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Page modified October 27, 2009

Classes of Registration

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There are six classes of registration: General, Temporary, Special Assignment, Extended, Retired, and Transitional Class. Here's a look at each class:

General Class

This is the most common class of registration, held for a member's lifetime. An annual fee is required to maintain a current Certificate of Registration.

Temporary Class

The temporary registration class is for individuals who have met all the requirements for the general class of registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) as a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN), and need only to pass the national registration examination to obtain general class registration.

Temporary registration is granted for a limited time period, and restricts practice to a specific employment setting. You must pass the exam within a limited time period or the temporary registration will be revoked and cannot be renewed. Once you pass the exam and have met all other requirements for registration, you're eligible for General Class registration.

Extended Class

Only RNs who have obtained advanced education and passed the Extended Class examination can join this class. RN(EC)s have an expanded scope of practice in the areas of assessment, diagnoses, prescription of tests and treatments, and health promotion.

Retired Class

The Retired Class is an option for Ontario nurses aged 65 or older who have permanently retired from nursing practice. This class allows members to use the title "Registered Nurse (Retired)" or "Registered Practical Nurse (Retired)" even though they are no longer in active practice. Nurses in this class cannot practise as a nurse in an employed or volunteer capacity.

Special Assignment Class

This is a short-term, non-renewable registration for individuals, usually from outside Canada, who have an appointment or assignment as an RN or RPN with an approved facility and who do not plan to stay in Ontario for more than one year. Individuals in this class can only practice within the scope of their appointment, and under defined terms, limits and conditions.

Transitional Class

The Transitional Class will allow members of other Canadian nursing regulatory bodies who have graduated after January 1, 2005, and who do not meet the new education requirements in Ontario, to be registered and to work in Ontario for a limited period of time while pursuing further nursing studies to meet the new education requirement for entry to practice. Registered Nurses have four years to complete the further studies to meet the new entry-to-practice requirement and Registered Practical Nurses have two years.

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