Canadian applicant

The information on this page is for applicants applying for registered psychiatric nurse (RPN) licensure who:

Are currently (or have previously) been licensed as an RPN in Alberta, Manitoba and/or Saskatchewan; or
Have recently graduated from a Canadian psychiatric nursing program outside of British Columbia.

When to apply

To be eligible for licensure, applicants must be able to satisfy BCCNM they have the knowledge, skills, abilities, and judgment expected of a graduate of a BCCNM-recognized education program. Applicants are unlikely to be able to meet this eligibility criteria if they have not:

completed their nursing education program within the last 10 years; and/or
had substantial practise experience as a nurse in the last 10 years.

If you don't meet this criteria, we strongly encourage you to complete a recognized re-entry, bridging, or other nursing education program before applying for licensure.

Additional information for new graduates

If you are a new graduate of a psychiatric nursing program elsewhere in Canada who has never held practising licensure, you can apply as instructed in the “how to apply” section below. You will also have the following specific requirements and options:

Regulatory exam

If you have already written the RPNCE, we require a copy of your exam result. Your exam result must be sent directly to BCCNM from the nursing regulator in the province where you took the exam. Please contact the relevant nursing regulator to make this request.
If you have not successfuly completed a regulatory exam, you will need to take the RPNCE. We will email you instructions on how to apply for the exam after your application has been assessed.

Provisional licensure

On your licensure application, you'll be asked if you would like to be considered for provisional licensure .
Provisional registration is granted to eligible applicants who want to work while meeting their final registration requirements (such as passing the regulatory exam).
When all registration requirements are met, provisional licensure is automatically converted to practising licensure.

How to apply

1. Apply for BCCNM registration

Create a BCCNM account.
Sign in to your BCCNM account and submit an application for practising licensure.
After submitting the application, you’ll be asked to pay the application fee.

On the application you’ll be asked to provide:

Consent to a criminal record check;
Information English language proficiency;
Information related to your competence to practice, character and nursing education;
Details about current or previously held licensure in other all jurisdictions;
Details about any other applications for licensure in Canada or internationally.

2. Submit notarized identity documents

Have a lawyer or notary public notarize your identity documents (two valid government issued IDs, i.e. driver's license or passport). One ID must include a picture.
Upload a scanned PDF of the notarized identity documents or submit them as photos (jpeg or png files) in the application or by email after your application is submitted.

3. Request verifications of licensure and employment

Complete a confirmation of licensure (Canadian RPN regulatory bodies) for all jurisdictions from all jurisdictions you are currently and/or have previously been licensed as an RPN.
Complete a confirmation of licensure (for non-RPN and non-Canadian RPN regulatory bodies) from all jurisdictions you are currently and/or have previously been licensed in a designation otherthan RPN.
Request an employment verification form for each of your nursing employers within the last five years.

4. BCCNM assessment

We will begin the assessment of your application once we have recieved your application fees and all required documents.
As we assess your application, we will send you updates by email and will let you know if we need more information to complete the assessment.

5. Licensing decision/pay licensing fee

Once we determine you have met all licensure requirements, we will notify you by email.
If you are granted licensure, you will be emailed instructions on how to pay your registration fee.

6. Confirm your licensure status

Once you have paid your registration fee, you will be sent an email confirming that you have been granted registration with BCCNM.
You will appear in the online directory once you are authorized to practice.
You must not practice as a nurse in B.C. until your status effective date.

Assessing your application

When we assess your application for registration, we consider the following:

Good character

Good character refers to having the qualities and traits relevant to nursing, such as:

moral or ethical strength;
integrity, integrity, candour, empathy and honesty;
an appreciation of the difference between right and wrong; and
the moral fibre to do that which is right and not to do that which is wrong.

To determine if you meet the Good Character eligibility standard, the information we consider includes:

the completeness, correctness, and accuracy of the information you provided on the application form or in any communication with BCCNM;
past or current regulatory investigations and outcomes;
outstanding criminal charges, convictions for crimes, and other breaches of laws;
past or current workplace investigations;
concerns raised from educational institutions;
any history of unethical or dishonest behaviour;
disrespectful conduct when engaging with BCCNM;
your explanation, and context, for past events;
steps taken to rehabilitate after past actions and/or misconduct;
character and employment references; and
reflections and insights demonstrating an appreciation of the problematic nature and harms caused by past actions and/or misconduct.

