Currency of Practice

As a nurse, you must meet one of the following currency of practice options to be eligible for registration and/or licensure in Nova Scotia:

• Current licensure in another Canadian jurisdiction (This option is only available when you apply for registration and an initial practising licence with NSCN.)
• Current licensure as an RN in another jurisdiction as designated by the CEO, including the Philippines, Nigeria, India, US, UK, Australia or New Zealand. (This option is only available to RN applicants when applying for registration and an initial practising licence with NSCN.)
• Practice no later than three licensing years prior to their application
• A minimum of 320 hours of practice no later than five licensing years prior to their application
• Passed the registration exam no later than three licensing years prior to their application
• Successful completion of a re-entry program, bridging education, or other education determined appropriate by CEO, no later than five licensing years prior to their application
• Successful completion of a competence assessment no later than five licensing years prior to their application

LPN and RNs who do not meet any of the above currency options and who practised within the last 10 licensing years may be eligible for a conditional license with conditions and restrictions.

Answering the Currency of Practice Questions on Your Application for Licensure

When answering the currency of practice questions, please remember that the NSCN licensure year runs from November 1 and October 31. For example, the 2022 licensure year ran from November 1, 2021, to October 31, 2022.

Hours that can be considered in your calculations:

1. Hours accumulated in orientation
2. Actual hours worked as a nurse (note: overtime hours are considered one practice hour)

Hours that should be excluded from your calculations:

1. Hours you are paid while off on vacation, sick leave, long-term sickness/injury or maternity leave.
2. Hours worked as another health care provider (e.g. any CCA hours cannot count toward LPN or RN licensure). 
3. Hours worked in another nursing designation (e.g., LPN practice hours cannot be considered when completing your RN application for licensure, RN practice hours cannot be considered when completing your NP application for licensure).
4. Volunteer hours.
5. Hours spent in nursing education.

NOTE: You are still required to keep a record of the hours you have worked in the past in case you are audited by NSCN.

How to Change My Reported Practice Hours

• If you are requesting to adjust your practice hours for a year other than the previous licensing year, you must have your employer submit a Statement from Employer directly to us at registration@nscn.ca. 

How to Re-Establish Currency of Practice 

If you do not meet one of the currency of practice options, you must re-establish your currency of practice to become licensed in Nova Scotia.  There are two ways in which you can do this:

1. Complete a re-Entry education program for your designation  LPN here.   RN here.
2. Complete a competence assessment and successfully complete any required bridging education up to and including a full nursing re-entry program. 

As a nurse, you must meet one of the following currency of practice options to be eligible for registration and/or licensure in Nova Scotia:

• Current licensure as an NP in a Canadian jurisdiction (This option is only available when you apply for registration and an initial practising licence with NSCN)
• Practice as an NP no later than three licensing years prior to their application
• Passed the registration exam no later than three licensing years prior to their application

NPs who do not meet any of the above currency options will be referred to the Registration and Licensing Committee.

Rules for Calculating Practice Hours

There are some rules about calculating your practice hours:

1. The hour requirements can only be met if the practice hours fall within the definition of nursing services. If you are unsure whether your position meets the definition of nursing services, you can send your job description to Cathy Rose, NSCN Policy Consultant, at cathy.rose@nscn.ca for review. Continue scrolling to the bottom of the page to read the legislated definition of nursing services.
2. Hours accumulated during the orientation period are considered nursing practice hours and should be included in your calculations.
3. You can only count actual hours worked as a nurse and not the hours you are paid while off on vacation, sick leave, long term sickness/injury or maternity leave.
4. When counting your overtime hours worked, one overtime hour is only counted as one nursing practice hour, regardless of how you were paid.  
5. Hours worked as another health care provider do not count a nursing practice hours (e.g., any CCA hours cannot count toward nursing licensure). 
6. Hours worked in one nursing designation cannot be counted towards another nursing designation (e.g., any LPN practice hours cannot count towards RN licensure, RN practice hours cannot be counted towards NP licensure);
7. Practice hours are calculated based on when they fall within the NSCN licensure year (between November 1 and October 31).
8. Volunteer hours cannot be counted towards your nursing practice hour requirement.

Why are volunteer hours not counted?

In our role to protect the public, we have to ensure that all applicants have the minimum number of nursing practice hours in order to licence each year. In the past, information provided to NSCN about volunteer hours did not contain sufficient evidence of nursing practice such as a lack of job description, lack of connection to nursing practice, etc. As a result, we felt it was in the best interest of the public to no longer consider volunteer hours as nursing practice hours. While we understand that your volunteer hours may be different than other volunteer information that was previously brought to NSCN, the rules we enforce must be applied consistently for all applicants.

How to Change My Reported Practice Hours

• If you are requesting to adjust your practice hours for a year other than the previous licensing year, you must have your employer submit a letter confirming your nursing practice hours directly to us at registration@nscn.ca.

How to Re-Establish Currency of Practice 

• As an RN: if you do not meet one of the options listed above related to RN currency of practice, you must re-establish your currency of practice to become licensed in Nova Scotia. There are two ways in which you can do this:
  • successfully complete a nursing re-entry program
  • complete a competence assessment and successfully complete any required bridging education up to and including a full nursing re-entry program.
• As an NP: if you do not meet one of the options listed above related to NP currency of practice, you must re-establish your currency of practice by having your application documents, including your NP education and experience, reviewed by the Registration and Licensing Committee. The first step in this process is to complete the Nurse Practitioner Currency of Practice Application Form and return it, and your current curriculum vitae (CV), to registration@nscn.ca. We will then be in touch with you about next steps.

The term “nursing services” means the application of specialized and evidence-based knowledge of nursing theory, health and biological, physical, behavioural, psychosocial or sociological sciences inclusive of principles of primary health care, in a variety of roles including clinical services to clients, research, education, consultation, management, administration, regulation, policy or system development relevant to such application, and such other services, roles, functions, competencies and activities for each nursing designation that are related to and consistent with the foregoing, including those: 

1. described in Section 174 or prescribed by the regulations
2. taught in an approved education program
3. authorized for practice under federal or Provincial legislation
4. generally accepted as constituting the practice of nursing

Nursing practice occurs in a variety of roles and settings. To practice as a nurse in Nova Scotia, you must be registered and hold a current license with NSCN. Only hours accumulated in a role that requires nursing knowledge, education, and meets the legal definition of nursing services can be counted towards your nursing practice hours. The below assessment tool will assist you in determining if you can count your practice hours as nursing practice or if you need additional clarity from NSCN on your individual role.

Nursing Practice Hours Assessment Tool