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Nurses: Use of Title

Practice standard for all nurses

​​​Introduction

The Nurses and Midwives Regulation and the BCCNM general bylaws establish the titles that may only be used by BCCNM licensees. These titles carry particular meaning and convey a level of knowledge and skill in managing the care of clients.

This practice standard sets expectations that nurses​ must meet when using the titles for which they hold a licence with BCCNM.

Standards​

​1.
​Nurses use their title(s) in ways that comply with:
​a.
​The Health Professions and Occupations Act;
​b.
​The Nurses and Midwives Regulation and the Regulated Health Practitioners Regulation;
​c.
BCCNM general bylaws; and
​d.

​BC​​CNM ethics standards and practice standards.

​2.
When nurses document care or services provided to a client, they identify their:
​a.
​Name;
​b.
​Title that most specifically reflects their class of licensure; and
c.​

​Certifi​​cation if they are on BCCNM’s certified practice register.

​3.

​Nurses iden​​tify themselves by title to clients, members of the health-care team, and others.

​4.

​Nurses use ​​only the title(s) for which they are licensed, regardless of their role or job description in the work setting.

​5.

​Nurses who​​ hold multiple classes of licensure with BCCNM use the title associated with their job description and the role in which they are practising.

​6.

​Licensed pr​​actical nurses who hold a practising or multijurisdictional licence with BCCNM use the titles licensed practical nurse, practical nurse, LPN, or nurse.

​7.

​Nurse pract​​itioners who hold a practising license with BCCNM use the titles nurse practitioner, NP, registered nurse practitioner, RN-NP, registered nurse, RN, or nurse. 

​8.

​Registered ​​nurses who hold a practising or multijurisdictional licence with BCCNM use the titles registered nurse, RN, or nurse.

​9.
​Registered nurses who hold current BCCNM certification and working in a certified practice role may use the titles certified registered nurse, registered nurse (certified), or RN(C). If a certified registered nurse wishes to note their specific certification program, they may append the following terms:

​a.
​First call certified

​b.
​Remote practice certified

​c.
​Reproductive health (STI and/or CM) certified. These RNs may have sexually transmitted infection (STI) and/or contraceptive management (CM) sub-certification.

​d.

​Opioid us​​e disorder certified

​10.
Registered psychiatric nurses who hold current BCCNM certification and working in a certified practice role may use the titles certified registered psychiatric nurse, registered psychiatric nurse (certified), or RPN(C). If a certified registered psychiatric nurse wishes to note their specific certification program, they may append the following term:
​a.

​Opioid ​​use disorder certified

​11.

​ ​License​​d graduate nurses who hold a practising licence with BCCNM use the titles licensed graduate nurse, LGN, or nurse.

​12.

​Register​​ed psychiatric nurses who hold a practising or multijurisdictional licence with BCCNM use the titles registered psychiatric nurse, psychiatric nurse, RPN, or nurse.

​13.

​Nurses ​​who hold a provisional license with BCCNM use (P) or (provisional) after their title, or “provisional” before their title.

​14.

​Nurses ​​who hold a temporary (emergency) licence with BCCNM use (T) after their title, or “temporary” before their title.

​15.
​When providing regulatory supervision to students, nurses ensure that:


​a.
​Students who are enrolled in an entry-level practical nursing education program identify themselves as a practical nursing student, student practical nurse, or SPN when documenting or providing care or services to a client.


b.​​Students who are enrolled in a nurse practitioner education program identify themselves as a student nurse practitioner, student nurse, or SNP when documenting or providing care or services to a client as a student nurse practitioner. Student nurse practitioners identify themselves as a registered nurse when they are working in a registered nurse role and are licensed with BCCNM.


​c.
​Students who are enrolled in an entry-level nursing education program identify themselves as a student nurse, nursing student, or SN when documenting or providing care or services to a client.


​d.

​St​​udents who are enrolled in an entry-level psychiatric nursing education program identify themselves as a psychiatric nursing student, student psychiatric nurse, or SPsycN when documenting or providing care or services to a client.

​16.

​Emplo​​yed student nurse licensees identify themselves as an employed student nurse or ESN only when they are working in an employed student role, and use student nurse, nursing student, or SN when documenting or providing care or services to a client in the context of their education program. 

​17.

​​​Employed student psychiatric nurse licensees identify themselves as an employed student psychiatric nurse or ESPN only when they are working in an employed student role, and use psychiatric nursing student, student psychiatric nurse, or SPsycN when documenting or providing care or services to a client in the context of their education program.

​18.
​​Nurses ​​who use their title in an advertisement or marketing comply with the BCCNM general bylaws.

Glo​​ssary

Clients: person(s) receiving health services.

Nurses: refers to licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, and nurse practitioner s licensed with BCCNM.

Revisio​​n history​​​

Approved by board: March 1, 2026 | Bylaw in-force​: April 1, 2026

​Effective April 1, 2026, this ethics standard, and any amendments to it, is made a bylaw under the authority of the Health Professions and Occupations Act, B.C.​

​​​Need help or support?​

For further guidance on understanding and applying the standards of practice, contact our team by completing the Standards Support intake form.​

900 – 200 Granville St
Vancouver, BC  V6C 1S4
Canada

info@bccnm​.ca
604.742.6200​
​Toll-free 1.866.880.7101 (within Canada only) ​


We acknowledge the rights and title of the First Nations on whose collective unceded territories encompass the land base colonially known as British Columbia. We give specific thanks to the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking peoples the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations and the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh-ulh Sníchim speaking Peoples the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), on whose unceded territories BCCNM’s office is located. We also give thanks for the medicines of these territories and recognize that laws, governance, and health systems tied to these lands and waters have existed here for over 9000 years.

We also acknowledge the unique and distinct rights, including rights to health and wellness, of First Nations, Inuit​ and Métis peoples from elsewhere in Canada who now live in British Columbia. As leaders in the settler health system, we acknowledge our responsibilities to these rights under international, national, and provincial law.​