Applicant requirements

All applicants must meet the following prerequisites or they will not be considered.

• Registered nurse in British Columbia
• Approval from employer, i.e. program manager or nursing supervisor with a health authority or affiliate to complete the course
• Upon completion of the course, they must be performing STI assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up as part of their ongoing work
  

BCCDC's STI Certification Education Program is approved by the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) as a certifying education program for registered nurses practicing STI care. 

BCCDC will provide BCCNM with the names and registration numbers of those nurses who have successfully completed the STI Certification Education Program. To complete the certification process you must apply through BCCNM. Once BCCNM has received record of your successful completion from BCCDC you will receive communication from BCCNM that you have been entered into their Certification registry.

There is no charge for the STI Certification Education Program. Participants are responsible for their own travel, accommodation and expenses for the clinical practice component.

Preceptor requirements

All preceptors must meet the following requirements:

• Current practice registration as a STI Certified Nurse (RN(C)), Nurse Practitioner (NP), or Physician (MD)
  
• Expertly, ethically, and safely demonstrates the Reproductive Health STI Core Competencies
  
• Currently practices full scope of STI clinical services including assessment, testing, diagnosis and treatment
  
• Provides final assessment of Learner as per the BCCDC Clinical Practice Experience Manual​ 
  

Seat allocation

There are 22 seats available in each STI Certification course, for a total of 110 seats per year. The breakdown of seat allocation per regional health authority (RHA) is based on population size, equity considerations, and historical seat use and course attrition.

The majority of seats will require prearranged, health authority preceptorships. However, there will be 7 BCCDC STI clinic preceptorships available in each course session. Each health authority is guaranteed a minimum of 1 BCCDC practicum seat per course session.

There will also be one seat in each course session for non-health authority applicants that will require a pre-arranged community preceptorship.

Pre-arranged community preceptorships must be completed at a health authority sponsored or health authority-affilliated site.