July 01, 2023

CNO’s Scope of Practice standard takes effect

On June 8, 2023, Council unanimously approved a Scope of Practice standard that outlines nurses’ legislative accountabilities and other key requirements nurses need to consider when deciding whether to perform an activity. Nurses are now accountable to this new practice standard.

The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) protects the public by promoting safe nursing practice. This includes setting and maintaining practice standards and guidelines that support and ensure all nurses practice safely and competently.

On June 8, 2023, Council unanimously approved a Scope of Practice standard that outlines nurses’ legislative accountabilities and other key requirements nurses need to consider when deciding whether to perform an activity. Nurses are now accountable to this new practice standard.

“Nursing is a dynamic and ever-evolving profession,” said Catriona Mill, Manager of Practice Quality at CNO “and nurses deserve a Scope of Practice standard that reflects the modern, evolving nature of the profession, while keeping client safety front and centre.”

The Scope of Practice standard outlines accountabilities under three concepts; authority, competence and the context in which a nurse works. It also integrates key information and replaces CNO’s practice standard, Decision About Procedures and Authority and CNO guidelines; Authorizing Mechanisms and RN and RPN Practice: The Client, the Nurse and the Environment (referred to as the Three Factor Framework).

To help nurses understand the Scope of Practice standard and how to apply it in practice, we’re hosting virtual information sessions. We are also updating learning resources for nurses.

The Scope of Practice standard is available on our Standards and Learning webpage. If you have specific questions related to the Scope of Practice standard, contact Practice Support.

About CNO

The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) is the regulator of the nursing profession in Ontario. It is not a school or a nursing association. CNO acts in the public interest by:

  • assessing qualifications and registering individuals who want to practice nursing in Ontario.
  • setting the practice standards of the profession that nurses in Ontario are expected to meet.
  • promoting nurses' continuing competence through a quality assurance program.
  • holding nurses accountable to those standards by addressing complaints or reports about nursing care.

The College was founded in 1963. By establishing the College, the Ontario government was acknowledging that the nursing profession had the ability to govern itself and put the public's well-being ahead of professional interests.

For the latest information, please see our Nursing Statistics page.

Anyone who wants to use a nursing-related title — Registered Nurse (RN), Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) or Nurse Practitioner (NP) must become a member of CNO.

Frequently Asked Questions

Go to the public Register, Find a Nurse, to conduct a search for the nurse. Contact us if you can't find the person you are looking for.

All public information available about nurses is posted in the public Register, Find a Nurse, which contains profiles of every nurse in Ontario. Publicly available information about nurses include their registration history, business address, and information related to pending disciplinary hearings or past findings.

Unregistered practitioners are people who are seeking employment in nursing or holding themselves out as being able to practice nursing in Ontario, but who are not qualified to do so. They are not registered members of CNO. Only people registered with CNO can use nursing-related titles or perform certain procedures that could cause harm if carried out by a non-registered health professional. CNO takes the issue of unregistered practitioners seriously. See Unregistered Practitioners for more information.

To ensure procedural fairness for both the patient (or client) and the nurse, the Regulated Health Professions Act requires that information gathered during an investigation remain confidential until the matter is referred to the Discipline Committee or Fitness to Practise Committee. CNO will not disclose any information that could identify patients (or clients) or compromise an investigation. See Investigations: A Process Guide for more information.

Information obtained during an investigation will become public if the matter is referred to a disciplinary hearing. If a complaint is not referred to a hearing, no information will be available publicly.

See CNO's hearings schedule, which is updated as hearing dates are confirmed. Hearings at CNO are open to the public and the media. For details on how to attend a hearing, contact the Hearings Administration Team.

A summary of allegations and the disciplinary panel outcomes can be found on the public Register, Find a Nurse. Full decisions and reasons are also available.

Where a disciplinary panel makes a finding of professional misconduct, they have the authority to reprimand a nurse, and suspend or revoke a nurse's registration. Terms, conditions and limitations can also be imposed on a nurse's registration, which restricts their practice for a set period. Nurses can also be required to complete remedial activities, such as reviewing CNO documents and meeting with an expert, before returning to practice.

For detailed information see the Sexual Abuse Prevention section.

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