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Can a UCP or PSW call themselves a nurse?
I work in a long-term care home where those providing direct care are now identified as the health care team, and the personal support workers (PSWs) are being referred to as part of the nursing staff. The PSWs have started to identify themselves as nurses. Are they allowed to call themselves nurses?
No. In Ontario, only members of the College of Nurses of Ontario can use the titles “nurse,” “Nurse Practitioner,” “Registered Nurse” and “Registered Practical Nurse.” This includes any variation or abbreviation of these titles or equivalent titles in other languages. Anyone calling themselves a nurse without being registered with CNO is considered an illegal practitioner and can be prosecuted under the Nursing Act, 1991 and the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991.
