Eligibility Update
Please be advised that the College of Nurses of Ontario updated the certification process for Internationally Educated Nurses. Students who have already started this pathway will be provided with one more opportunity to take each course with start dates between May – November 2025. No new students will be admitted but if you are interested in certification as an Internationally Educated Nurse in Ontario, it is recommended that you reach out to the College of Nurses of Ontario.
Tuition and fee subsidies are no longer available in the existing pathway, and students are responsible for payment of course fees and required course resources.
Overview
The Internationally Educated Nurses (IEN) Competency Upgrade Pathway is intended to make it possible for Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) to satisfy the College of Nurses of Ontario’s (CNO) standards for safe practice, language proficiency, and/or identified competency gaps.
The IEN Competency Upgrade Pathway is not a program and does not lead to a credential. It consists of stand-alone courses which students will take as needed based on competency gaps identified through their CNO assessments.
Learning Outcomes
Please note that these courses are for Internationally Educated Nurses who have had their education assessed by the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) and have been informed in writing of the need for additional education. For more information regarding the CNO’s Competency Assessment Program for IENs, including language proficiency requirements, please visit their website.
These courses have been funded through the Ontario government’s Nursing Program Transformation in Ontario’s Colleges initiative and are designed to offer flexible study options for working IENs.
Courses
Note: if you are taking multiple courses within the Nursing Transformation IEN Competency Upgrade Pathway, the maximum supplies stipend is $2000 (equivalent to 5 courses.)
Pharmacology
Nursing Informatics
Nursing in Ontario
Health Assessment
Healing and Episodic Health Challenges
Health and Transitions
Relational Practice
Research in Nursing
Pre-clinical Readiness
Clinical Experience (skills-based)
Preceptorship (skills-based)
Nursing Skills Lab
May require in-person lab time at a college.
Language Fluency
Please refer to the CNO’s website for more information regarding language proficiency requirements.