Critical Care Blueprint


Step by Step Blueprint to Becoming Critical Care Certified through Mount Royal University

Mount Royal University Critical Care Nursing Stream
Core Requirements
  • ACCN 5501 - Critical Care Nursing: Physiology
  • ACCN 5505 - Critical Care Nursing: Pathophysiology
  • ACCN 5507 - Pharmacology for the Acutely ill
  • ACCN 5531 - Critical Care and Emergency Nursing: Assessment
  • ACCN 5581 - Critical Care Nursing: Clinical

Step 1
  • Register with MRU during fall semester in your 3rd year (I believe registration for taking your online critical care course opens as early as Oct 1st the year prior)
  • If you are new to Mount Royal University, you will first need to apply to "ApplyAlberta", which is basically an online application & transcript transfer system that anyone can use to apply to undergraduate programs at one or more of Alberta's post secondary institutions.
  • Click on this link and pick option #1 (click on the green box) Go to Apply Alberta 
o   You Will Take Your First Course During Winter Semester in your 3rd year
o   You will need to send in both your high-school and post-secondary transcripts
o   You can obtain your high-school transcripts through this link BC gov’t website
o   Click on this link and get your TRU ‘Letter of Permission’ (LOP) filled out 
o   For your 1st course – take ACCN 5501 – Critical Care Nursing: Physiology Course
o   In this course you will study the principles of physiology pertinent to critical care nursing. You will learn about cell membrane physiology, work of breathing & determinants of cardiac output. This course will focus on cellular physiology followed by physiology of five systems: pulmonary, neurologic, cardiovascular, renal, and the defense system. 
o   You can do this…I have faith in you!

  •       Here are some important links that will help you with registration through MRU:
Ø  Advanced Studies in Critical Care Nursing

Ø  Admission requirements and costs

Ø  FrequentlyAsked Questions

Ø  Instructional Assistant
Phone: (403) 440-6371
Toll Free: 1-888-240-7202
E-mail: accn@mtroyal.ca


Step 2
  • Take Your 2nd Critical Care Course During Your 4th Year, either in fall or winter semester
o   Again, you have to be organized and register ahead of time. Make sure you keep in touch with MRU and let them know well in advance that you would like to register as spaces can fill up quickly.
o   For your 2nd course – take ACCN 5531 – Critical Care & Emergency Nursing: Assessments Course. The modules throughout this course are quite a bit shorter compared to the first one (ACCN 5501). I managed to finish it in about 6 weeks. 

Step 3
  • Take Your 3rd Critical Care Course During Fall Semester In Your New Grad Year
o   Again, stay organized and register ahead of time.
o   For your 3rd course, you will take ACCN 5505 – Critical Care Nursing: Pathophysiology Course
o   BE PROACTIVE and Let MRU know that you plan on doing your final practicum in the spring.
o   In this course, emphasis is placed on breathing, circulation, neurologic, renal, and body defense of the critically ill to illustrate organ dysfunction. Therapeutics for each of the five systems are discussed including mechanical ventilation and pharmacotherapy. 

Step 4
  • Take Your 4th Critical Care Course During Winter Semester in Your New Grad Year
o   Again, stay organized and register ahead of time.
o   For your 4th course, you will take ACCN 5507 – Pharmacology for the Acutely Ill Course
o   ***Reminder – Make sure you stay in touch with your key person at MRU and let him or her know in advance that you would like to complete your final practicum in the spring

Step 5
  • If you’ve made it this far, Well done! During this final practicum, you will have a:
o   Hands-on lab component (i.e. learning about Arterial BP lines, CVP lines, interpreting 12 lead ECGs, etc.) with your assigned clinical instructor
o   And your Final Theory course – which is a consolidation of everything you’ve learned so far.
·     Your final course will be ACCN 5581 – Critical Care Nursing: Clinical
o   In the end, there will be a multiple-choice final exam
o   And you will also have a choice between writing a final paper or doing a presentation about a complex patient 

·      Once again, you have to be organized and register ahead of time. Make sure you keep in touch with MRU and let them know well in advance that you would like to register as spaces can fill up quickly.




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