Capacity to practice

Capacity is having the competence to practice without undue impairments by a health condition.

If you have disclosed, or other information indicates you have, a health condition that may currently impair your ability to practice competently, the information we consider includes:

complaints, in any jurisdiction, related to your competence and/or capacity;
past or current regulatory investigations and outcomes;
outstanding criminal charges, convictions for crimes, and other breaches of laws;
past or current workplace investigations;
concerns raised by education institutions;
substantial breaks in practice;
self-disclosure of a current, or recently manifested, physical or mental ailment, an addiction to alcohol or drugs, or problematic substance use, that may impair your physical, mental, or emotional ability or capacity, to practise;
your explanation, and context, for a past event;
information from treating physician(s), specialist(s), or other healthcare provider, who can provide an opinion as to your current health status, it's potential to impair competence to practice, any recommendations for safe entrance into the profession, (we only request this information in certain circumstances);
supports and/or strategies you have in place; and
reference letters.

Competence

There are a few ways of showing competence to practise, including successful completion of one of the following in the last five years:

Providing evidence of satisfactory nursing practice by meeting the required practice hours.
Providing evidence of successful completion of a nursing education program recognized by BCCNM or another Canadian nursing regulatory body (either entry, re-entry, or refresher).
Completing a competency assessment by the Nursing Community Assessment Service (NCAS) and any additional education required by the Registration Committee following BCCNM review of the NCAS report.
Continuing education in nursing

If you have not practised as a nurse in the designation you are applying for or have not completed a BCCNM-recognized (or equivalent) nursing education program in the previous five years, you may be required to undergo an assessment of your current competence, and/or complete additional education and/or an examination to be eligible for registration.

English language proficiency

If English is not the primary language you use for reading, writing, listening, and speaking, you will be required to demonstrate your English language proficiency. If there is any indication during the assessment of your application your proficiency is not conducive to safe practice, we may require an English language test. When assessing your English language proficiency, we review:

Your first language
Language test results (if taken)
Information from your nursing education institution
Information from your employer(s)
Additional evidence of English proficiency (i.e. references from regulated health professionals)

The movement of nursing professionals across Canada (labour mobility)

If you are registered as an RPN or equivalent in another Canadian jurisdiction, you may be eligible for practising registration in B.C. in accordance with the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) and BCCNM’s bylaws.

Eligibility: To be eligible for registration as a labour mobility applicant, you must meet the good character requirement for registration and other requirements set out in the BCCNM bylaws, including not being subject to practice limitations, restrictions, or conditions that do not apply generally to practising RPN registrants in B.C.
Required practice hours: CFTA allows a regulator to impose additional training, experience, examinations, or assessments as a condition of registration if the person has not practised the occupation for which they are seeking registration within a specified period of time, provided that any such measures are the same as, or substantially similar to, but no more onerous than, those imposed by the regulator on “its own workers” and the measure(s) imposed do not create a disguised restriction on labour mobility.

When determining whether to grant registration to an applicant with registration in another Canadian jurisdiction, the Registration Committee may presume an applicant is competent if the applicant has, in another province, completed 1,400 hours of practice, specific to the nursing designation applied for, within the five-year period immediately preceding the date of the application. This number of hours is identical to, and no more onerous than, the practice hours requirement for RPNs applying for renewal or reinstatement in B.C.
If required practice hours are not met: If a Canadian applicant has not practised 1,400 hours in another province in the scope of practice of the nursing designation applied for, within five years of the date of the application, the Applicant may be required to undergo a competency assessment and/or additional training, experience, or examinations to be eligible for registration in B.C. BCCNM will consider: the applicant’s nursing experience in other countries, how comparable the scope of practice and expectations of nursing in those jurisdictions is to the equivalent nursing designation in B.C., any gaps in practice, and any Canadian nursing experience the applicant has.

Canadian applicant

When to apply

How to apply

​​​​​​​​​​​Assessing your application

The movement of nursing professionals across Canada (labour mobility)

Assessing your application