Course Overview

BScN Nursing Courses

ANP100 - Anatomy and Physiology 1 - This course introduces the student to the study of human anatomy and physiology and is the first of two courses exploring the relationship between structure and function of the human body and the maintenance of homeostasis. Medical terminology is introduced and incorporated throughout the course. An integrated and systems-based approach will be taken to provide the student with the background concepts to understand pathophysiology. This course focuses on scientific terminology, homeostasis, introductory chemistry, nutrients and metabolism, cells and tissues, integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, endocrine systems, and special senses. 

BSN105 – Medication Calculations – This course introduces the student to the fundamentals of dosage calculation for medication administration. A step-by-step approach to medication dosage calculations by various routes of administration will be used. The accuracy of dosage calculation for safe medication administration will be emphasized throughout the course. 

BSN110 – Nursing Profession I – This course introduces the student to the historical and theoretical foundations of nursing, health care in Canada, and the regulation of nursing as a profession.  Students will understand how reflective practice, critical thinking and clinical judgement influence the practice of nursing.  

BSN111 – Professional Relationships – This course introduces students to the foundational knowledge needed to establish professional caring relationships in nursing with a focus on relational practice. Students will develop self-awareness and interpersonal communication skills in the context of safe and collaborative nursing care. 

ENG106 Writing Strategies – This course focuses on critical thinking and the rhetorical elements of both persuasive and evaluative forms of writing. Students will learn to differentiate between shades of fact and opinion, objectivity and bias, and to apply the techniques of sound argument for a variety of purposes. The main elements of effective communication and research techniques will also be examined. 

PSY113 – Introduction to Psychology – Students will be able to use psychological concepts, principles, theories, and methods in their intrapersonal, social, and professional lives. 

ANP200 – Anatomy and Physiology II – This course is the second of two courses exploring the relationship between structure and function of the human body and the maintenance of homeostasis. An integrated and systemic approach will be taken to provide the student with the background concepts to understand pathophysiology. This course focuses on the cardiovascular, lymphatic, immune, respiratory, digestive, urinary and reproductive systems, metabolism, thermoregulation, and fluid and electrolytes. 

BSN205 – Fundamental Nursing Skills - This course will provide the students with the opportunity to learn theoretical foundations in order to practice introductory nursing skills in a safe and competent manner in the laboratory environment before entering clinical placements. This course will provide students with the knowledge and skills to apply the clinical judgement. 

BSN215 - Lifespan I - Health Promotion - This course will introduce students to the concepts of health promotion and disease prevention for individuals across the lifespan. Students will examine determinants of health, Indigenous health, health inequities in the context of improving health outcomes. This course will explore physiological and psychosocial considerations of health and apply health teaching strategies to improve wellness. 

PSY114 - Introduction to Psychology II - Psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour, emotion, and cognition. This course is the second of the two-part Introduction to Psychology series. This module continues the course emphasis on psychological concepts, principles, and theories. The knowledge and skills acquired in this course ultimately allow students to successfully navigate personal, social, and professional life. Students are encouraged to draw from their own experience as the course progresses. 

BSN305 – Complex Nursing Skills – This course expands on Fundamentals 2: Introductory nursing skills. This course will provide the students with the opportunity to learn theoretical foundations in order to practice complex nursing skills in a safe and competent manner in the laboratory environment. This course will provide students with the knowledge and skills to apply clinical judgement.  

BSN306 – Physical Assessment - This course will provide students with the basic principles and components of a holistic nursing assessment of individuals across the lifespan. Students will achieve knowledge and skills in communication, interviewing and assessment of the physical and mental status of individuals. Different factors will be explored which affect health assessment including physical, psychosocial, sexual, cultural, spiritual, familial, community and environmental concerns. Students will learn normal and select abnormal findings. This course includes two hours of theory and two hours of skills practice in the laboratory environment with human and simulated models. 

BSN315 - Lifespan II - The Aging Population - This course focuses on understanding the unique needs of the aging population, encouraging health promotion and self-care, identifying variable responses of older adults to health care challenges, and maintaining a level of function that promotes quality of life. The course will also explore current trends and issues as well as legal and ethical issues specific to the aging population. Students will integrate the information acquired in this course to provide care for the older adult in the clinical setting.  

BSN325 - Professional Practicum I - This first clinical practicum experience introduces the student to professional nursing practice. The student will have opportunities to develop their decision-making and clinical skills through application of the clinical judgement. The student will integrate theoretical knowledge and use a relational practice approach to collaborate with clients, families and members of the health care team to provide safe and ethical care to diverse older adult clients. 

