July 26, 2023

Registered Nurses tell CNO that RN prescribing is good for patient care

CNO recently conducted a survey where Registered Nurses (RNs) shared their perspectives on whether they would complete RN prescribing education when it becomes available in the future.

CNO recently conducted a survey where Registered Nurses (RNs) shared their perspectives on whether they would complete RN prescribing education when it becomes available in the future. The survey aimed to measure the interest and readiness of RNs - particularly those employed in settings where RN prescribing is permitted by law, such as public health, primary health and long-term care settings. The Public Hospitals Act does not enable RNs to prescribe medication in hospital settings.  

“Nursing is a dynamic and ever-evolving profession. That’s why it is so important to gain an understanding about nurses’ perspectives on patient safety and the future of RN prescribing,” says Carol Timmings, CNO’s Chief Quality Officer and Deputy Registrar.

Out of those surveyed, 1,312 RNs, who provide direct patient care outside of a hospital, responded. Of these respondents, 56% said they plan to complete RN prescribing education; and over half said they would do so within the first six months of it being available. And 67% said their patients would benefit if they were authorized to prescribe medication. 

In sectors where laws enable RN prescribing, employers will decide if this scope change will be permitted in the practice setting and ensure safe implementation of this change. This includes ensuring RNs who prescribe have access to other health professionals, for example Nurse Practitioners or physicians, for consultation and mentorship. It also includes ensuring there is access to evidence-based decision-making supports and appropriate workplace policies. However, 78% of RNs who plan to complete RN prescribing education have not consulted their employers. 

“A key step for any RN interested in making this change to their practice is to consult and work with their employer to make sure RN prescribing will be supported in the setting,” says Timmings. “This ensures that RNs have access to necessary supports and will have the opportunity to practice and maintain competence.” 

In the survey, long-term care, home and community care support services and public health were the most common practice settings of RNs who report that they intend to complete RN prescribing education.

About 14% of respondents expressed that they did not intend to complete RN prescribing education. The reasons cited included a lack of interest, concerns about workload and uncertainty about whether their employers would permit RN prescribing. These concerns were echoed in open-ended comments, with nurses expressing apprehension about the lack of compensation for the added work.

Interestingly, 29% of respondents indicated they were unsure if they will complete education. Their reasons included the need for more information about education, including its length, cost and delivery methods, as well as uncertainties regarding whether employers will permit RN prescribing.

The survey also revealed demographic trends among respondents. Of the RNs who intend to complete RN prescribing education, the majority work in urban settings compared to rural and remote settings. 

Protecting the public

RN prescribing regulations are not yet in force. These regulations still require government approval before taking effect. 

CNO’s role is to implement RN prescribing safely in Ontario. To ensure competent and safe practice, RNs will be required to complete prescribing education to become authorized to prescribe.

We are working with academic institutions interested in delivering RN prescribing education. CNO Council will approve these programs to ensure they capture the standards for safe practice.

Stay tuned on cno.org, and our social media pages for ongoing updates. 

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.

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