October 07, 2025
October 2025

Dear CNO

A nurse asks about what steps to take when updating their information after marriage, a name change and an upcoming move.

A nurse smiling while on her laptop.

I have had several changes in my life recently and want to make sure I’m following the rights steps with updating my information with CNO. I got married two weeks ago, changed my last name, and will be looking for a new job when my partner and I move to a new city in Ontario next month to be closer to family. What information do you need to know and when do you need to know it?

Congratulations on your recent marriage! What an exciting time with so many changes ahead! We appreciate you taking the time to connect with us and staying on top of your professional requirements. Navigating life’s transitions can be a handful, but updating your information doesn’t have to be. Let’s break down what you need to know:

Why keep your info up-to-date?

  • Having accurate details on file helps keep the public and employers informed, maintains trust. CNO’s public register is called Find a Nurse. This register displays information about a nurse’s current registration status, registration history, practice information, such as practice restrictions and discipline decisions, as well as employment history.
  • It ensures you don’t miss our on any important communications from us. Plus, it’s required by CNO’s by-laws! 

What needs updating?

  • Your employment or business address: Let CNO know anytime you start or stop a job, or if your workplace address changes. This includes any self-employment, volunteer or unpaid nursing roles 
  • Your contact info: Make sure your home address, telephone number and email are current—even if you’re moving next month. Don’t worry, this info isn’t shared on Find a Nurse.
  • Other registrations and licences: If you’re registered or licensed in another province, territory or country, or even another profession, let CNO know.
  • For NPs: Update CNO about any hospital or health facility privileges.  You must also let us know if your privileges are revoked, suspended or restricted.

How soon must changes be reported?

  • CNO’s by-laws require nurses to update certain information within 30 days. Don’t wait for the end-of-year annual membership renewal, unless it happens to fall within that window.
    How do I change my name?
  • If your name changes, send us a written request to update it on Find a Nurse. The request should include:

    • your registration number
    • your old and new name, spelled exactly as it should appear on Find a Nurse
    • your signature
    • your mailing address and phone number
    • a copy of a legal name change document, such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree or change of name certificate
  • You can send your request and documents by email to cno@cnomail.org, or  by regular mail.

Life’s big changes can feel overwhelming, but keeping your professional records in order will help your next steps go smoothly. Wishing you all the best in this next chapter and we look forward to staying connected.

Warmly,

Chantal Rioux, RN, MScN, PHCNP
Advanced Practice Consultant, Practice Quality


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.

Related links