Registration Renewal FAQs

The College made the move to 100% online renewal because it is the most cost effective, environmentally friendly and efficient method of renewal for both members and the College.

Online renewal for all nurses begins when renewal opens on October 1, 2011 for the 2012 membership year and ends December 20, 2011.

The College communicated this information to members through the Manitoba RN Journal and the Manitoba RN eJournal in 2010 and in 2011. The College will continue to communicate this change throughout 2011.

If you do not have Internet access at home or work, we have a few computer kiosks set up so that you can complete your online renewal application at the College (890 Pembina Hwy) during office hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm). You may also complete your online renewal application at a library, or at a friend, colleague or family member’s home or a local Internet café.

The College is asking employers to support nurses in renewing online by making computers with internet access available and allowing nurses a few moments to renew online at work.

The College employs a variety of security measures to protect member information and we are always proactively taking measures to maintain the security of information we collect.

The College uses a password-protected members’ area for renewal. Nurses can help maintain the security of their personal information by not sharing their password with others. The members’ area also encrypts all data for secure transmission across the Internet. Encryption makes information unreadable as it travels over the Internet.

Payments made over the website will meet the standard for PCI (processing card industry) standards. This means that data transmission is encrypted and storage of any banking information meets the processing card industry standards. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is utilized to provide a high level of security for Internet communications. SSL provides an encrypted communications session between your web browser and a web server. When sensitive information is being sent over the Internet between your browser and a web server, SSL verifies that the information has not been altered in any way on-route. All major browsers released in recent years support SSL.

In addition, CRNM will not be retaining any personal banking information transmitted over the internet. This information is retained by Moneris which is the largest processor of transactions in Canada. Moneris also has enhanced security mechanisms to ensure the security of financial information.

Online registration renewal opens on October 1 and closes at 11:59 pm on December 20. Members who fail to renew their registration by Dec 20 will be required to apply for reinstatement in the new year and meet the requirements for reinstatement in accordance with the Registered Nurses Act and Regulations and CRNM policies. For more information on reinstating your practicing registration please visit our reinstatement requirements webpage.

To ensure enough time for renewal applications to be assessed and to complete any follow-up required, the administrative deadline for registration renewal is November 15, 2011. This means that your completed renewal application must be received by Nov. 15 to avoid the late fee. A complete application includes:

1. A renewal application submitted via the College’s online renewal system
2. Payment of all applicable fees
3. Any Continuing Competence Program audit materials requested (if applicable)

Incomplete applications cannot be approved for renewal.

A complete renewal application includes a renewal application submitted via the College’s online renewal system, payment of all applicable fess and any Continuing Competence Program audit materials requested (if applicable).

Members can pay their registration fees by Visa or MasterCard, money order, debit card or cash (if paying in person at the CRNM office) or by personal cheque. Personal cheques will only be accepted before the administrative deadline; personal cheques received after this time will be returned. Post-dated cheques are not accepted and will also be returned. Any cheque returned by the bank due to non-payment because of insufficient funds (NSF) will result in a $52.50 (GST included) service charge. If full payment is not received by the administrative deadline, the late fee of $157.50 (GST included) also applies.

Members already enrolled in the pre-authorized chequing (PAC) plan in 2011 have been pre-paying their 2012 registration fee and do not need to submit further payment (unless you need to pay the late fee or have NSF charges).

Members already enrolled in the pre-authorized chequing (PAC) plan in 2011 have been pre-paying their 2012 registration fee. Members enrolled in PAC remain enrolled until such time as they advise CRNM in writing that they wish to terminate their participation. It is not necessary to reapply each year for the PAC program. Existing PAC members should not send a cheque or credit card information along with their renewal application as they have already prepaid their 2012 registration fee.

Members not currently enrolled in PAC who wish to enrol for the 2013 registration year should fill out a PAC application form on or before Jan. 15, 2012. The PAC application form is available to download here or from the College.

The Continuing Competence Audit takes place as part of the registration renewal cycle. Members who have been selected to participate in the audit will be notified by mail and receive details and instructions as part of their registration renewal package. All audit materials must be submitted by November 15 to avoid the late fee.

Your email address is now a mandatory field required for online registration renewal. We will increasingly be using your email as a main way of contacting you. We also require your email address so we can send you a confirmation email indicating that we have received your renewal application.

If you do not have an email address, you will need to exit the online renewal system and set up an email account (please note that Yahoo, Gmail or Hotmail offer basic email accounts free of charge).

Your email system may not recognize @crnm.mb.ca email addresses as a safe sender and the email could be in your junk box. We recommend that you add @crnm.mb.ca to your safe sender list.

Please let us know. Log into the online renewal system, update your contact information (if needed) and indicate you are not renewing for 2012. Following this procedure will ensure that we do not continue to send you reminders about renewal.

Members approved the Board's $100 registration fee increase proposal beginning for the 2012 registration year at the College's AGM in May.

