April 17, 2023
Silvie Crawford
Executive Director and CEO
College of Nurses of Ontario
101 Davenport Road
Toronto, ON M5R 3P1
Dear Ms Crawford,
Re: Concerns Regarding Proposed Registration Fee Increase for Registered Practical Nurses
On behalf of WeRPN and Ontario Registered Practical Nurses (RPN), I am writing to express significant concerns regarding the College of Nurses of Ontario’s (CNO) plan to increase registration fees by over 20 per cent in 2024.
We appreciate the growing cost of operation and recognize the need for CNO to make changes to fulfill its mandate as a regulatory body for nursing professionals in Ontario. However, we are urging the CNO to reconsider the timing and scale of the proposed fee increase given the current challenges RPNs are facing.
Ontario RPNs continue to experience troubling levels of wage compression. Their roles continue to evolve and more closely resemble those of Registered Nurses (RNs), but their pay remains closer to the level of Personal Support Workers (PSWs). Despite efforts by WeRPN and others to urge the government to increase wages for RPNs, they have remained stagnant. RPNs are struggling and the rising cost of living and inflation are already placing a tremendous amount of stress on them. Introducing a mandatory 20 per cent increase in registration fees would further exacerbate their financial burden.
We understand the importance of maintaining the regulatory functions of the CNO and ensuring that nursing professionals are held to high standards of practice. However, we respectfully urge the CNO to reconsider the timing and/or scale of the proposed fee increase given the current economic challenges faced by RPNs in Ontario. As our nursing community collectively works together to retain nurses in the profession, now is not the appropriate time to impose additional pressure by enhancing fees.
We appreciate the CNO’s careful consideration of this matter and look forward to the opportunity to discuss alternative solutions to the financial constraints faced by RPNs in Ontario.
Sincerely,
Dianne Martin
CEO, WeRPN