A journey tailored to your next chapter

• The Practical Nurse Program, as part of the Step Up to Nursing (SUN) pilot project, has been available at NBCC Saint John for cohorts starting in September 2023 and September 2024.
• The LPN Bridge Program, under the SUN initiative, is offered at the University of New Brunswick's Saint John campus for the 2023 and 2024 cohorts.

The Step Up to Nursing initiative is a workplace-based, wage-supported learning model that provides education to New Brunswickers who are interested in becoming either a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or a Registered Nurse (RN).

The initiative offers participants the opportunity to continue to work in the healthcare system on a part-time basis meeting all employment requirements and standards, while completing one of two nursing education programs: the Practical Nurse (PN) program or the Licensed Practical Nurse Bridge (LPNBR) program leading to the Bachelor of Nursing (BN) program.

Participants are paid up to a full-time wage commensurate with their level of experience and certification level.

The provincial government covers tuition and maintain wages during periods of learning. Participants need to cover all additional costs including licensing exams, books, equipment, clothing, technology, and student fees. Travel and childcare costs must also be considered.

Participants eligible for the PN program stream are New Brunswickers who meet the admissions requirements for NBCC’s Practical Nurse program and work for a NB partnering employer.

The LPN Bridge program stream is intended for Licensed Practical Nurses who want to become Registered Nurses, are members of the Association of New Brunswick Licensed Practical Nurses (ANBLPN) in good standing and meet all the eligibility requirements and are employed by NB partnering employer.

The Practical Nurse SUN program offers up to 28 seats for both the 2023 and 2024 cohorts. Participants follow a part-time schedule, alternating between three days of work and two days of study, then two days of work and three days of study every other week. The program runs for two years for the 2023 cohort and three years for the 2024 cohort.

In the LPN Bridge program, participants work and study part-time for three years and eight months. During the first two years, the work-study ratio is 60% work and 40% study (two days per week). In the third year of the BN program, participants shift to 40% work and 60% study when clinical placements begin. The final semester before graduation is a full-time clinical placement (100% study).