It is illegal for anyone to practice nursing in Ontario or to call themselves a nurse in Ontario unless they hold a valid certificate of registration with the CNO.

Only CNO registrants can practice nursing in Ontario and use the titles "nurse," "Registered Nurse (RN)," "Registered Practical Nurse (RPN)," or "Nurse Practitioner (NP)" within the province.

Your status as a Registered Nurse or Registered Practical Nurse assures the public that everyone who identifies themselves as nurses in Ontario has gained the knowledge, skill and judgment needed to provide safe and ethical nursing care.

Temporary Class

As an applicant, you may be eligible to practice nursing in the Temporary Class while completing your registration requirements for the General Class if you meet certain criteria. To learn more about the eligibility requirements and how to apply refer to CNO’s Temporary Class Registration guide.

RN Prescribing Practice

RNs registered with CNO in the General Class can add prescribing authority to their practice by completing RN prescribing education approved by CNO. RNs with this authority can prescribe certain medications and communicate diagnoses for the purposes of prescribing those medications.

If you have completed education that qualifies you to prescribe medication as an RN in another Canadian jurisdiction or country, you will still need to successfully complete CNO-approved education to become authorized in Ontario. There are many differences in RN prescribing across jurisdictions. CNO Council-approved education is based on the legal scope of practice for RN prescribing in Ontario. Read RN Prescribing Practice for more information, including a list of continuing education approved by CNO for RN prescribing in Ontario.

For those who completed CNO-approved RN prescribing education, RN prescribing authority comes into effect after becoming registered as an RN in the General Class.