To work as a nurse or midwife in B.C., you must hold current practising registration with BCCNM. Unregistered, retired or non-practising individuals cannot call themselves nurses or midwives and cannot practise in clinical practice, education, administration or research.
If you work without current practising registration, even accidentally, you are in breach of the Health Professions Act and may be subject to prosecution under the Offense Act or to an application in Supreme Court for an injunction against you.
Know the risks
If you participate in unregistered practice, you’re taking a risk that can impact you professionally and financially. Here’s what you need to know:
You’re not covered by professional liability protection
Only practising registrants are eligible for professional liability protection. If you practise without protection, you are opening yourself up to personal financial risk if there is a lawsuit stemming from your practice during that period.
Additional fees
If you forget to renew your registration and work on or after the renewal period, you will pay additional fees and surcharges. Along with reinstating your registration and paying your registration fees, you’ll have to pay:
- $265+GST reinstatement application fee
- $375+GST reinstatement surcharge (unregistered practice)
For more information about fees, visit the Fees section and look at "other fees."
Committee review
Applicants who practise without registration may be referred to the Registration Committee for review. While under review, applicants are not eligible to practice until they have satisfied the committee that all requirements to reinstate registration have been met.