On October 31, 2003, the provincial Governor-in-Council approved amendments to the Registered Nurses Regulations that were put forward to the government by the College’s Council in September 2002, to establish the College’s Continuing Competence Program (CCP) as a mandatory requirement for licensing as a registered nurse.

Continuing competence is...

...the ongoing ability of a registered nurse to integrate and apply the knowledge, skills, judgment, and interpersonal attributes required to practise safely and ethically in a designated role and setting.

What is the College's Continuing Competence Program all about?
The College knows that registered nurses use a variety of mechanisms to maintain their competence throughout their careers. For instance, some nurses enrol in formal education programs while others consult with their colleagues and seek out learning opportunities in their clinical areas. The Continuing Competence Program (CCP) is a formal mechanism to further develop and record these processes.

The CCP is based on the philosophy that registered nurses are competent and committed to lifelong learning. The program centres on a self-assessment tool called Building Your Profile™. The tool, which was developed with the input of hundreds of registered nurses in the Nova Scotia, is designed to maintain and enhance the continuing competence of registered nurses by engaging them in the processes of reflective practice, lifelong learning and the integration of learning into practice. The tool formalizes processes most registered nurses already engage in: reflecting on the Standards and Code of Ethics; identifying strengths and learning opportunities; developing learning plans; and implementing and evaluating learning plans.

Anyone applying for or renewing an active-practising licence in Nova Scotia must complete the Building Your Profile™ (BYP) self-assessment tool, or an equivalent, to satisfy the requirements of the Continuing Competence Program (CCP).

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

For more information on the CCP, check the Overview section or contact Professional Practice & Policy Services at 491.9744, ext. 224 (toll-free in NS 1.800.565.9744) or email dm@crnns.ca.