As a result, registration fees for 2012 are as follows:

Register of Registered Nurses Extended Practice	$494.99
Register of Practicing Registered Nurses	$442.49
Register of Non-Practicing Members	$100.02

Note: Above fees include GST.

The Board of Director's proposed the $100 registration fee increase at their Board meeting in March and member's approved the increase at the Annual General Meeting on May 13, 2011. This fee increase is needed to maintain a financially healthy organization, to fund the activities that are required of the College through legislation and to continue to provide services for members. For more information visit the College's fee increase webpage.

The vast majority of registered nurses comply with the administrative deadline and complete their registration renewal prior to that deadline. A small number of RNs (less than 5%) consistently fail to meet the deadline. The $157.50 (including GST) late fee automatically takes effect after November 15th. We hope we do not have to impose the penalty on anyone. That choice lies with members.

The late fee is automatically assessed on all applications for renewal received after the administrative deadline of November 15. It has nothing to do with your 2011 registration; that remains in effect until the end of the year.

Registration renewal closes at 11:59 pm on December 20. This is to ensure that there is enough time for renewal applications that arrive up to and including the deadline of Dec 20, 2011 to be assessed and to allow for completion of any follow-up that may be required. This also ensures that there is the opportunity to finalize the 2012 practicing registers, to notify members of cancelled registrations as per the Registered Nurses Act, and to ensure Manitoba employers are in a position to staff for January 1, 2012 accordingly.

If you’ve moved and not told us yet, you may need to use your old postal code to sign in to the online renewal system if you are renewing online for the first time. Once you have signed in, you can update your address information online. This will update our records and ensure you receive the RN Journal and other College mailings at your new address.

We have only been collecting date of birth information for the past couple of years. It is possible we have an incorrect year in our records. Call the College or activate the online support and ask what year we have listed. Enter the birth year we give you and correct your date of birth on the renewal application. That will allow us to update our records and this situation should not repeat itself.

Click the “forgot your password” link on the registration renewal page. The College will send your password to the email address we have on file.

If you have changed your email address or cannot remember your email address, you will be asked a series of security questions to verify your identity. Once you have successfully completed these questions you will be asked to reset your password. Please update your email address in the member profile area once you are logged in.

If you have difficulties logging in, click on the “forgot your password” link and you will be asked a series of questions to access the system. Once you have successfully logged in for the first time, you will be prompted to change your password for security purposes.

Log back in as you did the first time. The information you entered to that point will have been saved and you will be able to continue from that point. Your information is retained this way until you complete your renewal application and your payment information has been confirmed.

The College is making this move to promote public safety. In the fall, the College launched CRNM Nurse Check, an online public register. Everyone is able to search the status of a registered nurse, nurse practitioner or graduate nurse on the College’s website, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

This new paperless system will:

• provide a more accurate mechanism for checking a nurse’s registration status (A paper certificate of practice is only accurate on the day it is printed and does not reflect changes in registration status that may occur after the certificate is issued.);
• minimize the risk of identity theft;
• eliminate the risk of fraudulent certificates of practice (In the past, illegal practitioners have attempted to obtain nursing employment with a fraudulent certificate of practice. Discontinuing certificates of practice will safeguard against this type of activity.); and
• eliminate loss of certificates of practice through theft or misplacement.

In the fall the College launched CRNM Nurse Check, an online public register. Everyone is able to search the status of a registered nurse, nurse practitioner or graduate nurse on the College’s website, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Members should allow at least one week for their registration renewal application to be processed before checking their renewal status in the public register. If after one week your registration status has not changed in the public register, please contact us at or (204) 774-3477 or (800) 665-2027 (Toll free in Manitoba only) as your application may be pending and may require follow-up on your part.

This information is public information under the Registered Nurses Act section 8(2) and the Registered Nurses Regulation section 3(1) and was previously available by calling the College during business hours. CRNM is required to have a register of members available to the public. With the launch of CRNM Nurse Check, the College joins several other health profession regulators in Canada who have moved to online public registers. Online public registers are considered best practice in the regulation of health professionals because this method of registration verification minimizes the risk of illegal practitioners fraudulently obtaining employment and is a more accessible mechanism for checking a professional’s registration status.

Income tax receipts will now be available online only. Members will be able to download and print their receipts from the College’s website in the new year.

The confirmation email is automatically sent to the email address you indicated on your registration renewal form. Typically reasons for not receiving the confirmation include: an error typing the email address you gave us or the confirmation email may be in your "junk email" folder. Please check the online public registry to verify that your application for renewal has been approved. If after one week your registration status has not changed in the public register, please contact us at or (204) 774-3477 or (800) 665-2027 (Toll free in Manitoba only) to confirm we have received and approved your registration renewal application.

