All Registered Nurses, Registered Practical Nurses and Nurse Practitioners practising within Ontario are members of the College of Nurses of Ontario.

Only members of the College are allowed to refer to themselves as nurses in Ontario. A valid certificate of registration from the College is required of all nurses who wish to practise nursing in Ontario and perform the procedures in the Controlled Acts that are authorized to nursing.

Applicants to the College can be divided into four groups:

• Ontario applicants
  For graduates of an Ontario nursing program
  
  
• Canadian applicants
  For graduates of Canadian nursing programs outside Ontario or nurses registered in another province or territory
  
  
• International applicants
  For nurses educated outside Canada who have never been registered to practise nursing in any Canadian jurisdiction
  
  
• Nurse Practitioner applicants 
  For those wishing to enter the College's Extended Class