IEN Competency Upgrade Courses

The letter provided to IENs by the CNO will outline the specific competencies that need to be addressed. The following courses have been designed to address specific competencies and provide an efficient path towards meeting the CNO’s Education Requirement.

• The IEN competency courses are the courses are available online and can be completed asynchronously. This means that you can take the courses at your own pace while meeting the due dates for assignments.
• Students are not required to take all needed courses at one time or in one semester. Every course will have a schedule to follow. Course schedules have week to week timelines, and students should consider their personal circumstances in determining the workload that they are able to manage.
• If you have general questions about the Nursing Transformation IEN Competency Upgrade pathway, or need support with navigating the process, please send an email to the Nursing Transformation Career Readiness Service.

The Pathway consists of a combination of online and in-person courses. Durham College offers all the online course options. Below is the list of stand-alone courses which students will take as needed based on competency gaps identified through their CNO assessments:

Online Courses

In-person courses:

Admission Requirements

These courses are for Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) who have:

• had their education assessed by the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO)
• have been informed in writing of the need for additional education
• candidates applying must reside in Ontario

Students must complete an application form, provided required documentation and recieve an admission acceptance letter in order to be registered into the IEN Competency Upgrade offering.

Click to access the IEN Pathway Initiative Admission Form

For more information regarding the CNO’s Competency Assessment Program for IENs, including language proficiency requirements, please visit their website.

Note: Please do not send documentation by mail or fax. An electronic copy of your CNO assessment letter can be emailed to us at ppladmissions@durhamcollege.ca with your completed program admission form.

Students are required to complete and submit this form to indicate that the program's admission requirements have been met.

This form must be submitted and an Admission Acceptance Letter received prior to registering for any courses.

How to Register

1. Once you have submitted your program admission form and received your acceptance email you can register for individual courses.
2. Using the Internationally Educated Nurses Competency Upgrade Pathway map the competency gaps identified in your CNO letter to the available courses.
3. Review the available course start dates.*
4. Complete the Course Registration Request form and email it to ppladmissions@durhamcollege.ca.*
5. You will be registered in the appropriate course(s) and receive an email confirmation.

* Students are not required to take all needed courses at one time or in one semester. Every course will have a schedule to follow. Course schedules have week to week timelines, and students should consider their personal circumstances in determining the workload that they are able to manage.

Program Cost

The cost of these courses is funded through the Ontario government's Nursing Program Transformation in Ontario’s Colleges initiative. Students who meet the admission requirements and are accepted into the pathway, will receive a tuition award to subsidize their tuition cost (up to $4,000). Also, as part of the program students receive a supplies subsidy at a flat rate of $400 per course up to a maximum of $2,000 for the total program. The supplies subsidy will be processed on the course start date and paid directly to the student through an e-transfer. Note, please allow 2-3 business days for processing.

Career Options

• Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) who want to qualify as Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) and Registered Nurses (RNs) in Ontario.
• For more information regarding the CNO’s Competency Assessment Program for IEN's - CAP (Internationally Educated Nurses Competency Assessment Program), please visit their website.

Watch This Video Before Registering for Multiple Courses