School of Health and Human Services

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1 School of Health and Human Services Leadership in Gerontological Nursing Post Graduate Diploma Program Policies APPROVAL: 1. Next Policy Review: June 1, Admissions & Standards Committee: September 23, Education Council Committee: October 14, Effective: September 1, Minor Revisions: 6. Credential(s): Post Graduate Diploma PROGRAM OBJECTIVES This program policy pertains to the Leadership in Gerontological Nursing Post-graduate Diploma (LGN) program. The program will be delivered as a face to face program and is designed for internationally educated registered nurses from countries besides Canada and the United States. The core programming is made up of credits over 4 semesters and is designed to be completed on a full time basis over a two year period. The program includes 35 credits of Gerontology and Leadership theory, 6 credits of Gerontology skills lab, 10 credits of clinical practicum including complex and acute care, 3 credits of English theory, and 6 credits of Human Service theory. The program will give participants tools and skills to meet the complex physical, social, environmental, cognitive and spiritual needs of the elderly in a Canadian context. Students in the program are subject to the policies affecting all students at Selkirk College, with the following additions. College policies may be viewed on-line at the College website PART I: ADMISSIONS POLICIES A. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS In addition to meeting the general admission requirements to Selkirk College, the applicant must meet the following Leadership in Gerontological Nursing Post Graduate Diploma Program requirements to be considered fully-qualified: 1. Academic a) Students must possess a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree or Graduate Nurse and Midwifery Diploma from a recognized nursing school with English as a primary language of instruction. b) Students must be registered with a national/provincial/state nursing association in their home country and be able to provide documentation. c) Students will have an English Language Proficiency of IELTS 6.5 overall with no band lower than 6.0 (7.0 speaking) or equivalent. d) Students will provide original documentation of certification and transcripts from previous institutions.

2 Leadership in Gerontological Nursing Post Graduate Diploma Program Policies Page 2 of General B. SELECTION a) Students should have one year of nursing experience with adults. b) Students may begin the national assessment process and application for registration requirements with the College of Registered Nurses of BC (CRNBC). c) Applicants are encouraged to review the CRNBC document This document provides information about the skills and abilities required of nursing students and Registered Nurses. Applicants who have concerns about whether or not they have the required skills and abilities for progression through the program should contact the CRNBC directly. 1. Admission to program is limited to a specific number of students and not all qualified applicants will be accepted to the program. Applications are received during the 12-month period preceding the program start date. 2. Only fully qualified applicants will be accepted into this program. 3. Applicants who have not met the above criteria (Part I.A.1) but who are in the process of doing so may be accepted into program on a conditional basis. A letter will be sent to the student by Selkirk International specifying the conditions of admission. 4. Once the class intake has been filled, applicants who meet admission requirements but have not been accepted for admission will be placed on a wait list. Individuals on the wait list will be admitted if vacancies occur. C. APPLICATION PROCEDURE 1. Before an applicant's file is considered to be complete, a completed application package, which addresses all items in Part I, A, 1, must have been received by the Admissions office. 2. Deadline for receiving completed applications (see point 1 above) is prior to the commencement of the program. 3. Interviews may be arranged when the applicant's file is complete. The purposes of the interview will be to provide the applicant with information about the program, to respond to the applicant's questions, and to assist the School of Health and Human Services in their application review process. 4. All costs related to the application process will be borne by the applicant.

