Training & Career Advancement

Personal Support Worker to Practical Nursing Pathway

The Personal Support Worker to Practical Nursing Pathway is a bridging program and consists of tailored courses designed to provide flexible learning options for working Personal Support Workers interested in bridging their education to gain admission to a Practical Nursing Ontario College Diploma program.

Nurse student practising on dummy patient.

Interested Personal Support Workers should:

  1. Review the Eligibility Requirements for this pathway program.
  2. Once finished all 6 pathway courses, apply to the second term of the Practical Nursing program through ontariocolleges.ca.
  3. Graduates of the approved Practical Nursing programs are eligible to apply to the College of Nurses of Ontario to write the registration exam to practice in Ontario as a Registered Practical Nurse.

Embark on a rewarding career with abundant job prospects. The development of these courses was made possible by the Ontario government's Nursing Program Transformation in Ontario Colleges initiative.

Pathway Eligibility

Individuals who are working as Personal Support Workers and want to pursue the Practical Nursing Ontario College Diploma program should consider completing this pathway program.

This pathway can be completed by Personal Support Workers with the following criteria:

  • Completion of a Personal Support Worker program in Ontario that meets the Ontario Ministry of Colleges & Universities program standards with a 65% overall average
  • Worked as a Personal Support Worker in Ontario within the last five years
  • Complete the FREEM-9030 Introduction to the PSW to Practical Nursing Pathway course

PSW to Practical Nursing Pathway Courses

Below is a list of the six pathway courses that will need to be completed before individuals can apply to the Practical Nursing program.

Be sure to review the Admission Requirements for the Practical Nursing program as there are minimum grade requirements for pathway courses.

Before you register, complete the Introduction to the PSW to Practical Nursing Pathway (FREEM-9030) course.

Applying to Practical Nursing Program

Administration at a hospital

Program Delivery

The Lambton College Practical Nursing program is a full-time program delivered in-person. Admission timelines may be subject to conditions including the start date of Term 2 and availability of space in the program.

Completion Time frame

Please be aware that you must apply to the Practical Nursing program within three years of starting your first Personal Support Worker to Practical Nursing pathway course.

Admission Requirements

To apply for admission to Term 2 of the Practical Nursing program after completing this pathway, students must meet the following requirements:

  • Complete all courses in the Personal Support Worker to Practical Nursing Pathway
  • Achieve a minimum grade of 80% in PSPN-1023 Math for Practical Nurses
  • Achieve a minimum grade of 60% in the other five pathway courses

Program Delivery

The Lambton College Practical Nursing program is a full-time program delivered in-person. Admission timelines may be subject to conditions including the start date of Term 2 and availability of space in the program.

Application Process

Applicants enrolled in the pathway program who wish to apply to the Practical Nursing program at Lambton College must apply through ontariocolleges.ca. On the ontariocolleges.ca website, applicants must select Lambton College Practical Nursing Term 2/Level 2 entry. In order to do this, applicants will need to delare their post-secondary education on their application. Only complete applications will be considered.