College of Nurses of Ontario

College of Nurses of Ontario As the governing body for Ontario's 200,000+ nurses, we register nurses, help them maintain competence, and set and enforce practice standards.

We partner with employers, educators and government so that all Ontarians benefit from safe nursing care. The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) is the governing body for Registered Nurses (RNs), Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) in Ontario, Canada. Our purpose is to protect the public by promoting safe nursing practice. CNO fulfils its role by:
*establishing require

ments for entry to practice
*articulating and promoting practice standards
*administering its Quality Assurance Program
*enforcing standards of practice and conduct

CNO also supports the regulation of nursing in the public interest by:
*participating in the legislative process
*sharing statistical information about Ontario’s nurses

CNO works in partnership with employers, educators and government so that everyone in Ontario benefits from quality nursing services. CNO aims to prevent harm by identifying potential sources and addressing them before they can negatively impact the public. We are committed to a whole-system approach to nursing regulation and working with you to make a greater collective impact on the patient care system. Community Guidelines

CNO welcomes respectful engagement. Comments containing hate, spam, or personal matters will be removed. Read our full guidelines here: https://collegeofnurses.org/m/guidelines

For the past 22 years, Erica Atfield has been pursuing the life goal of helping patients as a nurse. Now an RN at The Pe...
08/25/2026

For the past 22 years, Erica Atfield has been pursuing the life goal of helping patients as a nurse. Now an RN at The Peterborough Clinic, she says prescribing authority has been a small step toward greater autonomy in her practice.

“It has helped me to connect at a different level with my patients and has shown me how much more I could do with more training,” Atfield shared.

Ontario recently surpassed 1,000 RNs with prescribing authority. See what this milestone means for patient access to care: https://cno.org/news/more-than-1000-ontario-rns-authorized-to-prescribe

Join us on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, from 12–1:30 p.m. for a webinar about intimate partner violence. This free webinar, ...
08/24/2026

Join us on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, from 12–1:30 p.m. for a webinar about intimate partner violence. This free webinar, open to all nurses and regulated health professionals, will cover tools and strategies you can use when working with clients experiencing intimate partner violence.

Learn more: https://cno.org/news/save-the-date-webinar-intimate-partner-violence

This webinar is hosted in collaboration with:
College of Kinesiologists of Ontario
Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers
College of Dietitians of Ontario
The College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario
College of Massage Therapists of Ontario
College of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists of Ontario
The College of Midwives of Ontario
College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario
Ontario College of Pharmacists
College of Physiotherapists of Ontario
College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario
College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario
College of Chiropractors of Ontario
College of Chiropodists of Ontario
College of Naturopaths of Ontario
College of Homeopaths of Ontario
College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario
Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario
CTCMPAO

Kinda chic to reflect on your nursing practice, set goals and follow a learning plan built around how you actually learn...
08/21/2026

Kinda chic to reflect on your nursing practice, set goals and follow a learning plan built around how you actually learn. That's QA Every Day 💡

Swipe through to see how simple it can be, then get started on our website: https://www.cno.org/quality-assurance/self-assessment

Mario Silva, an RN at Halton Healthcare, became a nurse so he could ease suffering, advocate for patients and help commu...
08/20/2026

Mario Silva, an RN at Halton Healthcare, became a nurse so he could ease suffering, advocate for patients and help communities lead healthier lives through hands-on, compassionate care. Having prescribing authority helps him achieve these goals every day.

“RN prescribing gives me the autonomy to deliver efficient care,” he said. “It strengthens my relationship with patients by providing faster access and increased trust by addressing their needs directly.”

More than 1,000 RNs in Ontario have the authority to prescribe certain medications. See how this strengthens access to care across the province: https://cno.org/news/more-than-1000-ontario-rns-authorized-to-prescribe

The Nurses’ Health Program offers a proven approach for helping nurses experiencing substance use or mental health disor...
08/20/2026

The Nurses’ Health Program offers a proven approach for helping nurses experiencing substance use or mental health disorders. The program offers a supportive approach that reduces stigma and focuses on recovery, while safeguarding the public. Read more at nurseshealth.ca

The Nurses’ Health Program is supported by the College of Nurses of Ontario, the Ontario Nurses' Association, the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, and the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario.

Every patient's health care team looks different. For some it's doctors and nurses. For others, it also includes family,...
08/18/2026

Every patient's health care team looks different. For some it's doctors and nurses. For others, it also includes family, spiritual care providers and Indigenous or traditional healers.

Part of providing inclusive, culturally safe care includes recognizing all members of a patient's health care team. Under the Code of Conduct, nurses collaborate with patients and anyone the patient wants involved in their care — working respectfully with every member of that team.

See more at cno.org/CodeofConduct.

"I am currently registered as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) in the pediatric category. With the move to a single NP classifi...
08/17/2026

"I am currently registered as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) in the pediatric category. With the move to a single NP classification on July 1, can I start providing care to adult patients? Do I need additional education approval from CNO?"

See our answer here: https://www.cno.org/news/dear-cno-new-np-classification

👣 During a 12-hour shift, the average nurse walks 8,000 to 14,000 steps. These numbers add up quickly. On average, it wo...
08/14/2026

👣 During a 12-hour shift, the average nurse walks 8,000 to 14,000 steps. These numbers add up quickly.

On average, it would take a nurse:
➡️ 14 to 25 shifts to walk across the Death Star (160 km)
➡️ 253 to 447 shifts to walk from Hobbiton to Mount Doom (2,863 km)
➡️ 1,889 to 3,335 shifts to walk around Mars (21,344 km)

How far have you walked throughout your career?

Bali Belly, Pharaoh's Revenge, Kathmandu Quickstep. Different names for the same enemy: travellers' diarrhea.Keep your s...
08/13/2026

Bali Belly, Pharaoh's Revenge, Kathmandu Quickstep. Different names for the same enemy: travellers' diarrhea.

Keep your stomach safe this summer! In Ontario, RNs with prescribing authority can prescribe certain travel medications, including antibiotics for the prevention and/or treatment of traveller’s diarrhea.

See more at cno.org/druglist.

Address

101 Davenport Road
Toronto, ON
M5R3P1

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+18003875526

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