3 Leadership in Gerontological Nursing Post Graduate Diploma Program Policies Page 3 of 11 D. ADVANCE CREDIT (see Policy 8614: Advanced Standing Course Challenge, Prior Learning Assessment and Transfer Credit) 1. Typically advanced credit is not provided in the program. E. PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT (PLA) 1. A student who wishes to prove mastery of all the course content without taking that course must submit an application for a Prior Learning Assessment to the Registrar. (Selkirk College Policy 8614: Advanced Standing Course Challenge, Prior Learning Assessment) F. RE-ENTRY INSTRUCTION: (Given to all students upon entry into the GC and LGN Programs.) 1. Readmission to the program is permitted only when spaces become available due to attrition. There may be no opportunity provided to students to re-enter the program; students must complete all courses in the program cohort they start in. 2. Students who fail to complete a semester successfully may apply to re-enter in the program and repeat the incomplete semester when it is next offered. Normally, there is a waiting period of 12 months between offerings of the same course or semester. PART II: PROMOTION POLICIES A. DEFINITIONS 1. Supplemental Examination: An examination which can provide a score that is used to replace the score of the final exam in calculating the final grade for a course. B. EVALUATION 1. Grading will be based on the categories defined in Selkirk College Policy 8612: Grading with the exception that the following letter grades and percentages will be used for Nursing courses, excluding courses listed in Part II, B, 1.b: Percentage Letter Grade GPA Description A+ 4.0 EXCELLENT. Work of exceptional quality; content complete, accurate and at a A 4.0 high level; excellent mastery of course learning outcome A B GOOD. Good quality work with no major weaknesses; mastery of most of the B 3.0 learning outcomes B C SATISFACTORY. Adequate work; some weaknesses in mastery of course C 2 learning outcomes; important details, skills or perspectives are left out. This level of achievement is normally considered satisfactory for the student to proceed to further courses in the same subject C UNSATISFACTORY. Minimally adequate work which may not prepare students for P 1.00 further study in the same or related subject areas. This grade may not meet the prerequisite grade requirements of subsequent courses F 0.0 FAILURE. Student has failed to master enough of the prescribed learning outcomes to receive any credit for the course. DNW 0.0 DID NOT OFFICIALLY WITHDRAW FROM COURSE. Students who did not complete a course and who, at the time they ceased to participate, had not accumulated sufficient marks to achieve any of the above passing grades.

4 Leadership in Gerontological Nursing Post Graduate Diploma Program Policies Page 4 of 11 a) The following courses will be graded CRG/NCG as described in Policy 8612 Table 3: (i) (ii) GNUR 520: Nursing Practice in Complex Care, and GNUR 525: Nursing Practice in Acute Care 2. Frequency of Evaluation a) Evaluative events will occur as specified in course outlines and will normally not be fewer than two events per course. b) In courses involving nursing practice (GNUR 520, GNUR 525) evaluation occurs on a continual basis. All activities in which students participate may be considered evaluative events. Informal verbal and/or written feedback is regularly provided by the instructor or preceptor. Formal, written performance appraisals are summaries of all evaluative events to date. Depending on the length of the course, there may be one or more performance appraisals. 3. Types of Evaluation (see Policy 8613: Evaluation of Student Learning) C. PROMOTION a) In the theory courses, evaluative events will normally include assignments, projects, examinations, tests or quizzes. These will be specified in course outlines. b) In the lab courses including GNUR 504 and GNUR 508, evaluative events include performance testing of relational and psychomotor competencies or tests or quizzes; details of testing will be specified in each course outline. c) In GNUR 520 and GNUR 525 practicum courses, formal written performance appraisals will be given, using an instrument which is based entirely on the stated performance criteria of the course for which the appraisal is being done. Student performance during practice courses will be assessed as satisfactory, needs improvement, or unsatisfactory. Students whose performance is assessed as needing improvement will be placed on a learning plan. Students whose performance is assessed as unsatisfactory will be placed on practice probation. d) No single evaluative event can be worth more than 50% of the final grade in any course. 1. In order to progress from one semester to the next, the following requirements must be met: a) Satisfactory completion of all courses in the semester with a minimum grade of 60%. b) Satisfactory completion of all non-gerontology courses in the semester with a minimum grade of 60%. This includes ENGL 110 or EASL 066, HSER 255, and ADD 184 or PSYC A minimum cumulative average of 60% (GPA of no less than 2.00) per each semester. All other admission criteria must continue to be met. c) For all failed courses the grade of the failed course will be calculated into the cumulative grade point average. If the student subsequently successfully completes the course, only the passing grade will be included in the calculation of the cumulative GPA. As per College policy 8612, a Grading CRG and NCG grade in the practice course is not included in GPA calculation. d) A student who obtains a grade of less than 60% in ENGL 110,, HSER 255, ADD 184, PSYC 100, and EASL 066, may be able to re-enroll if the course is offered again during the two year period when they attend the college, or if eligible complete supplemental work with permission of the Instructor and School Chair.