IDI300 - Infectious Disease and Immunology - This course introduces the student to the characteristic features of microorganisms and the mechanisms by which they cause infectious disease. The biology of host immune responses, microorganisms with pathogenic potential and clinical aspects of infectious diseases will be explored in relation to nursing practice. Principles of infection transmission, prevention, control, and management in the healthcare settings and the community will be discussed. Fundamental epidemiological principles are reviewed and illustrated through the analysis of major historical infectious outbreaks.

BSN410 – Nursing Profession II - This course provides students the opportunity to expand on concepts from Nursing Profession 1. Students will examine the structure and delivery of healthcare in Canada and in a global context. The role of nurse as advocate will be explored from a political, social, and individual client perspective. Working and collaborating within the intraprofessional team will be explored. The role of clinical judgement, critical thinking, and evidence informed practice in the provision of safe, quality care will be addressed.  

BSN420 – Client Centred Care I - This course introduces students to medical- surgical nursing. Students will examine acute and chronic health challenges experienced by adults. This course focuses on care of the client undergoing surgery and with the following health challenges: sensory disorders, fluid, and electrolyte imbalances, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and respiratory. Students will apply clinical judgement to the planning of safe and evidence-informed client-centred nursing care. Application of knowledge and skills occurs in a variety of settings.  

BSN425 – Professional Practicum II - This clinical practicum experience builds on knowledge and skills developed in previous courses. The student will continue to develop their professional nursing practice while applying decision-making and clinical skills through the application of clinical judgement. The student will integrate theoretical knowledge and use a relational practice approach to collaborate with clients, families and members of the health care team to provide safe and ethical care to medical surgical clients facing a variety of health challenges. 

BSN400 - Pharmacology - This course introduces students to the science of pharmacology and examines the role of the nurse in the management and administration of medications in a safe and competent manner. Medication administration requires the application of clinical judgement for safe and ethical medication administration. 

PPY400 - Pathophysiology - This course introduces the student to the study of pathophysiology. This course relates the knowledge of anatomy and physiology to the disruptions of homeostasis resulting in a disorder or disease process. An integrated and system-based approach will be taken to provide the student with the background concepts to understand pathophysiology. This course focuses on integumentary, neurological, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and respiratory disorders.  

PPY500 - Pathophysiology - This course is a continuation of Pathophysiology 1 (PPY400). An integrated and system-based approach will be taken to provide the student with the background concepts to understand pathophysiology. In this course the focus will be on the pathophysiology of the Nervous, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems as well as the pathophysiology of cancer.  It is expected that the student will bring to this course a competent background in human anatomy and physiology.  

BSN510 – Nursing Research - This course focuses on the application of research in nursing, with an emphasis on maintaining the relationship between theory, research, and practice. The student will be introduced to language of research, ethical principles and challenges, and the elements of the research process. Different types of research designs will be examined. Strategies for critically analyzing research studies and for utilizing research findings in clinical practice are examined.  

BSN520 – Client Centred Care II - This course is a continuation of Client- Centred Care 1. Students will examine additional acute and chronic health challenges experienced by adults. This course focuses on care of the client with the following health challenges: endocrine, musculoskeletal, neurological, renal, hematological and cancer. Students will apply clinical judgement to the planning of safe and evidence-informed client-centred nursing care. Application of knowledge and skills occurs in a variety of settings.  

BSN525 – Professional Practicum III - This clinical practicum experience continues to build on knowledge and skills developed in previous courses. The student will continue to develop their professional nursing practice by applying decision-making and clinical skills through the application of clinical judgement.  The student will integrate theoretical knowledge and use a relational practice approach to collaborate with clients, families and members of the health care team to provide safe and ethical care to medical surgical clients facing a variety of increasingly complex health challenges. 

BSN610 – Ethical and Legal Foundations of Nursing Practice - This course teaches students how to provide and promote ethical care by applying professional practice standards and frameworks in ethical decision making through the examination of a variety of ethical dilemmas encountered in nursing practice. Students will explore personal and professional values and commitments using critical reflection and critical thinking.  

BSN615 - Lifespan III - Childbearing Families - This course covers the nursing care of families through the preconception, pregnancy, intrapartum and postpartum periods. The student will also be introduced to a variety of high-risk situations encountered by childbearing families. 

BSN620 - Mental Health Nursing - This course introduces students to mental health nursing by exploring the experiences of clients living with mental health conditions. The student will have the opportunity to increase awareness of mental health conditions and the meaning of those from the client perspective and understand the theoretical basis for assessment, intervention, promotion/prevention, and support of clients experiencing mental health conditions.  

