To be eligible for Temporary Class registration you must:

• meet all requirements for registration in the General Class, except for the education requirement, the registration exam and the transition to practice requirement
• have completed a nursing education program approved or recognized in any jurisdiction and
• have an offer of employment from an approved Ontario nursing employer

Your Temporary Class registration will expire eight months from the date the certificate of registration is issued.

If you fail the registration exam two times, your registration in the Temporary Class will be revoked, even if it occurs before the expiry date.

This guide is for RN or RPN applicants who want to practice nursing under the Temporary Class while they are completing their registration requirements for the General Class.

The Temporary Class exists to allow individuals to practice while they meet their outstanding requirements to register in the General Class. To ensure public safety, Temporary Class registrants must, by law, practice under terms, conditions and limitations. These terms, conditions and limitations mean that practice restrictions are in place to protect the public. Temporary class registrants are also monitored by a nurse registered with CNO.

By law, Temporary Class registrants must be monitored and directed by a nurse registered with CNO. RNs must be monitored by an RN or NP, and RPNs must be monitored by an RPN, RN or NP. Employers will have to decide whether they have the capacity to support these nurses.

No. The law says that you cannot re-apply to a category of registration if you were previously registered in it.

No. If you have already failed the exam two times or more, you are not eligible for registration in the temporary class.

Once CNO receives the required documentation, it can take up to 15 days to process. When CNO is satisfied that you meet all Temporary Class requirements, we will notify you that you are eligible for registration and you will become registered in the Temporary Class right after you pay your registration fee. Employers can confirm someone’s Temporary Class registration by searching for their name or registration number on CNO’s public register, Find a Nurse.

No. CNO’s priority is to register safe and qualified applicants in all classes.

Please visit the list of application and membership fees for the current application and registration fees.

No. To be eligible for the Temporary Class, you must have completed an approved nursing program. This includes nursing students in Ontario.

The time it takes for an Ontario nursing school to collect, approve and submit students’ Verification of Course Completion to CNO varies. It is important that the Verification of Course Completion is accurate and it should not be rushed.

Registration in the Temporary Class is different than participating in the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership Program (SPEP).

SPEP offers a supervised practice experience in Ontario, giving applicants the opportunity to meet the evidence of practice and language proficiency requirements to practice safely in Ontario’s health system.

The Temporary Class is for applicants who meet all requirements for registration in the General Class, except the education requirement, transition to practice requirement and registration exam.

The table below compares the eligibility requirements for both SPEP and the Temporary Class.

Temporary Class applicants will also require an offer of employment to be eligible. Applicants for SPEP will be matched with an approved employer.

A nurse who is registered with CNO must work with the Temporary Class registrant to support them in providing safe, competent nursing care and meeting the expected standards of practice. Depending on the needs of the Temporary Class registrant, monitoring and directing may be direct or indirect. This will ensure Temporary Class registrants receive the appropriate teaching, feedback, remediation, guidance and support to provide safe, competent nursing care. Indirect monitoring means the supervising nurse is readily available for consultation but is not directly at the side of the registrant.

No, RNs in the Temporary Class must be monitored and directed by an RN in the General Class or Extended Class (Nurse Practitioner [NP]). However, RPNs in the Temporary Class can be monitored and directed by either an RPN or an RN in the General Class, or an RN in the Extended Class (NP).

Yes, you can move to a different employer. However, CNO must receive and approve the offer of employment from the new employer before you start working. You will not require a new offer of employment to work in a different facility run by the same employer.

Yes, you can have more than one employer. CNO must receive and approve each offer of employment before you start working.

Applicants identified as not having equivalent education have a number of options to meet education equivalency. More information can be found on the nursing education page.

"Equivalency" means you received an education that provided you with nursing knowledge, skill and judgment comparable to a current graduate from an approved nursing program in Ontario. This means the equivalent of baccalaureate level nursing education for an RN, or diploma level nursing education for an RPN.

CNO does not share outstanding education needs of registrants with employers. Temporary Class registrants are not obligated to share with employers their outstanding educational needs, but may choose to do so.

Yes. An unsuccessful attempt of the RNCCAP does not affect your eligibility for Temporary Class.

Yes. If you meet all registration requirements for the Temporary Class, you are eligible for registration.

Eligible applicants for the Temporary Class will receive a message from CNO. Employers can ask an applicant to share this message with them as part of the hiring process.

Yes, a Temporary Class registrant can implement a medical directive if they have the knowledge, skill and judgement to do so. A medical directive is a type of order for several patients when specific conditions are met and when specific circumstances exist. See CNO’s Scope of Practice standard for details.

No, Temporary Class registrants cannot monitor or direct the practice of another nurse in any category or class. Therefore, it is not appropriate for a Temporary Class registrant to be in a formal supervisory or leadership role.

A Temporary Class registrant can still learn the elements of an “in-charge” role, as long as they are supported by a mentor or preceptor, or a designated resource nurse. For example, a Temporary Class registrant could supervise the care provided by unregulated care providers as part of a collaborative practice model, but should not be left as the only Charge Nurse or Director of Care in a practice setting.

No. To be eligible to write the registration exam, you must meet the nursing education requirement. Check your application in the portal to see whether you have met the nursing education requirement. If not, you can meet this requirement by completing the education recommended by CNO while you are registered in the Temporary Class. CNO will send you a message when you become eligible to write the exam.

Under Ontario Regulation 275/94, you have 30 days to complete your General Class registration once you meet all the requirements. The annual fee you paid when you registered in the Temporary Class will cover your General Class registration for the rest of the calendar year, so you will not need to pay two annual fees for the same year. CNO will revoke your Temporary Class certificate of registration if you do not move into the General Class within 30 days.

No, we cannot recommend an employer. However, you can refer to the list of organizations that can employ Temporary Class nurses in the Temporary Class Registration Guide, which includes links to Ministry of Health sites with lists of employer and facility names. You can share this page with prospective employers who may be unfamiliar with Temporary Class registration. Ontario Health offers Temporary Class employment supports for RN and RPN applicants.