Licensed practical nurses are a vital part of today's health care team - in acute hospital care, long-term care and in the community. They provide compassionate, professional nursing care to individuals throughout the human lifespan, infants to seniors. If this sounds interesting to you, explore Saskatchewan Polytechnic's Practical Nursing program. In just two years, we’ll help you develop into a competent, confident nurse capable of making a positive difference in the health and well-being of individuals, their families and our communities.
Start date
September
Length
76 weeks
78 weeks - effective September 2025
Location(s)
Prince Albert, Regina, SaskatoonOnline/Distance options availableLength and location notes
Some programs offered online or otherwise by distance (i.e., correspondence) include on-site labs, clinicals, practicums or work experiences. They may be offered course-by-course or full-time, or both, and deliveries may change over time.
- On-campus program - September intake each year;
- Online program - September intake each year
Year 1 - 38 weeks; Year 2 - 38 weeks
A summer break over the months of July and August occurs between Year 1 and Year 2.
Practical Nursing is a two-year diploma program offered at Sask Polytech Saskatoon Campus, Regina Campus, and Prince Albert Campus, with online distance learning options. Onsite labs and community-based clinical practice education experiences let you apply nursing knowledge, theory and skills in a variety of environments.
The program is a sequential 6-semester program allowing the concepts from one semester to be built on in subsequent semesters. The 6 semesters run over 76 weeks, over a 2-year period. Classes are designed to meet diverse learning styles.
Our experienced faculty help you grow into a competent, confident nurse capable of bringing a holistic, humanistic approach to patient care. You'll study:
- Anatomy and physiology
- Foundations of health
- Pharmacology
- Health assessment through the lifespan
- Long-term and rehabilitative care
- Medical and surgical care
- Obstetrics and pediatrics
- Mental health and addictions
- Community
- Sociology
Courses are delivered in a blended model which comprise of onsite face-to-face and online course delivery. Our instructors engage with students through a variety of instructional methods such as seminars, observational experiences, pre- and post-clinical conferences, small group presentations, lectures, demonstrations, role-playing, storytelling, discussion, reflective thinking and writing and simulation lab experiences.
Opportunities for critical reflection about caring-based practice, development of employability skills, and understanding the role and scope of practice of the licensed practical nurse (LPN) are blended into the program's learning activities.
The clinical practice education courses are integrative in nature, and, as such, the evaluation of your performance in the clinical setting involves evaluating the application of the theoretical concepts learned in all other courses. This is what ultimately determines your progress toward achieving the competencies of the beginning practical nurse. Clinical rotations are a mandatory component of the Practical Nursing program and may occur in both urban and rural settings. Students are responsible for arranging their own travel to and from clinical sites, regardless of location. Any cost related to travel, including transportation, accommodation, and meals, are the responsibility of the student.
The focus of each semester is as follows:
- Semester 1 - Health Promotion/Illness Prevention
- Semester 2 - Rehabilitative and Supportive Care
- Semester 3 - Restorative and Curative Care
- Semester 4 - Acute Medical and Surgical Care
- Semester 5 - Acute Medical Surgical Care/Maternal-Child Health/Community
- Semester 6 - Transition from Student to Graduate
Note: Students who have previously completed the following courses may be eligible to receive transfer credit upon acceptance into the program: BIOL 102 and BIOL 103.
Effective Fall 2025-26 academic year and onward:
- Course replacement: SOCI 171 will replace SOCI 160 in Semester 3 of the program. These courses are not eligible for transfer credit for one another.
- Course removal and replacement: SOCI 201 will be removed from the program and will be replaced with a new sociology course that is currently in development.
For students enrolled in the 2024-25 academic year:
- If you are a student who is starting the program in the 2024-25 academic year, you may continue to complete the SOCI 160 and SOCI 201 courses as planned.
Why Sask Polytech
Extensive hands-on learning
- Whether you are enrolled in an on-campus or online nursing program, you will apply your knowledge and skills in Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s state-of-the-art labs and high-fidelity simulation centres.
- Clinical practice education – Each semester contains a clinical experience that gives you the opportunity to put theory into practice. Clinical is completed in a variety of practice settings: long-term care, rehabilitation, acute care, community, and more.
- Experience with preceptors - In the final experience of the program, you will be preceptored with a practicing LPN who is licensed with the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Saskatchewan (CLPNS). This time will assist in your transition from student nurse to practicing nurse.
