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.

Eligibility

Students will require academic records from their local college as evidence of successful completion, depending upon their specific CNO registration requirements.

If you meet the following criteria, you may be eligible for a tuition award to cover the full tuition cost for this course and a stipend of $400 per course to help with the costs of books and other supplies:

• You are an IEN
• You have proof of one of the following:
  • Canadian citizenship status; or
  • Canadian permanent resident status; or
  • Appropriate authorization under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) that permits you to engage in the practice of nursing in Ontario.
• You have a letter from CNO containing the results of your education assessment and the additional education you need.

It is also strongly recommended that students who register for this course are proficient in English, including in writing, reading, speaking, listening and comprehension.

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.