Are you a registered nurse (RN) looking to enhance your expertise for working in primary care? This 12-week online postgraduate upskilling program equips working RNs with tailored education and training to support expanded practice within interprofessional primary care teams.
Ontario’s healthcare system is shifting toward community-based, team-oriented models of care. To support this shift, the Primary Care Nursing Upskilling Program at Trent University prepares registered nurses to work confidently and effectively to their full scope of practice in primary care settings across Ontario.
Taught by faculty in the Trent/Fleming School of Nursing, this fully online program offers flexible learning for working nurses at any stage of their career. The curriculum emphasizes rural, Indigenous, and community-focused care and supports nurses who are currently working in primary care or preparing to transition into these roles.
The program is delivered in collaboration with Queen’s University, enhancing expertise in interprofessional, team-based models of primary care through contributions from health and social care disciplines.
Register Now:
Registration through Trent University Careerspace is now open for our March 30, 2026 cohort.
Details on application timelines and requirements will be posted shortly. Please check back for final dates.
Program Objectives:
By completing the Primary Care Nursing Upskilling Program, registered nurses will:
- Build advanced knowledge and competencies specific to primary care nursing practice
- Strengthen skills in providing evidence-informed care across the lifespan, including health promotion, chronic disease management, mental health and substance use, and reproductive and pediatric care
- Demonstrate culturally safe, equity-oriented, and trauma-informed approaches to care
- Work effectively within intra- and interprofessional primary care teams
- Integrate national primary care RN competencies into everyday practice
- Build confidence to work to their full scope of practice in diverse community settings
Program Details:
The program is organized into the following modules:
- Foundations of Primary Care Nursing
- Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
- Chronic Disease Management
- Mental Health and Substance Use
- Maternal and Reproductive Health
- Pediatric Health
- Episodic and Transitional Care
- Indigenous Health and Cultural Safety
- Rural and Remote Practice
- Leadership, Quality Improvement, and Evaluation
- Interprofessional Collaboration and Communication
- Capstone and Integration
RN Prescribing Pathway
Graduates of the Primary Care Nursing Upskilling Program may also choose to apply to a Registered Nurse Prescribing Program delivered by the University of Windsor. Approximately 70 per cent of nurses who pursue this pathway will have their tuition covered, subject to eligibility and program requirements.
Program Delivery and Evaluation
- Format: Fully online
- Length: 12 weeks
- Start date: March 30, 2026
- Delivery model: Asynchronous coursework with regular virtual touchpoints, including a one-hour synchronous session and guided learning activities
- Evaluation: Students must complete all course assessments and achieve a satisfactory grade on the capstone project, including satisfactory performance in a virtual simulation, to receive the certificate. Assignments will be marked on a pass/fail basis.
Program Eligibility:
This postgraduate upskilling program is open to registered nurses practising in Ontario.
Applicants must be registered nurses (RNs) in good standing with the College of Nurses of Ontario. Priority consideration may be given to RNs currently working in primary care, RNs who identify as Indigenous and RNs practising in rural, remote, or Northern communities. No prior experience in primary care is required. The program is open to newly licensed and experienced nurses.
Fees and Funding:
Tuition for eligible registered nurses is covered through provincial funding for the duration of the program’s initial funding period. There are no additional fees for learning materials.
To encourage commitment and reduce attrition, students are required to submit a refundable deposit of $500 upon enrolment. This deposit will be fully reimbursed upon successful completion of the program. Students who withdraw after the first two weeks of the program or who do not successfully complete the program will not receive a deposit reimbursement.
Conclusion:
Participants in the Primary Care Upskilling Program for RNs will develop a comprehensive set of practical, evidence informed skills that enable them to work confidently to their full scope in primary care. Throughout the program, RNs build strong clinical assessment and chronic disease management skills, enhance their ability to deliver care across the lifespan, and strengthen competency in mental health, substance use, and trauma informed approaches. They also gain essential skills in culturally safe and context Specific care, including Indigenous health and rural/remote practice. Further, learners will develop advanced abilities in interprofessional collaboration, communication, leadership, quality improvement, and nursing informatics. By applying clinical reasoning, simulation learning, and reflective practice throughout the program, participants graduate prepared to deliver high quality, patient-centered primary care in diverse community settings. informed skills that enable them to work confidently to their full scope in primary care. Throughout the program, RNs build strong clinical assessment and chronic disease management skills, enhance their ability to deliver care across the lifespan, and strengthen competency in mental health, substance use, and trauma informed approaches. They also gain essential skills in culturally safe and context specific care, including Indigenous health and rural/remote practice. Further, learners will develop advanced abilities in interprofessional collaboration, communication, leadership, quality improvement, and nursing informatics. By applying clinical reasoning, simulation learning, and reflective practice throughout the program, participants graduate prepared to deliver high-quality, patient centered primary care in diverse community settings.