Study close to home
Online students are required to write exams at an approved invigilation site, which may include Saskatchewan Polytechnic Testing Centres, regional colleges, or, with prior instructor approval, other locations such as elementary or secondary schools. However, some exams—such as Medication Calculations—must be written at either the Regina or Saskatoon campus. Students are responsible for scheduling their exams with the chosen site and covering any associated costs.
Earn your professional credentials
Diploma to degree
Personalized support with an Indigenous advisor
Serve in the Canadian Armed Forces
Career and salary information
Your career
Employment opportunities for licensed practical nurses are excellent. Most LPNs work in acute care hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, medical centres and long-term care facilities. Choose an area that interests you - gerontology, maternal-child, medical, mental health, palliative, pediatric, rehabilitation or surgical nursing.
You also can pursue a career in a community setting: a nursing clinic, home care agency, private nursing agency, community health centre or physician's office. Saskatchewan Polytechnic Practical Nursing graduates enjoy national reciprocity, which means you can work in any province in Canada or the Northwest Territories. Our graduates have also found jobs in the United States and overseas.
Further investigate this program choice as a career:
- Conduct informational interviews with people working in this field.
- Explore the possibility of job shadowing.
- Read more about Licensed Practical Nurses.
- Attend an Open House event at Sask Polytech.
- Read more about Licensed Practical Nursing practice and regulation by visiting the CLPNS website.
Potential careers
| Sample job title | NOC classification |
|---|---|
| Licenced practical nurse (LPN) | Licensed practical nurses (32101) |
Admissions
Admission requirements
-
The Practical Nursing program is subject to the competitive admission process.
- Grade 12 with a minimum overall score of 65% in the following five subjects: English Language Arts A30, English Language Arts B30, Foundations of Math 30 or Pre-Calculus 30 or Workplace and Apprenticeship Math 30*; one of Biology 30, Chemistry 30 or Physics 30; and one of Social Studies 30, History 30 or Native Studies 30
- At least 18 years old as of December 31st in the year of admission
- English Language Requirement Specific to Practical Nursing (see Program-Specific ELP Requirements section)
Note:
- Please indicate on your application form whether you are applying to the on-campus or online program.
- Applicants should have the Requisite Skills and Abilities (pdf) to become a Licensed Practical Nurse in Canada.
- Accepted applicants will be required to provide evidence of a Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Search prior to the start date of the program. At the discretion of the practicum agency, access to a clinical or work placement may be declined based on the contents of the Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Search. As program the requirements cannot be met without placement, admission to the program will be revoked if placement is declined, and the applicant may reapply once the record has been cleared. The cost of the Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Search is the applicant’s responsibility. Renewal throughout the program may be required.
- Proof of current Standard First Aid and Heart and Stroke Foundation CPR is required prior to entry into the clinical practicum. The required course for CPR is Basic Life Support – Health Care Provider (BLS-HCP). The cost of Standard First Aid and CPR is the applicant's responsibility.
- Accepted applicants will be required to provide evidence of Transferring Lifting Repositioning (TLR®) certification upon admission into the program.
- Accepted applicants are required to provide current immunization records and meet Saskatchewan Polytechnic immunization requirements prior to entry into clinical experiences.
- Accepted applicants are required to provide evidence of current N95 respirator mask testing prior to entry into the clinical experiences. The cost of N95 respirator mask testing is your responsibility.
- Accepted applicants are required to provide evidence of current WHMIS Globally Harmonized System (GHS) certification upon admission into the program. Recertification will be required every three years to remain current. The cost of WHMIS certification is the applicant’s responsibility.
*Previous Saskatchewan mathematics requirement also accepted:
- Math A30, Math B30, Math C30, Calculus 30, or General Math 30
Admission method
Competitive
The competitive admissions process is used for programs where the number of qualified applicants regularly exceeds the number of spaces available. In competitive programs, higher admission requirements and/or additional selection criteria may be required.
Applications open October 1, each academic year.
Domestic student deadlines:
- Application deadline: February 15, each academic year
- Document submission deadline: March 15, each academic year
International student deadlines:
- Application deadline: December 31, each academic year
- Document submission deadline: January 31, each academic year
All supporting documentation is required by 4:30 p.m. (CST) on the document deadline date. When document deadline falls on a weekend, documents are due the following Monday.
See Admission Processes for more information about this method of admission.
Selection criteria
Applications are ranked in the order of highest averages.
- Category A: High school applicants (current high school students, high school graduates
and
applicants with less than 15 credit units from a recognized post-secondary institution). - Category B: Post-secondary applicants (students with a minimum of 15 credit units
from a
recognized post-secondary institution).
