Ontario Expanding the Role of Nurse Practitioners and Registered Nurses

The Ontario government is introducing changes to improve access to healthcare by expanding the scope of practice for nurse practitioners and registered nurses. These regulatory adjustments will enable them to order more tests and provide additional services across various healthcare settings, such as hospitals, interprofessional primary care teams, and long-term care homes.

Effective July 1, 2025, nurse practitioners will gain the ability to perform several new tasks, including ordering and applying defibrillators and cardiac pacemakers, conducting electrocoagulation procedures for skin conditions, and certifying deaths in broader circumstances to improve end-of-life care for families. Registered nurses will also be authorized to certify expected deaths, facilitating timely death registrations while preserving dignity for the deceased and their families. These changes aim to enhance access to care, particularly for Indigenous communities and residents in rural, northern, and remote areas.

This initiative complements the government’s ongoing $500 million investment to bolster the healthcare system by recruiting and training more nurses. Efforts include educating new nurses, creating opportunities for existing nurses to upskill, and reducing barriers for internationally trained nurses to practice in Ontario.