Internationally Educated Nurses (IEN) Competency Upgrade Pathway

Starting April 1, 2025, changes will be made to the requirements RN and RPN applicants need to meet the nursing education requirement in Ontario. The CNO is updating pathways to make it more efficient for nursing applicants. For more information, please visit the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) New Nursing Education Requirements website and connect with the CNO if you have any questions.

Below is information on the Internationally Educated Nurses (IEN) Competency Upgrade Pathway courses. These courses are part of Ontario’s Nursing Program Transformation Initiative and has been designed for IENs who want to qualify as Registered Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses in Ontario. 

Note: The IEN Competency Upgrade courses are part of the education pathway introduced in 2022. They will no longer be offered after 2025.

Courses

There are eight online theory courses and three in-person courses in the pathway. Note: the IEN Competency Upgrade courses will no longer be offered after 2025. Our online learning website has an Online Learning At a Glance Spring 2025 document that lists these courses, their offerings and costs.

Online Theory Courses

• OL661 Pharmacology
• OL662 Nursing Informatics
• OL663 Research in Nursing
• OL664 Nursing in Ontario
• OL669 Health Assessment
• OL674 Relational Practice
• OL682 Health and Transitions
• OL683 Healing and Episodic Health Challenges

In-Person Courses

NOTE: The in-person courses are not offered at Confederation College

• Pre-Clinical Readiness
• Clinical Experience
• Preceptorship

Credentials

The IEN Competency Upgrade Pathway is not a conventional certificate or diploma program. No credentials are awarded for completing courses. Instead, it offers competency upgrade courses specifically designed for Internationally Educated Nurses to meet the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) requirements for nursing practice in Ontario. 

Note: Effective April 1, 2025, nursing education registration requirements for RN and RPN applicants will change. Please visit the CNO website for more information and contact the CNO if you have any specific questions.

Course Delivery

Each online theory course in the pathway is 14 weeks long. The theory courses are delivered online, asynchronously, which means there are no live lectures. Students will follow a schedule within the course that will outline weekly tasks and due dates. A facilitator will be available in the course to help answer questions and keep students on track. The course content is available 24/7, so students can work on the course anytime during the week, as long as they are meeting deadlines listed on the course schedule. We recommend students expect to spend a minimum of 5–12 hours on a course each week.
In-person courses are not delivered at Confederation College.

Eligibility

Applicants are eligible to register for courses if they meet all of the following criteria:

• You are an Internationally Educated Nurse (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.

Note: It is also strongly recommended that applicants are proficient in English, including in writing, reading, speaking, listening, and comprehension.

Application Submission

Applicants may wish to consider reviewing new educational pathways offered through the CNO. Information will be provided on the CNO website https://www.cno.org/become-a-nurse/registration-guides/outside-canada

Applicants that meet the above eligibility criteria for the IEN Competency Upgrade Pathway courses can contact Online Learning at [email protected] to apply. Information and documentation that is submitted will be reviewed to determine eligibility. Eligible students will be contacted about registration.

Note: a tuition award and supplies subsidy that covered course and supply fees was available to eligible applicants who registered in course sections starting before Tuesday, April 1, 2025

For questions or to obtain more information, email Online Learning at [email protected]