Admission average calculation for current high school students
The admission average calculation for current high school students is based on final marks provided by the posted date. High school students must order transcripts to be sent directly to Sask Polytech at the end of Semester 1 and the end of Semester 2 of the grade 12 year. Students who have not yet graduated from grade 12, and who are registered in the Adult 12 program with Sask Polytech, must have their instructor submit, in writing, the relevant mid-term mark(s) by the posted date. These mid-term marks will be used in the admission average calculation. For the admission average calculation, the final grade 12 mark is used if the course is completed, and the final grade 11 mark is used only in the absence of the grade 12 mark in the same subject. Sask Polytech does not use projected or predicted marks in the absence of final marks. All program specific admission requirements must be met before final admission is granted.
Applications are ranked in the order of highest averages.
Admission average calculation for high school graduates
The admission average calculation for high school graduates is based on the final marks in high-school courses required for admission to the specific program. Approved post-secondary equivalents may meet specific course requirements, but Saskatchewan Polytechnic uses the post-secondary equivalent only in the absence of high school marks when calculating the average. High school graduates must provide final marks obtained through upgrading, along with all post secondary transcripts, by the posted deadline.
Applications are ranked in the order of highest averages.
Applicants with 15 or more credits should refer to admissions average calculation for post-secondary students.
Post-secondary students
Applicants must meet requirements for the specific program to which they apply. Approved post-secondary equivalents may meet specific course requirements. Saskatchewan Polytechnic bases the admissions average calculation on post-secondary courses from recognized institutions (minimum 15 credits to a maximum of 30 recent credits), requires a minimum 60% average, and confirms good standing. Saskatchewan Polytechnic ranks applications in the order of highest averages. Applicants must provide all post-secondary transcripts by the posted deadline. Saskatchewan Polytechnic uses only final grades provided by the posted deadline. All competitive programs include an assessment in which a competitive score is calculated, and applicants are ranked based on academic performance.
Tuition and fees
Estimates are based on current rates and are subject to change. Amounts for a program may vary by campus. Totals shown here include all mandatory fees as well as approximate cost for books and supplies. Visit the Tuition and Fees web page for a complete breakdown of tuition and fees for this program.
2025-26 academic year
Year 1 - $12,230
Year 2 - $8,970
Year 1 (Online program) - $11,800
Year 2 (Online program) - $8,540
International students
View tuition rates for international students.
Courses
The program follows this academic education schedule.
Year one:
- Semester 1 (Sept - Dec)
- Semester 2 (Jan - Apr)
- Semester 3 (May - June)
Year two:
- Semester 4 (Sept - Dec)
- Semester 5 (Jan - Apr)
- Semester 6 (May - June)
Please note that courses in this program are delivered in a variety of modalities
including face-to-face and online. Furthermore, student learning occurs in the classroom
and includes seminars, labs, and clinicals.
Courses in the program that will be delivered online for all students, including those
who are accepted into the on-campus program, are outlined below:
- Semester 1: NURS 172 Variations in Health 1
- Semester 2: NURS 240 Professional Practice & Communication 2
- Semester 3: None
- Semester 4: NRSG 258 Addictions and SOCI 201 Culture and Diversity in Health Sciences
- Semester 5: NURS 292 Foundations 3 – Maternal Child Health
- Semester 6: None
Get credit for what you know
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition
Saskatchewan Polytechnic recognizes that adults learn in many different ways. This includes acquiring knowledge and skills through life and work experience or non-formal training.
See link(s) below to get more information about PLAR.
Transfer credit
Many Sask Polytech students benefit from transferring course credit. You may be eligible to transfer credit to Sask Polytech or to another college or university.
Student awards
Thanks to the generosity of donors and alumni, Saskatchewan Polytechnic gives away more than $2 million in student awards during the academic year.
Saskatchewan Polytechnic offers student awards for every certificate and diploma program at every campus. Not all student awards are based on marks - some are based on financial need or things like community or volunteer involvement.
Accreditation
The program is approved by the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Saskatchewan (CLPNS)
The program meets provincial and national standards set by the CLPNS and Canadian
Council for Practical Nurse Regulators.
Below are key guiding documents for the practical nursing program:
- Entry-to-Practice Competencies for Licensed Practical Nurses (pdf)
- Standards of Practice
- Code of Ethics for Licensed Practical Nurses in Canada
Related programs
Continuing Care Assistants (CCA) to Practical Nursing
Practical Nursing Certificate to Diploma
Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Additional information
If you have questions about this program, please email practicalnursing@saskpolytech.ca.
