This information is for nurses registered in the Non-Practising Class who are interested in participating in a Supervised Practice Experience (SPE) to qualify for reinstatement in the General Class.

Who can participate?

To be eligible to participate in a SPE, you must

• be a nurse registered in the Non-Practising Class
• be unable to show that you have practiced nursing in the past three years
• have an open reinstatement application with CNO

You will need to have professional liability insurance while practicing for purposes of the SPE.

If you are not registered in the Non-Practising Class, contact CNO to request the Non-Practising Class application form.

How to participate

To participate in a SPE, you must first submit an SPE application to enp@cnomail.org for approval.

Your SPE application must include the following documents:

• Supervised Practice Experience Nurse Information Form
• SPE Sponsoring Organization, Nurse and Supervisor Agreement Form

Once you submit the agreement form, you must wait for CNO’s approval before you can begin your SPE.

All SPE applications will be evaluated individually. Past or current conduct and health issues may affect whether you are eligible to participate.

How to approach a sponsor organization

Early in the planning for your SPE, you should find and make arrangements with a sponsor organization in Ontario. It might be helpful to start by contacting your previous employers and local health care organizations.

The practice area you choose must allow you to:

• apply nursing knowledge, skill and judgment
• apply CNO’s practice standards and guidelines
• have an impact, whether direct or indirect, on the delivery of health care services to patients

A nurse supervisor registered as an RPN, RN or NP must be available to supervise your practice.

RPNs can be supervised by a qualified supervisor who is an RPN, RN or NP, but RNs can only be supervised by an RN or NP.

SPE requirements

The following are requirements you must meet to complete your SPE:

1. have your SPE application approved by CNO: to receive approval, you must complete and submit to CNO the Supervised Practice Experience Nurse Information Form and SPE Sponsoring Organization, Nurse and Supervisor Agreement Form
2. obtain professional liability protection for the General Class required by CNO’s by-laws
3. provide an original police criminal record check issued within the last six months
4. contact a potential sponsor organization in Ontario where you want to complete your SPE and make arrangements for your practice experience
5. assess your learning needs, using the Quality Assurance Program’s Self-Assessment tool
6. once CNO approves your SPE, work with a nurse supervisor assigned by the sponsor organization
7. complete the SPE within a six-month period after your SPE application is approved by CNO
8. submit your completed Supervised Practice Experience Completion Form to CNO

There is no minimum number of hours required to complete the practice experience. The amount of time is determined by your learning needs.

You are responsible for all SPE-related expenses, such as textbooks, other learning materials and Non-Practising Class registration fees.

Your accountabilities as Non-Practising RN/RPN

Throughout your SPE, you must:

• clearly explain to others, including patients, the capacity in which you are practicing

  
  Example:
  “I’m an RN/RPN who has not practiced in the last [x] years. I’m completing a practice experience as part of my requirements to re-enter the nursing profession under the supervision of a qualified supervisor.”

• use the protected title, “RN, Non-Practising” or “RPN, Non-Practising” in formal documentation
• provide only care you are competent to provide, including when you perform any of the five controlled acts authorized to nursing

You must not:

• delegate or accept delegation of a controlled act
• supervise, monitor or direct the performance of others, with no exceptions

Completing the SPE

You must complete your SPE within six months of receiving CNO’s approval. Once you complete the SPE, the sponsor organization must submit the Supervised Practice Experience Completion Form to CNO by email to enp@cnomail.org.

CNO will review all information submitted, assess your eligibility for registration in the General Class and contact you about next steps.

If you have questions about participating in a SPE, contact CNO at cno@cnomail.org