Who we are
We're the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM). BCCNM's legal obligation is to protect the public through the regulation of five distinct professions: licensed practical nurses (LPN), nurse practitioners (NP), registered midwives (RM), registered nurses (RN), and registered psychiatric nurses (RPN) in B.C. Regulation helps to protect the public by ensuring the care or service the public receives from nurses and midwives is competent, ethical and meets the standards that society views as acceptable.
BCCNM was established on Sept. 1, 2020 as a result of the amalgamation of the BC College of Nursing Professionals (BCCNP) and the College of Midwives of BC (CMBC). With more than 60,000 midwife and nurse registrants, BCCNM is the largest health profession regulator in Western Canada. BCCNM is also the first regulator in Canada to regulate both nurses and midwives.
What we do
We exist to ensure unshakeable confidence in nursing and midwifery care. We nurture confident practitioners, armed with a clear understanding of their scope and standards. And through this, we honour the trust that the public puts in our hands. We aspire to create unwavering confidence in their every interaction.
It’s about trust. We firmly believe that British Columbians are entitled to exceptional care. And so, we see the designation of nurse or midwife as a commitment. A commitment that each of our registrants is trained, credible, and ready to support those at their most vulnerable.
We are adaptive and agile. We recognize gaps in competency and address them through meaningful engagement across the professions. We support anti-sexism, anti-racism, decolonization and reconciliation, in progressive and constructive ways.
We define. We set the standards of safe, ethical practice, assess nursing education programs and midwifery education programs, establish requirements for registration with BCCNM, and address complaints about nurses and midwives. We work closely with educators, regulators, government, and other partners to ensure that the standards of practice remain current, culturally safe, and person-centred – in a world where public needs are constantly evolving.
We protect. We rigorously guard these standards from registration to retirement. Protecting the public, but also protecting the reputation and credibility of a registration – and the safe, ethical care that registration stands for.
We uphold. We ensure accountability, and consequences, for not meeting these standards. Right-touch regulation where it counts – delivered justly and transparently.
Because being passionate about safe, ethical practice isn’t just a college thing.
It’s at the very core of how care is delivered.
It’s the key goal of every party involved.
It’s the fuel for why we do what we do – regulator, nurse, and midwife alike.
Simply put, confidence in care matters.