RN working as PSW or RPN?

caleo · Feb 12, 2013

Hi - I am an RN (uk) awaiting accreditation from CNO - I have been told that to work as a PSW in Ontario you have to have the PSW certification from an approved school. Not sure whether being registered in canada already makes any difference....

steven007, BSN, MSN · Feb 13, 2013

Yeah, some places will let you do it and others won't. It depends a lot on the union, if you work in a unionized place chacnes are it would be more difficult to do it. The best way may be to just not renew your registration as an RN if you want to work as a PSW.

However, my question is why? Why would you want to do something so silly?! Like you take a significant pay cut and the job is more boring and demanding!

browneyedgirl1122 · Feb 25, 2013

I am an RPN student in pregrad and yes an RN can work as a RPN or a PSW, but if there is an emerency the RN working as an RPN or PSW will be held accountable as an RN. I do not know where I read that, but I read it recently (maybe in the practice guidlines). . . Why would you want to do that?

loriangel14, RN · Feb 25, 2013

You wouldn't likely get hired on as a PSW or RPN if you were an RN. You could fill if they were short staffed but that's about it.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2013

Most facilities won't allow that because you're talking about a separate license and a separate union.

toronto_nurse · Feb 25, 2013

I have met PSWs who are IENs waiting for their assessments from the CNO. Most of them went to private career colleges for psw certification just to get their foot into door for Canadian experiences.

katherine100, LPN · Mar 5, 2013

She was awaiting registration and technically cannot call herself a nurse. So I don't think that would work.

hypnotizer90, BSN, RN · Jan 22, 2014

This is the CNO document related for this topic.

http://www.cno.org/Global/docs/prac/45027_fsDiffRoles.pdf.