The BCCNM board on Feb. 26, 2026, approved new Certified Nurses practice standards to align nursing certification with the
Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) and the
Nurses and Midwives Regulation (NMR). These changes will take effect on
April 1, 2026.
In response to feedback from certified nurses, practice standards related to certified RN and RPN practice have been reorganized so that
each certification program—Reproductive Health, Remote Practice, RN First Call, and Opioid Use Disorder—has its
own dedicated practice standard. This approach improves clarity and aligns with similar changes being made for midwifery certification.
- New standards
- Why this change was made
Under the HPOA and the new NMR, certification continues to be the mechanism that authorizes nurses to perform certain restricted activities beyond entry‑level scope of practice. The regulations refer to
certification, certified nurses and certification programs.
These updates were made to:
- align nursing certification with the language and structure of the HPOA and NMR;
- harmonize BCCNM's approach to certification for midwives and nurses;
- ensure certification requirements are clearly set out in
practice standards, as required under the HPOA; and
- improve clarity and consistency across BCCNM practice standards.
- Quality assurance and currency requirements
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New requirements for maintaining certification include:
- demonstrating currency of practice;
- maintaining recent and relevant clinical experience; and
- engaging in ongoing learning related to the certification area.
These requirements are consistent with expectations for certified midwives and complement BCCNM's Quality Assurance program. More information will be posted in the QA section of the website in the coming weeks.
- Use of title
Under BCCNM's draft HPOA bylaws, certified nurses may use the titles:
- Certified nurse
- Registered Nurse (Certified) / RN(C)
- Registered Psychiatric Nurse (Certified) / RPN(C)
Certified nurses may also choose to identify their specific certification program (for example,
Opioid Use Disorder). These title provisions are included in the new practice standards.
- Indigenous cultural safety and care closer to home
The new standards support culturally safe care and will be applied alongside BCCNM's
Indigenous Cultural Safety, Cultural Humility and Anti‑Racism practice standard.
Questions?