MN concurrent degree.”

With the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences eagerly recruiting qualified students to fill the new program’s 32 spaces, Dean Peter Tiidus acknowledges the hard work that has gone into delivering this timely program.

“Our staff and faculty have been working very hard to bring this program to life,” says Tiidus. “This program encapsulates Brock’s excellence in transformative learning for students inside and outside the classroom while addressing the ongoing nurse shortage. Our graduates are health-care leaders, and I can’t wait to congratulate our first nurses of the program in 2024.”

The BN/MN program welcomes students with a four-year bachelor’s degree to apply by Sunday, March 13. All requirements can be found on the program’s website.

Prospective students can also register for an information session taking place Tuesday, March 1 at noon to learn more about the program’s details, structure and application process.