Introduction
Interjurisdictional nurse licensure (INL) is a national initiative to help nurses maintain registration in multiple Canadian jurisdictions. The initiative will promote nurses' ability to practice and support health care systems in multiple Canadian jurisdictions. The goal of INL is to enhance labour mobility; INL will do this by streamlining the regulatory requirements when nurses are registered to practice in multiple jurisdictions. Interjurisdictional Nurse Licensure will help the movement of nurses across Canadian jurisdictional borders, while maintaining the high standard of safe and competent nursing practice. You must be residing physically in Canada to be considered an INL registrant.
How does it work?
You would have equivalent registration in two or more Canadian jurisdictions: your “home” and your “host” jurisdictions.
A “home” jurisdiction means the Canadian jurisdiction in which you physically reside for the purposes of taxes, and in which you are registered to practice in the same category. If this definition cannot be applied for any reason, “home” jurisdiction will be defined as the Canadian jurisdiction in which you are registered to practice in the same category and in which you practice most often.
A “host jurisdiction” means one or more Canadian jurisdictions where you are registered to practice in addition to your home jurisdiction.
You would be able to practice in both jurisdictions in the equivalent registration class or category. If you are a practicing RN in your “home” jurisdiction, you can apply to practice as an RN in your “host” jurisdiction(s).
What are the benefits?
The benefit of registering at CNO as an INL is you have to complete only the quality assurance (QA) requirements in your home jurisdiction, depending on where your home jurisdiction is. (Learn more in the FAQs section.) By complying with the quality assurance program in your home jurisdiction, CNO will recognize you have met your QA requirements. Another benefit is that CNO will provide a 25% rebate on the annual fee when a nurse initially registers, renews or reinstates with CNO as their host jurisdiction.
Are all jurisdictions involved in INL?
Yes, the Canadian Nurse Regulators Collaborative (CNRC) has been discussing INL for some time. CNO continues to be part of these national discussions. Implementation will look different for each jurisdiction, as it will be completed in accordance with law, policies and programs specific to each province or territory. Each regulator will implement INL when they are prepared and when it is reasonably practical for them.
FAQs
This refers to a nurse who is registered with CNO as one of their host jurisdictions.
All CNO INL registrants, except for RNs, RPNs, and NPs with their home jurisdiction in Quebec and LPNs with their home jurisdiction in the Yukon, are exempt from participating in CNO’s QA program. (See the FAQ below for QA accountabilities for INL registrants from Quebec and the Yukon.) By complying with the QA requirements in your home jurisdiction, CNO as the host jurisdiction will recognize that you have met your QA requirements. The goal is to reduce duplication for nurses maintaining regulatory requirements in multiple Canadian jurisdictions.
Yes, if you are an RN, RPN or NP in Quebec or an LPN in the Yukon, you need to complete QA requirements in both your home and with CNO as your host jurisdiction. This includes CNO’s QA Every Day (Self-Assessment) component. Most Canadian nursing regulators have similar requirements to CNO’s QA program, which includes a self-assessment and/or developing a learning plan. However, QA programs in these two jurisdictions do not have a self-assessment component. As a result, you will need to complete the QA Every Day (Self-Assessment) component of CNO’s QA Program in Ontario.
Yes, all applicants wishing to register with CNO as their host jurisdiction must successfully complete CNO’s jurisprudence exams; RNs and RPNs must pass the Registered Nurse (RN)/Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) Jurisprudence Examination and NPs must pass the Registered Nurse (Extended Class) Jurisprudence Examination. The exams assess an applicant’s knowledge and understanding of the laws, regulations, by-laws and practice standards and guidelines that govern the nursing profession in Ontario.
The examination is completed online through a secure learning management website that can be accessed only by applicants to CNO. Examination pass results are valid for five years.
Yes, you’ll receive a 25% rebate on your annual fee when you renew with CNO as your host jurisdiction. A nurse also gets the 25% rebate when they initially register or reinstate with CNO as their host jurisdiction.
No, CNO will use the current General and Extended registration classes to register nurses when they apply to CNO as an INL registrant.
Yes, all nurses who register with CNO, whether as their home or host jurisdiction, must comply with CNO’s standards of practice and applicable laws when practicing or providing care to clients in Ontario.
We know that just because a nurse lives in one province or territory, they might not practice there. For example, a nurse lives in Quebec, but practices mostly in New Brunswick and sometimes provides virtual care to patients in B.C. In this scenario, the nurse’s home jurisdiction would be New Brunswick even though their home address is in Quebec.
No, you must physically reside in Canada to be an INL registrant.
If you have any questions about interjurisdictional nurse licensure, please contact Customer Service.