Education Program Review

​Education is the foundation of safe and ethical midwifery and nursing practice. BCCNM reviews and recognizes midwifery and nursing education programs in B.C. to ensure they meet the education standards and indicators approved by the board. Graduates from a BCCNM recognized program meet the education requirements for registration with BCCNM.

BCCNM is committed to eradicating Indigenous-specific racism within our health system and providing culturally safe care for Indigenous Peoples. As part of this commitment, the education program review process for all entry level nursing and midwifery education programs requires evidence of how the curriculum incorporates the Indigenous Cultural Safety, Cultural Humility, and Anti-racism practice standard and how the program is actively addressing these principles.

Program recognition end date in 2025

If the program has a recognition date on or before Dec. 31, 2025, please continue to use the legacy process for the upcoming review. Legacy documents or policies are available by contacting epr@bccnm.ca​.​

Program recognition end date in 2026 or later

If the program’s recognition end date is on Jan. 31, 2026​ or later, please follow policies and directions outlined on this page.​​

What do you want to do? ​ 

Prepare for an education program review  

Recognized education programs undergo regular review by BCCNM based upon their recognition length. A member of the Education Program Review team will reach out to program contacts in advance of the recog​​nition end date to start the review process and to provide orientation for program representatives.

What t​​o​​ expect

• The ​program will be required to provide evidence to address the Education Standards and Indicators​ in the form of a Program Review Report. The template will be provided by BCCNM​. 
  

• A me​​mber of the Education Program Review team will review the report and may ask for additional evidence, if required.

• A site visit may be required as part of the review. Site visits can be completed virtually or on-site. A member of the Education Program Review team will contact the program if a site visit is required​.​​
  

• Based on the evidence submitted, the Education Program Review Committee may recommend that the BCCNM Board continue to recognize the education program for a maximum of five or seven years, depending on the designation and program type​​.

Make changes to a recognized education program

If a BCCNM-recogniz​ed education program is considering a substantial change, it must notify BCCNM's Education Program Review team. 

​ Examples of s​​ubstantial chang​​es​​

• How the curriculum addresses the entry-level competencies and the BCCNM Standards of Practice (e.g., learning resources, program infrastructure, lab/simulation resources, faculty resources, and program learning experiences with clie​nts).
  

• Campus location, including relocation of a campus, establishing a new campus or satellite campus, or changing the name of the educational institution.
  

• Increase in the number of students beyond 10% of what BCCNM has currently recognized for a program.
  

• Discontinuation of a program or closing of a campus.
  

• Any other significant change​​​ that will or may impact on the ability of the students to achieve the requirements to proceed in the registration process with BCNNM following graduation from the program​.
  

If the program is considering a substantial change, please contact epr@bccnm.ca​ with a brief description of the proposed change. The EPR team will review and determine next steps.

Proposing to offer a new education program

If an institution is proposing to offer ​​a new midwifery or nursing education program, it must obtain BCCNM board recognition of the program prior to admitting students.

Re​quest a c​​o​nsultation

Institutions proposing to offer a​​ new midwifery or nursing education program should review the Education Program Review Policies and contact epr@bccnm.ca for further information.

What to ​​expect

• Due to process requirements, it can take up to one year for a new program to obtain recognition from BCCNM.

• Institutions proposing to offer a new program must communicate their intention in writing using the form provided by the Education Program Review team.

• BCCNM will not review a new program proposal until all applicable government and/or external approvals are confirmed.

​​

Update program contact information

To up​​date the key contacts for your education program, please email us at epr@bccnm.ca​.

BCCNM maintains a list of key contacts for each recognized education program. This list is used to communicate regulatory changes impacting programs, and to provide updates on the education program review process. All educational institutions are a little bit different, but these individuals could include the institution or program leaders or coordinators.

BCCNM Educator Update

Educatio​n Program Review sends a quarterly update that includes college news and initiatives that may impact education programs. To subscribe to the BCCNM Educator Update, ​email newsletter@bccnm.ca​​.   ​ ​

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