BSN625 - Professional Practicum IV - This clinical practicum experience continues to build on knowledge and skills developed in previous courses. The student will be supported to continue to develop their professional nursing practice, decision-making and clinical skills utilizing clinical judgement.  Applying a theoretical approach that is relevant to the practice setting, students will collaborate with clients, families, and other members of the health care team to provide safe and compassionate care. The student’s clinical practicum experience will be in one of the following clinical settings: mental health, maternal-child or medical surgical nursing. 

STA683 - Applied Statistics in Social Sciences - In this course students will learn about and apply data analysis techniques to solve conceptual and theoretical problems in the social sciences. Students will be able to use a statistical software package to conduct univariate and multivariate analysis and to provide explanations about how statistical results support or fail to support theoretical ideas. 

BSN710 - Nursing Profession III - In this course students expand on concepts from Nursing Profession 1 and 2 to examine the professional role of the nurse as an evidence-informed leader, advocate, and facilitator of change within dynamic health care organizations and the health care system. The role of nursing informatics to influence health care decision making and processes that improve client safety and outcomes are examined. Exploration of the lifelong commitment to continuing competence, working collaboratively within health care teams, and career-readiness, prepare students for the transition to regulated practice. 

BSN715 - Lifespan IV - Pediatric Nursing - This course focuses on understanding the unique needs of the pediatric population and their families. Emphasis is placed on developmental, physiological, psychosocial, and cultural care of the child using a systematic and family-centred approach. The student will utilize clinical judgement to study and analyze, common childhood illnesses, acute and chronic health conditions, and special care needs of the pediatric population. Application of knowledge and skills occurs in the simulation lab.

BSN716 – Lifespan V: Community and Global Nursing - This course focuses on the role of the community health nurse (CHN) in working with individuals, families and populations. A variety of health promotion approaches, and related challenges will be examined. Primary Health Care values and principles will be discussed in the context of social justice, empowerment, and advocacy. This course will include the principles of community assessment and development, program planning and evaluation, ethical challenges and other strategies that are supported through a population health perspective, with particular emphasis on populations, and social, political and economic determinants of health.  

BSN720 - Client Centered Care III - This course further expands the student’s knowledge of client-centred care. The student will apply the clinical judgement to the planning of safe and evidence-informed medical surgical nursing care to clients experiencing complex or emergent health challenges. Application of knowledge and skills occurs in a variety of settings.  

BSN725 - Professional Practicum V - This clinical practicum experience continues to build on knowledge and skills developed in previous courses. The student will have opportunities to refine their clinical decision-making and leadership skills with the goal of working toward independent practice. Using a theoretical approach that is relevant to the practice setting, students will collaborate with clients, families, and other members of the health care team to provide safe and compassionate care. The student’s clinical practicum experience will be in one of the following clinical settings: mental health, community health, maternal-child or medical-surgical nursing. 

BSN810 - Registration Exam Preparation - This course is designed to prepare students to write the NCLEX-RN®   exam. The course includes focused modules on selected areas of nursing practice covered in the NCLEX-RN® exam. The course will build student confidence, review relevant content, and provide strategies when writing the certification exam.  

BSN825 - Integrated Professional Practicum - This integrative practicum provides the opportunity for the student to work with a preceptor to synthesize knowledge and experience gained throughout the program in a clinical practice setting. The student will consolidate advanced nursing knowledge and skills, work towards independent practice and demonstrate the ability to meet entry-level competencies for the registered nurse in Ontario. This practicum could be in a variety of health care settings. 

Liberal Studies Courses

Liberal Studies courses are breadth courses, and complement professional courses in degree programs. Liberal Studies requirements contribute to students’ knowledge of society and culture, skills relevant to civic engagement, and strengthen critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, and written and oral communication skills. Seneca’s Liberal Studies Policy is aligned with the Post-secondary Education Quality Assessment Board’s Handbook for Ontario Colleges.

Every Liberal Studies course at Seneca is classified as either lower- or upper-level and falls into one of the following three (3) categories:

• Humanities

• Social Sciences

• Sciences

Where relevant, courses will incorporate Global Cultures and/or Mathematics.

Both upper- and lower-levels are rigorous, incorporating knowledge and critical analyses of the theoretical frameworks in areas outside of the student’s core areas of study, with a strong emphasis on critical thinking, research and oral and written communication skills.

Requirements

• Students in degree programs must meet the following Liberal Studies requirements:

• Successful completion of Liberal Studies courses in at least two (2) of the three (3) categories (Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences)

• Successful completion of at least two (2) upper-level Liberal Studies courses

• Successful completion of at least one (1) lower-level, or English or Critical Thinking course is required before enrolling in an upper-level Liberal Studies course

Note: Professional Option courses are not equivalent to Liberal Studies courses.