What is suspension?

A nurse’s membership with the College is suspended when she/he does not pay the required membership fee by the suspension date, or does not inform the College that they are resigning from nursing. Nurses practising in Ontario are required by law to have a current membership with the College, and those who do not renew their membership are not meeting their legislated professional obligations.

How much time does the College give nurses to renew?

Membership renewal starts in mid-October and the deadline to renew before the late penalty fee is applied is Dec. 31. After Dec. 31, nurses who have not renewed are informed by mail that they have until the suspension deadline to renew. (This year’s suspension date was Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012.) Nurses who do not renew or resign their membership by this date are suspended.

How are nurses told about renewal and suspension?

The College reminds nurses repeatedly about the deadlines during renewal season. Articles and advertisements appear in The Standard and on the website, and information is distributed by mail, email and through nurses’ workplaces. Nurses who do not renew by the Dec. 31 deadline are sent a letter in early January telling them of the suspension date and reminding them that they will not be authorized to practise once they are suspended. One week before the suspension date, nurses who have not responded to the letter are contacted directly by email and/or with a phone call. Nurses who do not renew by the suspension date are informed by letter that they have been suspended and are no longer authorized to practise nursing.

What happens when the online renewal system breaks down?

Since its launch in 2006, there has not been a significantly extended period of time when online renewal could not be accessed by nurses during renewal season. Occasionally, nurses will not remember their password to access their personal account. During renewal, Customer Service support is available to help nurses access their account.

Does the College support nurses who need help with renewal?

Yes. From the opening day of renewal until the suspension deadline, a renewal call centre is available to take phone calls and respond to email from nurses. To ensure nurses had the support to renew on time, the call centre was open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., had extended hours between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and was open on Saturday, Dec. 31, the last day that nurses could renew on time.

Can suspended nurses get their College membership back?

Yes, nurses who have been suspended can “reinstate” their membership. See the Reinstatement fact sheet for more information.