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 Nursing Practice > You Asked Us Online 

 Last modified Dec. 22, 2004  

Returning to Practice

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Q

I left nursing six years ago for personal reasons and am now planning to return to practice. What steps do I need to take to return to the nursing profession?

 

A

Returning to nursing practice after being away to pursue other interests can be an exciting and overwhelming decision.

The first step is to contact the College of Nurses of Ontario to verify your registration status and the process for reinstatement.

The next step is to ensure your nursing knowledge, skill and judgement are up-to-date before you start practising again.

As a regulated health professional, you are responsible and accountable for providing safe, ethical and effective care to your clients. Key to this is ensuring you are competent in your practice area. To determine what learning you may need before you start practising, consider using CNO’s Reflective Practice program.

All practising nurses in Ontario must participate in Reflective Practice each year. The self-directed program includes self-assessment, peer feedback, and developing, implementing and evaluating your learning plan.

You will want to begin by assessing your nursing knowledge and clinical skills as they apply to your new nursing role and to the client population you will be caring for. From here, you can begin to identify your learning needs and develop a plan to meet them.

There are a number of learning options you will want to consider, including theoretical and clinical skills upgrading. For example, refresher programs can help you become familiar with recent changes, trends, and issues in nursing and the health care system.

Other options for updating include participating in self-study programs or literature reviews, and enrolling in courses that are relevant to your practice area, such as gerontology if you plan to work in a long-term care facility. You may also want to look into partnering with your employer to discuss what further learning needs could be addressed in the facility’s orientation program.

At the same time, you will want to become familiar with the College’s practice standards and guidelines. These important documents contain the professional expectations that apply to all nurses practising in Ontario. They describe what each nurse is accountable and responsible for in her or his practice.

 

Reference

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