5 Leadership in Gerontological Nursing Post Graduate Diploma Program Policies Page 5 of 11 e) In the courses that include nursing skills or practice, students must demonstrate satisfactory achievement of all competencies. To receive credit in lab theory and skill sections of GNUR 504 and GNUR 508, students are required to obtain a 60% grade in each section of the course. Students who have an Incomplete grade ("I") at the end of any semester may be allowed to proceed into the following semester on a "conditional" basis. Such "conditional promotion" status will normally be permitted to continue only for the specified period permitted for conversion of "I" grades as per Selkirk College Policy All courses in the published curriculum of Leadership in Gerontological Nursing Program, whether or not completed within the same semester, are included in the semester average percentage calculation for that semester, except Credit/No Credit courses. D. STUDENT PROBATION (see Policy 8619: Student Probation) 1. Purpose Students may be placed on probation by the School. Probation is intended to provide a formal mechanism to assist students with unsatisfactory or marginal performance to improve their performance. It is the student's responsibility to seek the required counselling or assistance in order to improve. 2. Criteria for placement on academic probation A student may only be placed on academic probation during the first two-thirds of a program term, under the following circumstances: a) Failure to meet course requirements at a satisfactory level in formative (interim) appraisals. b) Inconsistent performance over a period of time. c) Poor academic performance 3. Criteria for placement on behavioural or practice probation A student may be placed on behavioural or practice probation at any time during the term, if the student: a) Compromises the safety of others. b) Disrupts the learning opportunities of others. c) Displays a level of absenteeism from learning experiences which results in the student being unprepared or compromising the safety or learning of others. d) Behaves in a threatening, unprofessional or blatantly uncooperative manner towards students, College employees or staff in the practice setting e) Fails to adhere to the Canadian Nursing Association (CNA) Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses (2008) or the CRNBC's Professional Standards for Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners (2012).Criteria for removal from probation 4. Criteria for Removal from Probation a) Conditions for removal from probation will be specified in the official written notification of probation.

6 Leadership in Gerontological Nursing Post Graduate Diploma Program Policies Page 6 of 11 b) Students will be required to achieve a minimum semester average of 60% and a satisfactory evaluation of nursing practice performance by the end of the semester in which they were placed on probation. 5. Failure to meet conditions of probation a) Students who fail to meet the specified conditions or stipulated standards, as outlined in their probation letter, will be required to withdraw from the Program. 6. Limiting Number of Probation Periods a) Students will be limited to two behavioural or practice probationary periods while enrolled in the program. Subsequent unacceptable behaviours or practice will result in required withdrawal for the program. Exceptional cases will be considered on an individual basis E. REQUIRED EXCLUSION/DISMISSAL 1. A student may be required to withdraw (i.e., be excluded) from a class, a course or a program as specified in Admissions and Standards An instructor may exclude a student from participating in a class, etc. if the student would not receive sufficient education benefit due to lateness, absences, etc. or if the student compromises the safety of others, is destructive to property or disrupts the learning opportunities of others. The instructor shall report in writing to the School Chair the circumstances giving rise to the exclusion. 3. An instructor may recommend to the School Chair that a student be completely excluded from a course if that student has missed instructional times or failed to complete assigned work to such a degree that he/she could not compensate sufficiently to pass the course in the time available, or if the student has compromised the safety of others, has been destructive to property, or has disrupted the learning opportunities of others. 4. Breaches to confidentiality, as outlined in the Program Confidentiality Agreement and the CNA Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses are grounds for dismissal from the program. 5. A student who fails the practice course will be required to withdraw from the program. F. APPEAL (see Policy 8611: Admissions) 1. A student dissatisfied with a final grade or program decision (e.g., probation, compulsory withdrawal) may appeal the College's action within five working days as specified in Policy 8400 Student Appeals and in the following order: : a) Contact the course instructor in writing. b) Contact the School Chair of Health and Human Services. c) Contact the Dean of the School of Health and Human Services in writing. Note: A student ombudsperson may be available for assistance in this process. If the student has not resolved the issue after following the above three steps, the student may then choose to appeal, in writing, to the Student Appeals Committee by contacting the College Registrar (Policy 8400: Student Appeals).

