February 28, 2022
February 2022

IENs register in record numbers: 2021 New Registrants Report

A new report shows that CNO registered more new nurses in 2021 than in any year since 2018, and the greatest number of new internationally educated nurses (IENs) on record. The boost in registrants comes at a significant moment as the health care system continues to respond to COVID-19.

The New Registrants Report, previously called New Members Report, offers details on the number of nurses who registered with CNO for the first time. It shows that in 2021, CNO registered 12,449 new nurses — that’s a 19% increase from 2020, and more than a 15% increase from 2019. The total number of new nurses registered was about even with 2018, when 107 more nurses registered.

A new report shows that CNO registered more new nurses in 2021 than in any year since 2018, and the greatest number of new internationally educated nurses (IENs) on record. The boost in registrants comes at a significant moment as the health care system continues to respond to COVID-19.

The New Registrants Report, previously called New Members Report, offers details on the number of nurses who registered with CNO for the first time. It shows that in 2021, CNO registered 12,449 new nurses — that’s a 19% increase from 2020, and more than a 15% increase from 2019. The total number of new nurses registered was about even with 2018, when 107 more nurses registered.

According to Brent Knowles, Director of Analytics and Planning, tracking and analyzing data helps give policymakers and health care leaders information that can support improved health outcomes. “I believe data gives us the ability to frame and understand how the policy decisions we’re making impact both CNO’s work and the system as a whole,” he says.

“Data is foundational,” adds Knowles, characterizing it as a cornerstone to CNO’s approach to serving the public. It’s also a matter of transparency and empowering participants in Ontario’s health care discourse. “Sharing this data publicly allows us to add to the overall health system conversation.”

“Sharing this data publicly allows us to add to the overall health system conversation.”

The growth in the number of new registrants largely came from IENs, whose numbers have been steadily increasing for the past five years. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of new IENs registered increased by 46%, from 2,220 to 3,235. That’s double the number of new IENs registered in 2017, and the highest number of newly registered IENs in any given year on record.  

Beyond IENs, the number of new registrants who trained in Ontario also increased year-over-year, by almost 12%. First-time Nurse Practitioner registrants also went up, going from 291 in 2020 to 425 in 2021, which is a 46% increase.

The information in the report also provides a snapshot of trends in registrants. For instance, compared to previous years, a greater number of registrants were over the age of 25. As well, the top countries of origin for IENs remained India and the Philippines, which combined to make up more than 85% of new IEN registrants.

See all the facts and figures about nurses who registered at CNO for the first time in 2021 in the New Registrants Report.

About CNO

The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) is the regulator of the nursing profession in Ontario. It is not a school or a nursing association. CNO acts in the public interest by:

  • assessing qualifications and registering individuals who want to practice nursing in Ontario.
  • setting the practice standards of the profession that nurses in Ontario are expected to meet.
  • promoting nurses' continuing competence through a quality assurance program.
  • holding nurses accountable to those standards by addressing complaints or reports about nursing care.

The College was founded in 1963. By establishing the College, the Ontario government was acknowledging that the nursing profession had the ability to govern itself and put the public's well-being ahead of professional interests.

For the latest information, please see our Nursing Statistics page.

Anyone who wants to use a nursing-related title — Registered Nurse (RN), Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) or Nurse Practitioner (NP) must become a member of CNO.

Frequently Asked Questions

Go to the public Register, Find a Nurse, to conduct a search for the nurse. Contact us if you can't find the person you are looking for.

All public information available about nurses is posted in the public Register, Find a Nurse, which contains profiles of every nurse in Ontario. Publicly available information about nurses include their registration history, business address, and information related to pending disciplinary hearings or past findings.

Unregistered practitioners are people who are seeking employment in nursing or holding themselves out as being able to practice nursing in Ontario, but who are not qualified to do so. They are not registered members of CNO. Only people registered with CNO can use nursing-related titles or perform certain procedures that could cause harm if carried out by a non-registered health professional. CNO takes the issue of unregistered practitioners seriously. See Unregistered Practitioners for more information.

To ensure procedural fairness for both the patient (or client) and the nurse, the Regulated Health Professions Act requires that information gathered during an investigation remain confidential until the matter is referred to the Discipline Committee or Fitness to Practise Committee. CNO will not disclose any information that could identify patients (or clients) or compromise an investigation. See Investigations: A Process Guide for more information.

Information obtained during an investigation will become public if the matter is referred to a disciplinary hearing. If a complaint is not referred to a hearing, no information will be available publicly.

See CNO's hearings schedule, which is updated as hearing dates are confirmed. Hearings at CNO are open to the public and the media. For details on how to attend a hearing, contact the Hearings Administration Team.

A summary of allegations and the disciplinary panel outcomes can be found on the public Register, Find a Nurse. Full decisions and reasons are also available.

Where a disciplinary panel makes a finding of professional misconduct, they have the authority to reprimand a nurse, and suspend or revoke a nurse's registration. Terms, conditions and limitations can also be imposed on a nurse's registration, which restricts their practice for a set period. Nurses can also be required to complete remedial activities, such as reviewing CNO documents and meeting with an expert, before returning to practice.

For detailed information see the Sexual Abuse Prevention section.

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