Nurse Practitioner Programs in Saskatchewan

Practice Management
Written By Victoria Sanderson

The path to becoming a nurse practitioner will be unique to you. For those of you thinking of pursing a career as an NP, I hope to provide some guidance. If you want a general overview on how to become an NP in Canada, I suggest you read this post. If you plan on pursuing an NP career in Saskatchewan, I will delineate what this journey might look like.

If you’re thinking of becoming an NP, I highly recommend this read to get you prepared.

You can also join the NP reasoning community (free & paid options) to get you ready for your career as an NP - LEARN MORE.

Nurse Practitioner (NP) Programs in Saskatchewan:

  1. University of Saskatchewan - Nurse Practitioner Program

  2. Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the University of Regina Collaborative Nurse Practitioner Program

Let’s break down some important facts about each program:

1.University of Saskatchewan Nurse Practitioner (NP) Program

The University of Saskatchewan offers two NP program streams:

  • Master of Nursing (M.N.) - Nurse Practitioner

  • Postgraduate Degree Specialization Certificate - Nurse Practitioner

Program Delivery: Hybrid, in person and online

Available full/part time

  • Master of nursing: 2 years full time and 4 years part time

  • Certificate program: 4 terms can be completed full time or part time (if taken part time, students may have to wait for a specific course to become available)

Courses: a combination of masters/theory courses and nurse practitioner courses

  • Core master’s courses: e.g. introduction to ethics and integrity, research courses

  • NP courses: e.g. transition to advanced nursing practice, pathophysiology, nursing therapeutics

Academic requirements for all programs:

  • GPA: at least 70% (in the last 2 years of study)

  • The equivalent of three credit units in each of physical assessment, pharmacology, physiology, statistics, and research methods at the undergraduate level

  • Official transcript(s) from post-secondary institutions

Other pre-requisites:

Master of Science in Nursing: for the post-certificate NP program

Program Website

2. Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the University of Regina Collaborative Nurse Practitioner (NP) Program

  • Offers a masters of nursing - nurse practitioner program (MN-NP), primary health care.

  • Prepares students to apply for registration as a family nurse practitioner in Canada.

  • Program length: 2-4 years, full or part-time

  • Mode of delivery: ONLINE + mandatory 1 week on campus residency week.

  • Applicants from outside Saskatchewan are welcome, but locals get first priority. Quebec does not support out-of-province practice experiences - Quebec applicants should check with the program before applying.

  • Practicum hours: 702 hours needed with qualified NP preceptors in approved sites either in or outside your home community

  • Program structure: 11 courses - master’s & NP courses

    • Master’s courses: e.g. research for nurse practitioners, foundations for advanced nursing practice, advanced nursing practice leadership in health promotion

    • NP courses: e.g. advanced health assessment and diagnostic reasoning, transition to advanced practice nursing

  • Academic requirements:

    • GPA: 70% or higher

    • Reference letters: minimum of 3

    • Cirriculum vitae

    • Transcripts from all post-secondary study

  • Other requirements:

    • Bachelor of Nursing degree

    • RN license in a Canadian province or territory

    • RN experience: no minimum hours

NP program website

For admission, all NP programs in Saskatchewan require you to have a BScN degree, RN registration, and a minimum grade average of 70%.

Can I work while I’m completing the NP program?

This depends on many factors. One should weigh personal responsibilities, work-life balance, completing the program full-time versus part-time. In general, it’s possible to work while enrolled in the program, but this is up to your comfort level. Personally, I completed the full-time post-masters NP certificate and did not work. The course content, paired with clinical rotations were very intensive, and I was able to immerse myself in the program and get the most out of it. That being said, circumstances differ, and you need to do what works best for you. It’s important to highlight that regardless of the program, it is a steep learning curve and lots of the learning is self directed. If you are seriously considering this next step in your career, our post on how to prepare for NP school will be helpful.

Want to kick-start your NP journey? NP Reasoning curates the top guideline updates, clinical approaches & diagnostic pearls to help you make confident decisions with your patients.

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Are there Online Nurse Practitioner programs in Canada?

Athabasca University (based out of Alberta - but people out province can apply): offers a Master of Nursing nurse practitioner degree online program available. It is a 33-credit online graduate program, that prepares students to work in primary health care settings. You can take up to 5 years to complete the program. Students are responsible for arranging their own clinical placements.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the University of Regina Collaborative Nurse Practitioner (NP) Program: for details, see the above section.

Where can I work as a primary health care nurse practitioner?

You can generally work in any area. This degree will give you the most flexibility (compared with acute care or pediatric NP programs). Primary health care NPs work in community settings (e.g. clinics, community health centers, long-term care homes), hospital settings (e.g. emergency departments, inpatient units) – basically everywhere. The NP role is forever evolving in our health care system. Job descriptions, responsibilities, and scope do vary significantly depending on where you land a job.

 Key Take home Points:

  1. Do your research on NP programs.

  2. Don’t hesitate to reach out to university admissions offices to ask questions about the program or admission process.

  3. Talk with nurse practitioners who have been through this process already.

  4. Think about what you want out of your career (Do you want a serious challenge with career growth potential?)

  5. The NP program (and career in general!) is intense and will probably be the steepest learning curve of your life. Don’t let this intimidate you – check out our newsletter to kick-start your NP journey.

Join NP Reasoning Masterclass for a practical, curated educational experience for the busy NP.

Victoria Sanderson
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