Graduates of the Practical Nursing Diploma (PND) program may be employed in a hospital, a long-term care facility or in the community.

In order to practice in Ontario as a Registered Practical Nurse, Practical Nursing Diploma Program graduates must be successful in the Practical Nursing Registration Examination administered by the College of Nurses of Ontario, and must maintain their certificate of competence thereafter. As a result of regulations arising out of the Nursing Act 1991, applicants for registration in Ontario must not have:

1. been convicted of a criminal offence or an offence under the Narcotic Control Act (Canada) or the Food and Drugs Act (Canada);
2. any physical or mental condition/illness that may affect ability to practice.

Applicants who do not meet this requirement will be reviewed by the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) to determine if registration will be granted.

Successful Ontario registrants are eligible for registration throughout Canada (French required in Quebec).

Please review the CNO website for detailed information and requirements regarding provincial registration.

Affiliations and Associations

• College of Nurses of Ontario
• Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario

• Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent with:
  • Grade 12 English: ENG4 (C) or ENG4 (U)
  • Grade 12 Physics or Chemistry: (C) or (U)  (Grade 11U is accepted)
  • Grade 12 Mathematics: (C) or (U) OR Grade 11 Mathematics (U) or (M)
  • Grade 11 Biology: (C)
• OR Mature Student Status (age 19 or older) with the above prerequisite course(s)
• Minimum Grade scores: 70% in each required course

The following highschool and college math courses are accepted for admission purposes:

• MDM4U - Data Management
• MCV4U - Calculus and Vectors
• MHF4U - Advanced Functions
• MCR3U - Functions
• MCF3M - Functions and Applications
• MAP4C - Apprenticeship Math
• MCT4C - Technical Math

The following Seneca courses will be accepted for admission purposes:

• PHY091
• CHM091
• BIO091
• ESL934 (see Mandatory Assessments)

The following Seneca math courses are accepted for admission purposes:

• MTH 012 - Math 12U Equivalency
• MTH079 - College Preparatory Math
• MBF101 - Mathematics of Business and Finance
• MTH196 - Advanced Functions
• MTH198 - Calculus
• MTH 135 - Foundations of Mathematics II
• MTH160 - Fundamentals of Mathematics Part I
• MTH 177 - Mathematics Data Management
• MTH 092, MTH 099 - ACE Technical and Apprenticeship Math

Please note: Math courses from college Pre-Health Science programs are generally accepted except for Seneca's part-time Pre-Health Science program (i.e., MTH069 & MTH197), which are NOT accepted for admission purposes.

Mandatory Assessments

• English Assessment and Placement.

Applicant Selection

Additional Information:
After admission but before you participate in clinical placement you must obtain:

Mature Applicants:
A mature applicant must be nineteen years of age. As a Mature Applicant, you do not require an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (or its equivalent); however, you do require an academic credit or its equivalent in each of the above areas under admission requirements.

Foreign Credentials:
Secondary school credits obtained outside of Canada or the U.S. must be evaluated by a third party evaluator.  Please apply for a course by course evaluation through International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS)   http://www.icascanada.ca/

Requisite Skills and Abilities

Please refer to the College of Nurses of Ontario at cno.org to gain an understanding of required skills and abilities for this profession.

This program is only open to Canadian applicants.

To apply for the Practical Nursing Diploma program, visit the OCAS website.

Program courses may change as needed.

PNC220, PNC320, PNC420 & PNC520: Students must register for a  mandatory  PNC001 Clinical Prep Orientation online course in order to take the  clinical courses.

The following are required for PND program students prior to the first clinical experience (PNC220): (Requirements may vary as per individual institution policies and must be kept current for all clinical placements.)

1. Completed Health Form with Immunization Report
2. Police Reference Check. (Vulnerable Sector Screening) -  clear check
3. Certificate in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) - Healthcare Provider or HCP CPR (also called BLS CPR)
4. Certificate in Standard First Aid (usually 16 hours)
5. Mask Fit Test.
6. Completion of all courses in Module 1.

It is the student's responsibility to pay for any of the above services if required.

Attendance at all clinical experiences is compulsory. Students who miss one or more clinical shifts and cannot meet the learning outcomes risk receiving an unsatisfactory grade.

Clinical placements are located throughout the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) which includes places such as Markham and Newmarket. These are arranged by Seneca Polytechnic. Consideration is given to geographic proximity for student convenience; however, quotas cannot be exceeded and this may require students to travel a distance to the next location. Students are responsible for their own transportation, parking fees, etc to clinical placements. Changes in clinical or community assignments will be considered if the placement presents a conflict of interest; for example, relatives working in the area, previous admission to a hospital unit or other significant concerns.

Hours in clinical placements vary according to the usual routines in the agency. Shifts may be day or evening shifts. Some common start times are 0700 or 0730, ending at either 1900 or 1930. Shift length is 12 hours.

1. Students who register into a clinical placement on a  Saturday and/or Monday may have to attend a mandatory institution orientation and/or computer orientation that may be scheduled any day during the week.
2. Students need to have completed  all of the required documents for the semester.

Seneca is accountable to professional and corporate stakeholders in nursing and is committed to providing excellence in education and skills development. The three year eight month pathway to completion of the Practical Nursing Diploma program-part-time is intended to meet the flexible needs of adult learners while ensuring that graduates enter the field with knowledge that is current and that they are well prepared to become Registered Practical Nurses. Students are expected to be continuously enrolled in courses each semester in the part-time Nursing Program to graduate within the time frame. Students who fail to complete the part-time program within a 4 year time frame may be required to repeat vocation specific courses already obtained in order to graduate.

This program is eligible for OSAP funding.

Course load is used by OSAP to determine funding options for programs.

If you are taking one to two courses at the same time, you may be considered for part-time student grants and loans.

• one course (20 per cent)
• two courses (40 per cent)

If you are taking three or more courses at the same time, you may be considered for full-time student grants and loans.

• three courses (60 per cent)
• four courses (80 per cent)
• five courses (100 per cent)

To find out if you qualify and to learn how to apply, please visit the OSAP website.

For information on other awards and financial assistance, please see Financial Aid.