Provisional licensure

Eligibility 

• To be considered for provisional NP licensure , you must have an employer in British Columbia who has agreed to provide a BC-licensed NP or MD to monitor your practice for the duration of your provisional licensure . 
• When assessing your application for NP licensure, we will let you know if Provisional NP licensure is an option for you. 
• We will confirm your employer and their support in monitoring your practice while provisionally licensed. Once registered with provisional NP licensure, you must ensure BCCNM is aware of any changes to your employment and/or monitoring.
  

Practising as a provisional NP​

Limits + conditions on practice

• Monitoring by an NP licensed with BCCNM or by a physician in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia.
• Ordering of diagnostics or prescribing of medications must be supervised by the monitoring NP/physician.
• Successful completion of an approved written NP regulatory exam within two attempts.
• All conditions must be met within one year of provisional licensure start date.

Monitoring

The monitoring NP/physician is responsible for ensuring the safe and competent practice of the provisional NP according to the standards​.

The methods of monitored practice need to be agreed to between the nurse practitioner (provisional) and the monitoring physician/nurse practitioner, but should include:

• Signing of all prescriptions and diagnostic tests by the monitoring NP/physician.
• Regular review of the provisional NP’s assessments, differential diagnoses and/or diagnoses.
• Regular review and discussion about recommendations, treatments, or interventions made by the provisional NP.
• The monitoring NP/physician being onsite and/or readily available for consultation, signing of all prescriptions and diagnostic tests, and the needs of client that may be beyond the competency of the provisional NP.

License renewal

Provisional licensure must be renewed annually.

Use of title

Provisional NPs can use the following titles as outlined in the Use of Title Practice Standard:

• Nurse practitioner (provisional) of NP (provisional)
• Registered nurse or RN

Provisional licensure and the regulatory exam

If you are granted provisional NP licensure while you wait to write one of the required exams, your licensure will also include conditions specific to the exam outcome and deadline to complete. If you have already attempted one of the required exams twice and were unsuccessful, you will not be eligible for Provisional licensure.

If you pass

• The limits and conditions on your license will be removed and your provisional licensure will be automatically converted to Practising NP licensure once we've received confirmation directly from the exam provider that you passed the exam.
• Your MSP and Prescriber eligibility will be granted, and an email will be sent to you with your Prescriber ID number, instructions to apply for the MSP Billing number, and other information important to a new practising NP.
• When we grant your practising licensure, the online registry will be updated.

If you fail once

If you fail one of the recognized NP exams, you must report the exam attempt to BCCNM at exams@bccnm.ca. You can continue working on provisional licensure after one exam fail. It is your responsibility to inform all of your current or prospective employers of your unsuccessful exam result. You must meet all requirements put in place by the exam provider to be eligible to write a second time.

If you fail twice

If you fail a recognized NP exam a second time, you are no longer eligible for provisional NP licensure and will not be considered for licensure until you pass the exam. Your provisional NP licensure will be cancelled within four weeks of receiving notice of your second exam failure. You MUST advise your employer that you will no longer be authorized to practice on the date of your licensure being cancelled. We will provide you with the specific date of cancellation. ​
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