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Nurse practitioners must have a minimum of 900 practice hours as a nurse practitioner (family, adult, pediatrics) in the three years immediately preceding renewal. At least 300 hours must include direct clinical practice with clients. 

Practice hours for NP educators​​​​​

If you are an educator for a BCCNM-recognized NP education program, time spent in clinical practice oversight of nurse practitioner students can be counted toward your clinical practice hours requirement. 

​Knowing what to count

Nurse practitioner practice hours build upon entry-level competencies by applying them to clinical practice, education, administration, or research. You must have: 

What CAN be counted
  • Paid employment in an NP role
  • Self-employment in an NP role
  • Regulatory college, nursing union* or nursing association work
*Nursing practice hours should not be confused with seniority hours in a union.
What you CANNOT count
You can only count hours where you were engaged in nursing practice. You may NOT count:

  • Time absent from practices for reasons such as sickness, vacation, maternity, education, disability, or another type of leave.
  • Hours worked in a role that does not require NP registration (e.g. registered nurse or registered psychiatric nurse roles)
  • On-call hours (but not actually practising)
  • Hours working in a job predominantly selling products
  • Time spent caring for family members or friends/neighbours

Reporting practice hours

​You will self-report your practice hours for the previous year on your registration renewal application. You'll be asked to provide a total number of hours, rather than a breakdown of direct clinical versus other types of NP practice. However, please keep this detailed information for your records in the event that your practice hours are audited.​

Unable to meet practice hours ​​requirement​?

​Contact BCCNM Registration at register@bccnm.ca to discuss your situation. ​​​​​​

900 – 200 Granville St
Vancouver, BC  V6C 1S4
Canada

info@bccnm​.ca
604.742.6200​
​Toll-free 1.866.880.7101 (within Canada only) ​


We acknowledge the rights and title of the First Nations on whose collective unceded territories encompass the land base colonially known as British Columbia. We give specific thanks to the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking peoples the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations and the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh-ulh Sníchim speaking Peoples the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), on whose unceded territories BCCNM’s office is located. We also give thanks for the medicines of these territories and recognize that laws, governance, and health systems tied to these lands and waters have existed here for over 9000 years.

We also acknowledge the unique and distinct rights, including rights to health and wellness, of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples from elsewhere in Canada who now live in British Columbia. As leaders in the settler health system, we acknowledge our responsibilities to these rights under international, national, and provincial law.​