7 Leadership in Gerontological Nursing Post Graduate Diploma Program Policies Page 7 of 11 G. ATTENDANCE 1. Attendance at all scheduled lectures, gerontology skills classes, seminars, tutorials, practice experiences, examinations and other learning experiences is mandatory. 2. Students absent from any course, for any reason, are responsible for the work they have missed. They must make up assignments as required. They are also required to inform the Instructor that they will be absent. 3. Absence from learning experiences, for any reason, may preclude the student being able to meet the requirements for that course and in turn, progression to the next semester. 4. Absence from practice without notification or for reasons that are not deemed professional (i.e. vacation, personal choice) will be noted as "unsatisfactory" or "needs improvement" in the Practice Appraisal Form. 5. Students missing more than 10% of the practice experience may be required to repeat the course or complete extra hours at an additional cost to the student. 6. Students claiming illness or compassionate reasons for absence from any learning experience must contact the associated instructor and / or the practice agency directly at least one hour prior to the scheduled start time. 7. Students may be required to supply a doctor's certificate to substantiate claims of illness. 8. The School of Health and Human Services cannot undertake to provide substitute learning experiences in courses when students have been absent. H. ASSIGNMENTS 1. Term essays and assignments may be given a failing mark if they are noticeably deficient in English, if there is plagiarism, or if they do not comply with the Guide to Information Resources for Geriatric Programs. 2. It is an expectation that students will submit all written assignments, including Reflective Practice Narratives (RPNs) on the date stated in the course outline and by the instructor. When a student is, for any reason, unable to meet with the stated deadline for an assignment, she or he must notify the instructor prior to the published due date and request an extension. Extensions are granted at the discretion of the instructor in consultation with the individual student. Attention to details about deadlines, terms of extension, and communication with instructors in both theory and practice courses is considered an essential component of professional responsibility and accountability. In the event of extenuating circumstances and prior to the published due date, the student may request an extension from the instructor(s) involved and may be required to provide evidence of the reason for the request for extension (e.g. doctor's note). Extenuating circumstances include serious illness, serious family crisis, or other unusual circumstances impacting completion of the assignment. Extenuating circumstances do not include other course demands, or heavy academic workloads. When an extension has been granted, the student is expected to observe the negotiated due date, or to notify the instructor, in advance, if unable to adhere to the negotiated due date. Further extension of the deadline without penalty may or may not be permitted by the instructor. When an extension has been granted for an assignment, the instructor will notify the Gerontology Coordinator and, where deemed necessary other instructors teaching in that level. Extensions will be recorded and filed for future reference.

