Nursing FAQ

You must attend an online orientation session, which will outline key information about the program, including your clinical pre-placement requirements and details about your courses. The orientation will be on Zoom, and you will be notified by email with an invitation and a link to the Zoom meeting.

Additionally, George Brown College and Continuing Education have policies that apply to academic and administrative procedures (which includes the process for refunds, withdrawals, and transfers). These are not the responsibility of the Continuing Education Nursing office. You are responsible for reviewing all college policies in their entirety – both the George Brown College Policies and the Continuing Education policies. You must also read our Registration Information and Student Resources.

If you are accepted, you will be assigned a starting term (September, January, or May) that aligns with one of our academic terms (Fall, Winter, and Spring/Summer respectively). Most courses are offered every term.

You need to complete the courses listed in your George Brown College Academic Guide, which has been created for you based on your CNO letter(s) and was provided with your acceptance letter. That list of courses is provided in the recommended completion order. However, completion order is only limited by course prerequisites. Keep in mind that most courses are offered both online and on campus, but you only need to complete one version of the course. All online nursing courses are offered through Brightspace.

Make sure you keep a copy of all course outlines for future reference. We cannot guarantee course outlines will be available for students who later require them for foreign licensure applications, CGFNS (Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools) nursing credentials evaluation, National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS), etc.

Courses are delivered in a flexible format: they may be offered during the day, on weekends, or during the evening and may be available through on-campus, online, or hybrid deliveries. If a course is offered in more than one delivery method, you should register in the delivery that works best for you. All online nursing courses are offered through Brightspace.

All of these courses are delivered through Continuing Education, so courses are offered on a part-time basis. Unlike full-time programs, you must register and pay for each individual course through our website, and your place in a course is not guaranteed until you register.

Use the course links at the web page that applies to you – either the Nursing for Internationally Educated Nurses web page or the Nursing for Reinstatement: Evidence of Safe Practice web page – to access the course web pages of the courses listed on your George Brown College Academic Guide. (Remember that that most courses are offered both on campus and online, but you only need to complete one version of the course.) On each course’s web page, you will find the sections currently available and get access to online registration. Then follow the process outlined in our Registering for Your Class web page. Registrations are accepted on a first come, first-served basis, so register as early as possible to secure the section that you want.

All online nursing courses are offered through Brightspace. Online sections may be synchronous (teacher-led) or asynchronous (self-directed). Online courses have specific start and end dates, and there are weekly assignments and requirements. They all have clearly defined evaluation strategies and may include (but are not limited to) exams, presentations, essays, discussions boards, and virtual simulations. Online learning incorporates independent learning, and time management is essential. As online learning can be something new and different for many students, we offer the college-wide George Brown College Online Learning page (which provides tools and resources to help you become a successful online learner). Keep in mind that online courses (and their course outlines) will not be available on Brightspace until the first day of class, so you will have wait to check your course outline for required readings and texts on the first day of class.

That depends on what CNO requirements you need to meet and, subsequently, what courses you complete. Check under the “Upon completion of the above, you can request to receive the following credentials:” section of your academic guide to see what you are eligible to request to receive once you have completed the courses. You may not be eligible for a certificate if you aren’t required to take the courses/combination of courses that result in a certificate. Note that anyone who passes our NURS 9215 Clinical Practice Consolidation course is eligible for the George Brown College Academic Pathway Evidence of Safe Practice Certificate but only those who complete the full 17 or 18 courses of the graduate program are eligible for the George Brown College Academic Pathway for Nurses Graduate Certificate. Again, check your George Brown College Academic Guide to see what your required courses make you eligible for.

In order to be successful, you will need to balance your personal life with school requirements. Failing a single course can result in a university application being denied. Failing two courses will result in you being automatically put on probation. Failing three courses will result in you being automatically withdrawn from the program.

Get the details by reading our Accessible Learning Services web page.

Yes. Read about the process on our Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) web page.

Yes. Read about the process on our Course Exemptions web page.

Read about the process on our Transfers web page.

We offer both NURS 9214 Clinical Practice and NURS 9215 Clinical Practice Consolidation. NURS 9214 is the prerequisite for NURS 9215. Clinical practice is delivered entirely online. Clinical consolidation is a hospital-based placement offered only within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Clinical consolidation assignments are entirely within the discretion of the college and are based on availability. You may be required to travel up to 150 km from George Brown College to complete your consolidation placement. If you need any type of accommodation for the clinical, you must meet with Accessible Learning Services in your first semester at George Brown. Additionally, if you are from outside of Ontario, there is no guarantee that we can meet your clinical requirements. (Contact us to discuss your options.) Currently, clinical placements are governed by COVID restrictions and guidelines.

You must apply for clinical practice and consolidation separately. Applications are available three months before each clinical/consolidation start. We will post the date your application must be emailed on both the course web pages and on Brightspace. If you require more information related to your clinical placement, contact Julie Persons, Clinical Placement Program Co-ordinator, at jpersons@georgebrown.ca.

You will also need to complete the Placement Pass by ParaMed (formerly Requisite) Health Form for the NURS 9215 consolidation. If you require more information related to Placement Pass by ParaMed, email Suzette Martinuzzi, Clinical Pre-placement Co-ordinator, at smartinu@georgebrown.ca.

There are some sources of financial assistance, including Ontario Bridging Participant Assistance Program (OBPAP) and Windmill Microlending.

You will be required to use your George Brown College email to communicate with George Brown College staff. You must be registered in a course in order to be assigned a George Brown email. To find your George Brown email, visit your Student Account.

Yes, Continuing Education students have full access to the Library Learning Commons (LLC).

Contact Gayle Bradley at gbradley@georgebrown.ca or at 416-415-5000, ext. 2872, or Janet Jack at jjack@georgebrown.ca or at 416-415-5000, ext. 2073.

You can also find out more by reviewing our Registration Information, Policies, Student Resources, and Contact Us information.

NurseAchieve is a leading provider of nursing entry-to-practice examination support. NurseAchieve supports preparation for both the REx-PN and NCLEX-RN exams. NurseAchieve is the first and currently only provider with a commercially available solution that supports all Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) question types and scoring methods. These online cloud-based platforms can be accessed from anywhere as long as you have access to the Internet. (NurseAchieve is not affiliated with or run by George Brown College.)

Read about the process on our Transcripts web page.