To be eligible for registration in British Columbia you must have:

• completed a nursing education program deemed equivalent to nursing education programs in British Columbia;
• provided proof of competence to practice as a nurse such as nursing education, practice hours over the previous five years, employment references and registration examination results;
• have no outstanding criminal charges or convictions relevant to the practice of nursing or membership in the Association;
• have satisfactory employment references including a reference from a Canadian employer of at least 8 weeks duration;
• have registration in good standing from other jurisdictions, no health problems that impair ability to practice and be fluent in English.

Obtain an application form from CRNBC (www.crnbc.ca) You must complete the application form and have it notarized by a notary public or commissioner for taking oaths, then return the application to CRNBC. You must also include:

• Processing fee of $214.00 CND
• Proof of identity: Certified photocopy of birth certificate, passport, immigration papers or citizenship card, provided it shows birth name and date of birth and certified copy of marriage certificate or other name change documents showing legal name.
• Professional experience record: Include full name and mailing address for each employer and signed consent. CRNBC will request references from employers directly.
• Basic Nursing Education Transcripts: You will be asked to send the request form provided to the school of nursing where you received your basic nursing education and others where you have taken additional courses (e.g. midwifery). The school(s) must return the transcripts and other information directly to CRNBC.

CRNBC will send a confirmation letter to the applicant indicating that the application has been received, and then conduct a Preliminary Assessment of the application. Based on this initial review of your application, you will be notified if there are any outstanding documents, discrepancies within the application, or concerns with the application. These must be addressed prior to continuation of the assessment of your application.

Before assessment can begin, CRNBC must receive verifications from other regulatory bodies, your school of nursing transcript and satisfactory employer references. Your application will be assessed to determine if you are eligible to write the Canadian Registered Nurses Exam (CRNE). CRNBC will notify you in writing of the results of your assessment and inform you of any additional requirements to be met prior to writing the CRNE.

At this time, CRNBC will arrange for the criminal record check and send the authorization form to you. Under the British Columbia Criminal Records Review Act, all applicants must have a criminal record check to determine any criminal convictions relevant to the protection of children. You must return the authorization form with a $20 CND processing fee.

Some applicants may be required to complete one or more of the following requirements before they are eligible to write the Canadian Registered Nurses Examination (CRNE).

Qualifying programs are required for nurses who need additional nursing preparation to meet the education requirement for nurse registration in British Columbia. Nurses educated in British Columbia are generalists and are prepared to practice along the continuum of care and across the client's life cycle. Some international applicants may be required to take qualifying courses if they lack education or experience in specific areas that are considered part of a generalist nursing background, such as psychiatric nursing or maternal/ newborn nursing.

If English is not your first language, you must establish your fluency in English. This is generally accomplished by passing standardized tests. When CRNBC has been notified that any outstanding requirements have been met, you will be eligible to apply to write the Canadian Registered Nurses Examination (CRNE), which measures the competencies required of entry-level nurses for safe and effective practice. Applicants are required to pass the CRNE.

The SEC will be used when the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia CRNBC is unable to determine, from paper documentation alone, your ability to meet entry-level nursing competencies in BC.

The assessment process is designed to help the CRNBC determine your ability to meet entry-level nursing competencies in BC. Your professional knowledge, skills and abilities will be assessed. The assessment process will not be used for every IEN coming to BC.

You may be asked to have an assessment in any (or all) of the following areas: General Medical-Surgical Nursing, Maternal Child Health, Pediatric Child Health, Mental Health/Psychiatric Nursing. For more information http://www.nursinginbc.ca/.

Nurses from other countries who have met all requirements for registration except provision of a reference from a Canadian employer and the examination, may also be eligible to practice nursing under a temporary registration (provided they have applied to write the examination and have not previously failed the examination). Temporary registration allows you to practice as a nurse in British Columbia while you wait to write the Canadian Registered Nurses Exam (CRNE) and receive the results.

After you have worked a minimum of 250 hours as a temporary registered nurse, request your employer complete the Canadian Reference Form, and provide this form to CRNBC. You will not need to provide this reference until after you have worked in Canada for your new employer.

Applicants are required to pass the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination. The examination measures the competencies required of entry-level nurses for safe and effective practice. The exam consists of approximately 300 multiple choice and short answer questions. Exam preparation materials are available from the CRNBC website.

The examination is conducted 3 times per year at writing centres in various parts of the province. It is 8 hours long and is written in one day. The fee for writing the exam is $460 (subject to change without notice), and the deadline date for applying to write the exam is 2-3 months prior to the actual examination date.

The examination results are posted as either a pass or fail. Applicants who pass the exam are notified in writing by CRNBC and sent a registration form. The applicant returns the registration form and fee to CRNBC. When CRNBC receives the criminal record check clearance, completed registration form and fees, registration is complete.

Applicants who fail the CRNE exam may request to have the examination be rescored. A candidate is eligible to write the registration examination a maximum of three times only, including all writing of the registered nurse examination in other Canadian jurisdictions. Temporary Registration can still be sought should the candidate fail the exam; however a letter from the employer will need to be provided stating that they are aware of the exam results.

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