Professional regulations under the Health Professions Act (HPA) have been updated by the Ministry of Health to ensure they align with the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) while capturing professions' existing scope of practice and restricted activities.
These changes take effect April 1, 2026, at the same time as the HPOA comes into effect.
What is changing?
A new combined regulation for all nurses and midwives
The Nurses (Registered) and Nurse Practitioners Regulation, the Nurses (Licensed Practical) Regulation, and the Nurses (Registered Psychiatric) Regulation, as well as the Midwives Regulation have been combined to create the new Nurses and Midwives Regulation.
Minor scope of practice amendments for midwives are included in the Nurses and Midwives Regulation. Changes include the ability for midwives to apply ultrasound for the purpose of fetal positioning and, for midwives with the appropriate specialized practice certification, to insert of devices beyond the labia majora for the purpose of administering contraception (e.g. copper IUC insertion) or inducing labour. These changes do not take effect until April 1, 2026.
A new Regulated Health Practitioners Regulation, which lists restricted activities that can be performed by health professionals. This listing is intended to help the public understand the restricted activities health professionals are authorized to perform. To understand nursing and midwifery scopes of practice, this regulation will be read alongside the Nurses and Midwives Regulation.
A new overarching Health Professions and Occupations Regulation. This regulation primarily provides guidance for regulators.
Restricted activities
The updated professional regulations reference the new
Regulated Health Practitioners Regulation, which lists restricted activities that can be performed by specific health professionals. This listing is intended to help the public understand the restricted activities each health professional is authorized to perform.
If the regulation specifies limits or conditions on how a restricted activity may be performed, the profession must comply with those limits or conditions. If no limits are stated, the entire restricted activity may be performed.
To understand how restricted activities work for your profession, please read the professional regulation alongside the Schedule of Restricted Activities section found in the Regulated Health Practitioners Regulation.
If the regulation specifies limits or conditions on how a restricted activity may be performed, the profession must comply with those limits or conditions. If no limits are stated, the entire restricted activity may be performed.
It is important to remember these changes do not take effect until April 1, 2026.
Visit the Ministry of Health's Shared Scope of Practice and Restricted Activities webpage for more information.