All individuals applying for or renewing an active-practising (RN) licence in Nova Scotia must meet the requirements of the College’s Continuing Competence Program (CCP). This involves completing the Building Your Profile (BYP)™ booklet or an equivalent self-assessment tool (i.e., a tool based on the Standards, Code of Ethics, and Entry-Level Competencies, and including a form of professional development planning).

The Building Your Profile ™ booklet is designed to guide registered nurses through:

• a continuous process of self-reflection based on the Standards for Nursing Practice and/or Standards for Nurse Practitioners, Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses, and  Entry-Level Competencies for RNs and/or Nurse Practitioner Competencies 
• the development, implementation and documentation of a professional development plan.

Whether you are applying for or renewing a licence to practise, you must inform the College that you have met the requirements of the CCP by simply checking the appropriate box on your application/annual licence renewal form (see Mandatory Continuing Competence). However, it is important to note that according to the Registered Nurses Regulations any document or information prepared by a registered nurse for the purpose of satisfying the requirements of the CCP is considered confidential. Your BYP™ booklet belongs to you — you are not required to submit either the booklet or any supporting documents to the College).

Nurses who have not met the CCP requirements when applying for/renewing a licence (e.g., completed the BYP™ tool) will be issued a time-limited licence which will expire on the earliest of

1. three months after its effective date,
2. the last day of the licensure year, for which the licence has been issued, or
3. the date on which the applicant satisfies the requirement of the continuing competence program and is issued a new licence for the remainder of the current licensure year.

The CCP requirements must be met by the expiry date to continue practising. Only one time-limited licence will be issued to an RN within a licensure year. Equivalent self-assessment tools must be based on the Standards for Nursing Practice and Code of Ethics

NOTE: If you have been issued a time-limited licence, please notify the College when you have completed the Building Your Profile™ booklet (by letter or e-mail: registration@crnns.ca). Upon receipt of this written documentation, the College will issue an active-practising licence that will expire at the end of the licensure year for which it is issued.
 
For additional information on the requirements for licensing as a registered nurse in Nova Scotia, click here.

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