Overview
Graduates are prepared to be professional nurses who will practice in a variety of health-care settings. Central to our mission is the preparation of nurses who will work to enhance the quality of health of individuals, families, communities and society.
McMaster’s current nursing curriculum uses a problem-based, small group, self-directed educational model. Students may complete their McMaster (BScN) degree at one of three sites:
- McMaster University
- Mohawk College
- Conestoga College
Applicants will be considered for admission to each institution to which they apply. Applicants interested in either Mohawk or Conestoga colleges must apply through the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS).
Students attend the institution to which they are admitted for the entire four years of the program. Transfer from the colleges to the university site is not an option. Similarly, transfer from McMaster University to the colleges is not an option. Students from all three institutions will graduate with a McMaster University Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree upon successful completion of the program.
Indigenous Application Process
With an understanding that Indigenous learners can face specific barriers or challenges when pursuing higher education, schools and programs within McMaster’s Faculty of Health Sciences have facilitated admissions streams for applicants with Indigenous North American (First Nations, Inuit or Métis) ancestry. This process is intended to provide equitable access to Indigenous applicants and aligns with the intent of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action.
In alignment with the Faculty of Health Sciences Facilitated Indigenous Admissions Program (FIAP), applicants wishing to apply through McMaster’s FIAP need to complete the supplementary self-identification application in addition to McMaster University and program specific application processes.
The FIAP self-identification application is submitted to McMaster’s Indigenous Health Task Force (IHTF) through the Indigenous Students Health Sciences (ISHS) Office by February 1st, 2019
To encourage and support Indigenous applicants, the School of Nursing has 5% reserved seats for Indigenous students in all BScN streams, who have successfully completed the program’s admission requirements.
For further information on the FHS Facilitated Indigenous Admissions Program (FIAP), click on the link https://ishs.mcmaster.ca/admissions/self-identification
Why Nursing at McMaster?
McMaster Mohawk Conestoga B.Sc.N. Program
The School of Nursing provides high-quality, innovative nursing education in a unique educational setting. Our programs promote nursing as a caring, client-centred, scientifically-based profession. Our goal is to prepare you for practice in a wide variety of health care settings through curricula that are responsive to real world needs. Our Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.Sc.N.) Program is delivered in partnership with Mohawk College and Conestoga College.
The School of Nursing pioneered problem-based learning (PBL) in nursing education and we continue to believe that this approach best prepares our students for the roles that they will hold after graduation. PBL involves small and large group, self-directed learning that emphasizes interpersonal skills, independent learning, and leadership qualities. Learning is a process of inquiry, a skill to develop as a life-long activity in an environment conducive to openness and sharing between Faculty and students. Self-directed learning promotes the development of critical thinking abilities and self-evaluation skills. Students apply concepts from nursing and related disciplines to their experiences in classroom, simulation, and clinical settings.
Professional Nursing Practice
You will have many opportunities throughout your program to put theory into practice in clinical settings. Through our partnerships with a wide variety of hospitals, agencies, and community settings, you will experience multiple locations and specialties that will help you to decide what specialty is right for you. There are also exciting opportunities for nursing placements in outpost and international settings! In our Clinical Learning Centre, you will have the opportunity to practice skills learned on simulation equipment and work with interprofessional student teams to solve healthcare scenarios.
The University Experience
There are many opportunities to get involved both in the activities of the School (such as MUNSS and MacSoc) and in the university itself. McMaster is committed to valuing cultural diversity and building an inclusive community in which students can learn and excel.
Research and Evidence-Based Practice
The School of Nursing strongly believes that the best nursing practice is based on scientific evidence. Our program gives you experience with the research process and teaches you to gather and critically evaluate research to promote critical thinking and problem solving skills. Evidence-based practice supports sound decision making and continuous learning.
Our Educational Methods
One of many advantages of Nursing at McMaster is the opportunity to get to know both your professors and your classmates well. Nursing courses may have groups ranging in size from 8 – 40 students. This provides a learning environment that allows development of communication, group process, and leadership skills in nursing and multidisciplinary health care teams. We believe that learning is a process of inquiry and collaboration in which the student and Faculty tutor, as well as other clinical teachers, work toward a common goal or outcome. The process is student-centred and occurs through dialogue within a context of respectful relationship(s).
