What is the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership?

The Supervised Practice Experience Partnership (SPEP) is a partnership program between the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO), Ontario Health and CNO-approved organizations.

It is a supervised practice experience in Ontario to let applicants demonstrate current nursing knowledge, skill and judgement as well as language proficiency skills.

SPEP provides a way for applicants to meet the following requirements to practice as a nurse in Ontario:

  • evidence of practice, or
  • evidence of practice and language proficiency

Does the transition to practice requirement need to be met to be eligible for SPEP?

No, transition to practice is not a requirement for SPEP. The transition to practice course can be taken at any time. But an employer may choose to require this course before you can begin a SPEP in their practice setting. 

I am an applicant who is interested in SPEP

The following information is for RN or RPN applicants interested in participating in SPEP.

Am I eligible to participate?

Applicants are eligible if they have met all their registration requirements except:

  • evidence of practice, or
  • evidence of practice and one or both of language proficiency and/or transition to practice.

Check the applicant portal to see what requirements you still need to complete. You are not eligible if you still need to meet requirements other than the ones listed above.

Your evidence of practice must have expired no more than five years before applying to SPEP.
SPEP is available to RN and RPN applicants, including nurses returning to practice. CNO will notify eligible applicants through the portal.

If your practice has expired more than five years ago and you fall outside the timeframe, and you would otherwise be eligible to participate in SPEP, you can ask the Registration Committee to review your application by sending an email to SPE@cnomail.org with the subject: Request for Registration Committee Review.

How do I apply?

You will receive a message via the Message Centre in your Applicant Portal from CNO indicating that you are eligible for SPEP. If you believe you are eligible, but have not received a message from CNO, please contact SPE@cnomail.org.

If you have received a message and are interested in completing SPEP with a hospital, long-term care facility or home health care or community care organization, follow these steps:

  1. Express your interest by completing the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership – Intake Form provided in your eligibility message.
  2. Wait for CNO to confirm that you are eligible.
  3. Ontario Health will match you with an appropriate organization.
  4. Share your confirmation of eligibility with the organization where you are planning to do your SPEP.

You can also approach a hospital, long-term care facility, or community care or home health care organization directly to explore opportunities to complete an SPEP with them. Some organizations post for positions, or you may already be working with one of them in another capacity.

If you are interested in completing the program with a retirement home or another employer, you will need to contact them directly to express your interest and verify their eligibility to participate in the program. Organizations such as retirement homes must also be approved by CNO before you start your SPEP.  The form is available on our website.

What am I expected to achieve during SPEP?

You will be expected to:

  • go through an orientation process to become familiar with the organization, the practice setting and what to expect from the supervised practice experience
  • assess your learning needs, identify learning goals and develop a learning plan for your supervised practice experience
  • complete a minimum practice experience of 140 hours under the supervision of a qualified preceptor (a nurse who supervises you) — you many need more than 140 practice hours, depending on your individual learning needs
  • gain relevant current nursing practice experience under the supervision of an NP, RN or RPN preceptor (RPN applicants can be supervised by an RPN, RN or NP preceptor; RN applicants can be supervised only by an RN or NP preceptor)
  • complete an initial and final self-evaluation of whether you meet CNO’s standards and guidelines.
  • receive feedback from preceptors and have opportunities for additional learning — preceptors will complete evaluations using the same criteria as your self-evaluations

Your accountabilities during SPEP

Throughout your participation in SPEP, you must:

  • not use the protected title, “RN” or “RPN.” These titles are restricted in Ontario to CNO’s registered members
  • clearly explain to others, including patients, the capacity in which you are practicing

Example: “I am a CNO applicant, applying to register as a XXXX. I’m completing a supervised practice experience as part of my requirements to enter the nursing profession under the supervision of a qualified supervisor.”

  • only provide care you are competent to provide
  • not supervise, monitor, or direct the performance of others, with no exceptions
  • not delegate a controlled act to anyone

What happens when I complete my SPEP?

When you complete your SPEP, your organization, including the preceptor or someone in a direct supervisory capacity, must complete the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership Completion Form and submit it directly to CNO at SPE@cnomail.org.

