Certified Practice Updates

NNPBC's Professional Practice team works closely with agency partners and relevant working groups to ensure that Certified Practice Decision Support Tools and Competencies remain up to date and align with current standards and processes.

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Recent Updates

September 11, 2025

Content changes have been made to the following DSTs:

  • DST 400 - Assessment and Diagnostic Guideline: Cardio-Respiratory
  • DST 401 - Care and Treatment Plan: Bronchitis Acute (Adult)

The updated DSTs can be found here. To learn more about content changes, please read the revision summary.

September 4, 2025

BCCSU is pleased to share plans to implement the Registered Nurse (RN) and Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN) Certified Practice Opioid Use Disorder (CP-OUD) Preceptor Pilot in the Fall of 2025. Currently, CP-OUD learners complete their 40-hour Provincial Opioid Addiction Treatment Support Program (POATSP) preceptorship with a physician (MD) or nurse practitioner (NP) that is an approved BCCSU preceptor. For this pilot, RN and RPN CP-OUD learners will spend the first two 8-hour days with an experienced CP-OUD RN or RPN that has been approved as a BCCSU CP-OUD preceptor and the remaining preceptorship hours with an MD or NP preceptor.
 

We are looking for experienced CP-OUD nurses to participate in this pilot. Certified Practice OUD preceptors will receive a preceptor orientation, complete an evaluation for the learner and of their experience participating in the pilot and receive remuneration for their preceptorship time.
 

Application Requirements:

  1. Active BCCNM CP-OUD registration with prescribing authority
  2. Ability to host at least two CP-OUD learners per year in a BC-based clinical setting
  3. Practice experience that includes:
    • At least three years’ of prescribing all oral OAT
    • Prescribing at least 50 OAT prescriptions within the last year (365 days prior to the date of the application)
    • Routine inductions with all approved oral OAT
  4. Clinical practice adherence to the BCCSU’s CP-OUD Decision Support Tools and A Guideline for the Clinical Management of Opioid Use Disorder
  5. Advanced clinical training and patient management related to opioid use disorder (OUD) will be considered also (e.g., one-year BCCSU Addiction Nursing Fellowship)
  6. Completion of the Preceptor Application form

Please share this email widely with your networks. If you are interested in participating, please fill out the CP-OUD Preceptor Application Form or email [email protected] with any questions.

July 25, 2025

Content changes have been made to the following DSTs:

  • DST 300 - Assessment and Diagnostic Guideline: Ears, Nose & Throat
  • DST 301 - Care and Treatment Plan: Otitis Media
  • DST 302 - Care and Treatment Plan: Pharyngitis
  • DST 303 - Care and Treatment Plan: Dental Abscess (Adult)
  • DST 304 - Care and Treatment Plan: Ceruminosis (Impacted Cerumen: Adult)

The updated DSTs can be found here. To learn more about content changes, please read the revision summary.

June 6, 2025

In November 2024, the BCCNM approved revisions to the Registered Nurse Certified Practice Limits and Conditions to clarify that RNs certified in Contraceptive Management may prescribe, dispense, administer, insert, or remove any contraception, not just hormonal contraception. NNPBC has developed a new DST (803) to guide RN(c)s in the insertion and removal of intrauterine contraceptives. In addition, an additional competency statement has been added for Contraceptive Management in the Certified Practice RN competencies. Further, minor changes have been made to the following DSTs:

  • DST 800: Assessment and Diagnostic Guideline – Contraceptive Management
  • DST 801: Care and Treatment Plan – Combined Hormonal Contraceptives
  • DST 802: Care and Treatment Plan – Progestin-Only Hormonal Contraceptives

To learn more about these minor changes, please read the
revision summaries.

Effective July 10th, 2024, the responsibility of stewarding Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Certified Practice DSTs has been transferred to the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC). Access the CP STI DSTs here. NNPBC will retain responsibility for stewarding the Competencies for all Certified Practice areas. This includes the recent addition of competencies for nurses with Certified Practice in Opioid Use Disorder OUD).
New Prescribing Course for RN Certified Practice Approved by BCCNM - April 2024
"The Safe Prescribing for Registered Nurses with Certified Practice" course is offered by the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC).
More Info
Changes to DSTs and competencies come in effect March 1 – December 2023.
Certified Practice Competencies Revision Summary – November 2022
NNPBC publishes amended Certified Practice competency statements to include prescribing and specific competency language.
More Info
New Limits and Conditions for Certified Practice Approved – October 2022
In October 2022, the BC College of Nurse and Midwives Board approved new limits and conditions for RN Certified Practice.
Read the BCCNM announcement
Revisions to RN and RPN Standards, Limits, Conditions Approved – October 2022
In October 2022, the BC College of Nurses and Midwives Board approved revisions to RN and RPN standards, limits, and conditions related to prescribing.
Read the BCCNM announcement
Revised Contraceptive Management DSTs Published – August 2022
Revisions were made to the Contraceptive Management DSTs.
More Info

 



 
 

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