Our Program
Thank you for your interest in the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), Centennial, George Brown Collaborative Nursing Program! Across our three locations, we offer a dynamic, and responsive educational program that will take you where you want to go as a new graduate nurse and launch you confidently into an exciting and fulfilling nursing career.
Our program will provide you with solid theoretical foundations and opportunities to apply what you’re learning in practice and research experiences across all four years. You’ll have access to dedicated and knowledgeable faculty and instructors who have a strong and ongoing engagement in clinical practice settings and in some of the most pressing challenges being faced in health care, both in Canada and globally.
"I really like how the program integrates the real life experiences, so your clinical placement, with the actual theoretical piece. Here we go into our placement first year. And I really like that because it lets you solidify everything you've learned, whether it's the physical skills, or the actual techniques of speaking to your client."
Christina
Nursing student, TMU
As a student, you’ll be able to take a critical approach to current health care challenges – for individuals, for families and communities – and will gain the knowledge and the ability to help make meaningful change, wherever you choose to start your career.
Our nursing graduates have careers at the bedside in all types of hospitals and clinics, in research institutes, in community and public health settings, in government influencing policy- setting, and as valued members – and leaders – of interprofessional teams.
We look forward to welcoming you into the program.
In the last 20 years, the extent and complexity of community healthcare has grown rapidly, and this shift has challenged nurses to acquire new levels of leadership and expertise. As a result, nursing today is an engaging, diverse and exciting profession.
Recognizing the depth of knowledge and experience necessary to meet the needs of a changing healthcare landscape, the province of Ontario established new educational requirements for nursing. As of 2000, nursing students had to attend degree-granting institutions and, by 2005, nursing graduates were required to have a bachelor’s degree to practice in most of Canada.
In anticipation of the new degree requirements, an innovative partnership between TMU, Centennial College and George Brown College was born. Initial discussions began in 1997, and in the fall of 2001, the first Collaborative Degree students entered this remarkable joint program.
Since then, the program has capitalized on the strengths of each partner institution to provide students with the knowledge, skills and personal attributes that can only be achieved through a comprehensive and progressive nursing education.
Superb curriculum design is essential for high-quality learning. Combining theory with clinical practice, the curriculum offers you the best of applied knowledge and research within a supportive, challenging and diverse learning environment.
Teaching in this program is reflective, cooperative, inquiry-based and integrated with practice. It is also firmly focused on creating caring and collaborative student-faculty relationships that form an environment of trust and respect.
The program provides direct exposure to the latest knowledge in nursing practice as well as a broader education in critical thinking, problem solving and ethical decision making. Opportunities exist to explore the historical, political and economic context of healthcare and the foundational principles of health promotion.
The curriculum will expand your understanding of mind-body connections through multidisciplinary learning in the liberal arts, social sciences and sciences. It will also advance your sense of social justice by encouraging you to question existing knowledge and social structures so that you are informed and able to advocate for changes in public policy.
First, you can write the RN registration exams set by the Canadian Nurses Association (external link, opens in new window) in order to achieve your registered professional status. This designation recognizes the extent of your education and establishes your credentials as a nurse. It also sets the foundation for a vast range of career opportunities that come with the RN designation.
Second, you can apply for registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario (external link, opens in new window) , a self-regulating body that governs the profession in this province. By joining this community, you become a member of the group that oversees all activities within the profession and is a leader in advocacy and the advancement of nursing practice.
Nursing is a profession that joins the head, heart and hands. Students immerse themselves in real-life situations so they can translate theory into practice and solidify technical, communication, care-giving and teamwork skills.
The program’s placement options take advantage of the extensive opportunities available in the GTA. Coordinated by five full-time staff in the Central Placement Office, there are more than 250 placement opportunities in 35 hospitals and over 200 traditional and non-traditional health settings.
At each stage of the program, placements support and reflect the year’s curriculum:
Year One – long-term care facility
Year Two – continuing care, rehabilitation or acute-care
Year Three – community nursing
Year Four – medical-surgical unit, ER, ICU, day-surgery unit, public health or other setting
Each placement is structured to ensure that you have substantial guidance from faculty members and preceptors, who are experienced nurses specifically assigned to support your learning. You will also have ample opportunities to integrate your field learning when you return to the classroom.
Successful collaboration requires a community of professionals and organizations jointly committed to excellence in nursing.
Program faculty are skilled instructors and experts in the promotion of health and the creation of engaging learning environments. They are leaders in nursing scholarship, have extensive experience in the field and are connected to a comprehensive network of professionals and organizations.
The professionals in the field are advocates for health at all levels whose commitment to patient care and social progress drives their interest in nursing education. Their work opens doors for students by providing direct access to immersive learning experiences.
The extended network of organizations has a vested interest in nursing education and advancing the state of healthcare in Canada. A few examples of member organizations are: