Registered Nurses
Registered Nurses (RNs) obtain their license to practice through the nursing regulator in the province or territory where they choose to practice.
Each provincial/territorial nursing regulator achieves its mandate through regulatory activities such as registration and licensure, professional conduct review, setting standards for nursing practice and education, describing the scope of registered nursing practice, and identifying competencies required for entry-level registered nurse practice.
RN entry-level competencies
RN Entry-level competencies are foundational for RN practice. They describe the competencies required for entry-level RNs to provide safe, competent, compassionate, and ethical nursing care in their practice settings. The competencies also serve as a guide for curriculum development by RN program providers and inform the development and revision of entry-to-practice registration examinations.
The public and employers may use the competencies to understand what is expected from entry-level registered nurses.
Entry-to-Practice Examinations
Graduates of nursing programs who apply to practice nursing in any Canadian province or territory must write an entry-to-practice examination that applies to the type of nursing registration they seek.
The National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) is an examination for the registration of nurses. It tests the competencies nurses need at the beginning of their careers.
Anyone applying to practise as a Registered Nurse (RN) in Canada (with the exception of Quebec) must pass the NCLEX-RN exam and meet additional requirements to become a member of one of the provincial/territorial nursing regulators.
Internationally Educated Nurses
An internationally educated nurse is a nurse who has completed their post-secondary education outside of Canada and has never been licensed as a nurse in Canada.
If you are an internationally educated nurse and wish to come to Canada and practice as a nurse, visit the regulatory body in the province or territory you wish to apply to learn what the process and requirements.
You may need to apply to the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS) as a first step to assess your credentials: see www.nnas.ca.
To work as a nurse in Canada, you must meet language requirements in English or French. This ensures safe communication in nursing practice. The nursing regulators in each province and territory set the language requirements required to be met by internationally educated nurses.