8 Leadership in Gerontological Nursing Post Graduate Diploma Program Policies Page 8 of 11 I. EXAMINATIONS Five percent (5%) of the total value of the assignment will be deducted for each calendar day for nonnegotiated late assignments. For example, if an assignment worth 40% of the final course grade is given a mark of 32/40 and is two (2) days late, eight (4) marks will be deducted and the student will receive a mark of 28/40. Late submissions of RPNs will be noted as "Needs Improvement" under the Professional Responsibility Domain of the Practice Appraisal Form (PAF). Plagiarism includes the presentation or submission of the work or ideas of another person, without citation or credit, as the student's own work. Plagiarism on any assignment is unacceptable and will result in that assignment receiving a mark of zero. (See Section K - Student Behaviour.) Final examinations are held in most courses during the examination period at the end of each term. Date of the examination period is listed in the current issue of the College calendar or provided by the instructor if not on the College calendar. Examinations are scheduled by the Registrar or the Instructor in order to ensure elimination of conflict within the schedules of students. Normally, the examination schedule will be available at least two weeks prior to the beginning of the examination period. (See Evaluation of Student Learning 8320) 1. Individual or group requests for scheduling to accommodate personal plans cannot be accommodated. 2. Students who must be absent from an examination due to special circumstances such as illness, accident or family affliction may apply to the School Chair for permission to write a deferred examination. Students who do not apply for such permission and who fail to write a scheduled examination will receive a mark of zero on the examination in question. 3. Students guilty of the following, or similar, dishonest practices, shall be immediately dismissed from an examination and shall be liable to disciplinary action. a) Making use of any books, notes or materials other than those authorized by the examiners; b) Using electronic devices to look up answers c) Speaking or communicating with other candidates; d) Copying from other candidates' papers; e) Exposing written papers to the view of other candidates. Disciplinary action would, at a minimum, result in the examination being given a grade of zero. Further action may be recommended by the Nursing Program if deemed to be indicated. 4. Smoking or eating will not be permitted in the examination room. 5. Students are expected to conduct themselves as quietly as possible, in consideration of others. 6. Students are expected to be punctual and should be in the exam room 10 minutes prior to start time. 7. Students are expected to check papers carefully and to report any missing pages or other discrepancies to the invigilators immediately. 8. Students should read carefully and follow all written instructions on the examination paper or answer booklet. Questions should be directed immediately to the invigilator. 9. Students may ask the invigilator questions regarding supposed errors in the examination, but not ask questions related to question content.

9 Leadership in Gerontological Nursing Post Graduate Diploma Program Policies Page 9 of The foregoing will normally also apply to in-course examinations and tests. 11. Supplemental Examinations: a) Supplemental examinations will not normally be given. Under extraordinary circumstances, a supplemental exam may be granted following consultation among Faculty and the School Chair. Students must have maintained an average grade of 60% or better in that specific course throughout the semester. Students must achieve 60% or better on the supplemental exam. b) The result of the supplemental examination will replace that of the final examination in calculation of the final grade. The final grade for the course can be improved to a 65% grade only. c) Supplemental examinations must be written within seven working days of the end of the final examination schedule for that semester. J. STUDENT BEHAVIOUR (see policy 3400: Code of Conduct) 1. The standards and reputation of the program are the shared responsibility of the faculty and students. 2. Students must meet the standards for nursing practice as outlined in the CRNBC's Professional Standards for Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners (2012). The four standards are: a) Professional Responsibility and Accountability: b) Knowledge-Based Practice c) Client-Focused Provision of Care d) Ethical Practice 3. Cheating and Plagiarism (see Policy 8618: Cheating and Plagiarism) Honesty is expected and required of all students. The purpose of this section of the policy is to deal with honesty in the conduct of all examinations, essays, reports, and other assignments prepared or completed by students pursuant to the requirements of a Selkirk College program or course. *CHEATING: Cheating is defined as dishonest or deceptive conduct or attempt conduct by which individuals or groups of individuals use or attempt to use unauthorized aids, assistance, materials and methods to represent their academic work, training and standards as other than their own. *PLAGIARISM: Plagiarism is defined as the presentation or submission of work or data (published or unpublished in any form), done in whole or in part by other persons, without citation or credit, as the student's own work, i.e., a group project, book, journal, electronic media, etc. MULTIPLE USE OF TERM PAPERS: The submission of one's own work for credit in more than one course without the express knowledge of the instructors involved is forbidden. Selkirk College will not condone nor will it accept work submitted to obtain credit which was produced through cheating or plagiarism. a) For a first offence the assignment, test, exam, paper, project or other work involved will be awarded a grade of zero to be incorporated into the calculation of the final grade. b) For a second offence, the student will be required to withdraw from the course.

