Practice education is experiential learning in which learners gain hands-on experience in clinical, community, or simulated environments. This experience helps learners weave together the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed in the nursing profession.

Clinical learning experiences continue to be the backbone of nursing education, where learners bring theory and practice together (e.g., praxis) in a transition to professional practice.^[1],[2] However, providing these essential experiences presents challenges. Health care restructuring and shifts or reductions in community health programs, along with increased enrolments in nursing schools, have made the allocation of clinical placements for all nursing students extremely challenging. Schools of nursing find themselves competing with other nursing and allied health care programs for limited clinical placements.^[3]

Given these realities, practice experiences are designed to reflect the practice education environment and provide opportunities for learners to integrate theory and practice to successfully meet the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) Professional Standards, Practice Standards, and Entry-Level Competencies for Licensed Practical Nurses. Practice education in this curriculum occurs primarily in the Integrated Nursing Practice courses and through the Consolidated Practice Experiences.

Indigenous Cultural Safety, Cultural Humility, and Anti-Racism

This curriculum integrates Indigenous cultural safety, cultural humility, and anti-racism throughout all practice education experiences. This approach aligns with the BCCNM practice standard on Indigenous Cultural Safety, Cultural Humility, and Anti-Racism and responds to the In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-Specific Racism and Discrimination in B.C. Health Care report’s recommendations to address Indigenous-specific racism in B.C.’s health care system.