Applicants show their nursing knowledge, skill and judgment by meeting the critical entry-level competencies applicable to the type of nurse (RN or RPN) they want to register as.
When CNO considers your application, we look at the following credentials:
- your original nursing program
- any additional nursing courses or programs you may have completed
CNO will assess these to determine whether your education is substantially equivalent to that of an approved Ontario program.
“Substantially equivalent” means applicants educated outside of Canada have received nursing education that provides them with the nursing knowledge, skill and judgment to enter practice in Ontario.
This measure assesses the foundational nursing education from your original nursing program and any additional nursing programs you completed, to determine if your education included the critical competencies that make up the RN or RPN Education Pathways.
The competencies that form the Education Pathways are selected from the entry level competencies, for the category of nursing you are applying to, which all nurses must demonstrate upon entry to practice.
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