10 Leadership in Gerontological Nursing Post Graduate Diploma Program Policies Page 10 of 11 K. GENERAL c) For any further offence, the student will be required to withdraw from the College. d) A record of the foregoing will be kept in the student's official record. e) Depending on the nature of the offence, steps a) and/or b) above may be by-passed, following consultation of instructor, School Chair, Dean and/or Registrar. Incidents of cheating or plagiarism must be reported by the instructor who observed the incident to the Chair of the School of Health and Human Services as soon as possible after the alleged incident. 1. Students are expected to prepare for and demonstrate knowledge in their nursing practice performance. Instructors may refuse to permit students to continue in the practice area if there is evidence that they are not prepared, lack required knowledge, or if they compromise the safety or learning of others. 2. In the Nursing Skills Learning Centre students are required to actively participate in the simulated learning experiences. In all practice situations students will require supervision until such time as the instructor has stated that they are competent in the skill. 3. Students are not allowed to be in the practice area as learners except when accompanied by an instructor or preceptor, or at such times as arranged by the Nursing Program (e.g. family followthrough experiences, preceptorship or nurses' work observation experiences) 4. A student may withdraw from the core Nursing courses, and hence from the program, according to College policy and remain registered in the remaining academic support courses. However, he/she may not withdraw from one of the Nursing core courses and remain registered in the program unless an alternative academic plan stipulating required studies in a set time period has been approved by the School Chair/Coordinator. 5. The Guidelines for Dress Code will be followed in the practice area at all times. Photo identification, including name and program year, must be worn while in the practice setting 6. Selkirk College is a smoke-free facility; smoking is prohibited in all buildings. Eating or drinking in any College classroom is prohibited. 7. Selkirk College is a scent safe campus. 8. Students are subject to the policies of the practice agency in which they are obtaining their practice experience. 9. Students are also subject to the relevant provisions of the Health Professions Act as it applies to students. 10. Students are required to meet the requirements for immunization established for health care workers by the B.C. Ministry of Health prior to entering practice settings. L. GRADUATION The following courses are required to complete the Leadership in Gerontological Nursing Post-graduate Diploma. The program breakdown below is based on a fall entry. Other dates of entry may require a different course schedule.

11 Leadership in Gerontological Nursing Post Graduate Diploma Program Policies Page 11 of 11 COURSE OF STUDIES GENERIC PROGRAM INSTRUCTION: Graduation requirement table must contain the following elements: course (abbreviation and number), name of course, and number of credits as illustrated below. Name of Program and Credentials: Semester 1 Semester 2 Course Name Cr Course Name Cr GNUR 399 College Orientation Part 1 and 2 2 GNUR 500 Introduction to Gerontological Nursing 3 GNUR 401 Contemporary Issues in Gerontology 3 GNUR 511 Physical Aging and Chronic Disease 3 Management: Part 1 GNUR 403 Interpersonal Communications 3 GNUR 504 Nursing Lab Basic Skills &Physical Assessment 3 GNUR 412 Professional Nursing in the Canadian Health Care System ENGL 110 OR EASL 066 College Composition OR College Preparation Research Writing 3 GNUR 503 Delirium, Dementia, and Depression 3 in the Elderly 3 GNUR 520 Nursing Practice in Complex Care 5 OR 3* Total Semester Credits 14 Total Semester Credits 17 *still to be approved Total Year Credits 31 Name of Program and Credentials Semester 3 Semester 4 Course Name Cr Course Name Cr GNUR 501 Psychosocial Issues Impacting Aging 3 GNUR 508 Nursing Lab Advanced Clinical Skills 3 and Wound Care GNUR 512 Physical Aging and Chronic Disease 3 GNUR 514 End-of-Life Care 3 Management: Part II HSER 255 Professional Foundations for Human Services 3 ADD 184 OR PSYC 100 Mental Health and Addictions: Introduction to Addictions OR Introductory Psychology 1 GNUR 411 Introduction to Nursing Leadership 3 GNUR 505 Advanced Pharmacology in Canada 3 * As approved by the School Chair 3 GNUR 525 Nursing Practice in Acute Care 5 Total Semester Credits 15 Total Semester Credits 14 Total Year Credits 29 Total Program Credits 60