CNO will review the documents to ensure you have met the requirements to complete your registration in the General Class. You will be advised of your next steps through the applicant portal.

For more information, watch the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership Applicant Webinar.

My organization is interested in SPEP

The following information is for organizations interested in participating in SPEP by providing opportunities for supervised practice experience placements to eligible CNO applicants. General information about SPEP is at the top of this webpage.

How to become an approved organization

If your organization is interested in participating in SPEP, you can complete and submit the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership form to SPE@cnomail.org. CNO will review your information and contact you directly with next steps.
If you have questions about the program, please contact us at SPE@cnomail.org

Requirements for becoming a participating organization

  1. Approved organizations and practice experiences must be based in Ontario.
  2. Approved organizations in acute care, long-term care facilities, home health care and community care organizations will be matched with eligible applicants through Ontario Health.
  3. Ontario Health will not match eligible applicants with approved retirement homes and other types of organizations. CNO approves organizations, including retirement homes, medical office and others, which can connect directly  with eligible applicants.
  4. Applicants may approach approved organizations directly to explore the potential for an SPEP, outside of Ontario Health. Ontario Health does not always match all eligible applicants. The approved organizations that applicants may approach directly include hospitals, long-term care facilities, home health care and community care organizations.

As participating partners, organizations must agree to:

  • orient the applicant to the practice setting
  • provide a nurse preceptor to supervise and guide the applicant, and provide feedback and learning opportunities
  • offer a supervised practice experience for a minimum of 140 hours, where applicants can apply nursing knowledge, skill and judgement and demonstrate an understanding their nursing accountabilities (CNO practice standards)
  • evaluate applicants using CNO-approved tools
  • confirm whether applicants have met program requirements at the end of their experience or report any competence, practice or conduct concerns to CNO

Matching

CNO will notify Ontario Health when you become an approved organization. Ontario Health matches eligible applicants with approved organizations.

Process Flow For Applicants

  • CNO contacts eligible applicant
  • Applicant expresses interest in participating
  • Ontario Health matches applicant to employer
  • Final forms submitted to CNO

Process Flow For Employers

  • Employer is made aware of the opportunity
  • Employer expresses interest in participating
  • CNO approves employer
  • Ontario Health matches applicant to employer
  • Final forms submitted to CNO

Organization responsibilities

Organizations must uphold the following requirements and expectations:

  • confirm the applicant’s eligibility to participate by verifying the applicant’s eligibility message from the CNO applicant portal 
  • assign an appropriate preceptor (or preceptors) and arrange for the practice experience
  • orient the applicant on relevant policies, procedures and resource materials as well as the general practice environment
  • assess the applicant using CNO’s Assessment form. (See Supervised Practice Experience Partnership: Assessment Overview)
  • contact CNO regarding concerns or clarifications when needed
  • complete documentation according to the outcome of the SPEP

SPEP is intended to allow applicants to gain nursing practice experience. Your organization may choose to retain your matched applicants as employees once they become registered with CNO.

Your organization has the right to end the SPEP agreement at any time (for example, because of lack of progress or for other reasons). In these situations, CNO will ask you to complete and submit the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership Completion Form indicating the reason for the applicant’s failure to complete.

Preceptor Responsibilities

The nurse preceptor is pivotal to a successful SPEP. The preceptor acts as a resource, role model, mentor/coach, and supervisor. Supervision may be direct or indirect, based on the needs of the applicant. Indirect supervision means the preceptor is readily available for consultation but is not directly at the applicant’s side while they work.
RPN applicants can be supervised by a qualified RPN, RN or NP preceptor. RN applicants can be supervised only by a qualified RN or NP preceptor.
Preceptors must:

  • hold a current RPN, RN and/or NP Certificate of Registration in the General Class or Extended Class with CNO
  • disclose to your organization any pre-existing relationship with the applicant (such as family, social/personal or business connections) that might interfere with their ability to objectively evaluate the applicant

Submitting Documents to CNO

When the SPEP is finished, the preceptor must complete and submit the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership Completion Form to CNO at SPE@cnomail.org.

We have created an employer checklist that outlines the organization’s responsibilities.

Organizations and preceptors who have questions or need more information about SPEP should contact CNO at SPE@cnomail.org.