Practicing members need to tell us how many hours they will work up to the end of 2011. This projection may require some calculations. Members may claim actual hours worked as an RN including overtime. Please note that sick time, vacation time or other time-off should not be included in the calculation. Self-reported practice hours are subject to audit by the College. Estimated practice hours for 2011 can be updated at renewal next year. Do your best to provide an accurate estimate. For more information please see the CRNM Fact Sheets Is my Practice RN Practice? and Calculating Practice Hours for Registration Renewal.

The number of full time hours worked can vary for each member depending on length of shifts, vacation taken, overtime worked and your collective agreement. Here is an example of a typical calculation: An RN working full time might work 7.75 hours per day or 77.5 per pay period (10 days X 7.75 hours). If the RN has 4 weeks vacation and did not work any overtime, the calculation would look like this: 77.5 hours X 26 pay periods = 2,015 hours less vacation of 4 weeks (20 days X 7.75 hours=155 hours) gives a total of (2015-155) 1,860 hours for the year. Members are encouraged to estimate and calculate their own hours rather than rely on someone else’s hours. Often, a member can refer to their pay stubs or can contact human resources for verification of their practice hours.

In order to be eligible for registration renewal in Manitoba, registered nurses must have practiced a minimum of 1,125 hours in the previous five years or 450 hours in the previous two years in a recognized field of nursing while registered as an RN (unless you graduated from an entry level nursing program in the past five years).

RN(EP)s must have practiced a minimum of 1,800 total registered nurse (extended practice)/nurse practitioner practice hours over the previous three years or 600 hours in the previous year. Nurse practitioner educators must have 100 clinical hours as part of their total practice hours.

No, unless you are actually called in to provide nursing care.

No. These are not calculated for the purpose of renewal.

There are several options for members taking a leave from work. View the College's leave of absence renewal options webpage for a detailed explanation of your options.

Not necessarily. This question is meant to identify if you have a physical ailment which may affect your ability to practice nursing in a safe and competent manner. An illness, injury or disability does not necessarily prevent you from practicing safely or competently. If you are unsure about your specific situation, contact the College and ask to speak with a nursing practice consultant.

Yes, you can claim these hours if the work is considered to be nursing practice and you are able to have the hours verified in the event of an audit.

You are encouraged to make corrections on the renewal form, if they are needed. It is not unusual for the previous year’s estimate to require adjusting once you know what you actually worked.

If you wait until after December 20th – you will be required to reinstate your registration in 2012. You will also be required to submit a verification of practice hours and sign a declaration that you have not practiced nursing during that time. If you have been registered in another province or country you may have to provide a verification of registration from the regulatory body for that jurisdiction. There is a $52.50 (including GST) reinstatement fee which is payable in addition to the cost of registration for 2012. Waiting until the last minute may result in you being unable to work during the first part of the new year. To avoid this situation please renew your registration prior to the administrative deadline.

This penalty is imposed when a member has failed to submit a complete renewal application by December 20 and practiced in 2012 without being properly registered. The penalty is $525 (including GST) over and above the practicing registration fee for any calendar year, or part year, when a person practiced while not registered to practice.

Most registered nurses recognize the importance of registration as a regulated health professional. Registration with the College gives you the privilege of belonging to a regulated health profession which sends the message to the public that you are a well educated, qualified and competent professional. As a member of the College, you also have the right to call yourself a registered nurse and receive all of the benefits that go along with that title including financial benefits and the public’s regard as a highly trusted health expert. The annual registration fees for registered nurses also provide a number of other advantages. These include:

• Professional liability protection through the Canadian Nurses Protective Society (CNPS);
• Membership in the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) and the International Council of Nurses (ICN);
• Four issues of the Manitoba RN Journal;
• Nine issues of the Canadian Nurse Journal from CNA;
• Access to the College’s publications, website and other resources;
• Professional practice support services at the College (by phone, email or in person);
• The ability to attend and participate in the College’s Professional Practice Series Education Sessions (either in-person or via MBTelehealth);
• The ability to attend, participate in and vote at meetings of the College as per the bylaws; and
• The ability to serve as an appointed member of a College committee or to hold office on the Board of Directors.

We have found there are a number of services members are less familiar with. These include:

• A sustainable organization to ensure continuity of our ability to self regulate;
• Standards of Practice and a Code of Ethics continually monitored and revised to remain relevant and viable;
• Complaints, investigation and discipline processes which ensure that registered nursing continues to be seen as one of the most trusted professions in Manitoba;
• A transparent registration process available worldwide via the Internet;
• Twelve issues of the Manitoba RN eJournal;
• An effective role in national and international nursing policy development;
• A robust nursing education approval process;
• Meeting room space at the College;
• Strong, productive working relationships with Canadian nursing organizations, Manitoba regulated health professional bodies, government, employers and Manitoba nursing schools; and
• Access to CNA programming including National Nursing Week, CNA certifications, and a vibrant federal government relations and lobbying process.

In addition, the College offers resources and other forms of support to assist registered nurses in their practice. These include:

• Nursing leadership support;
• Continuing Competence support; and
• A Voice your Interest database that matches member interest and expertise to needs identified by the College and its partners.