BC College of Nurses and Midwives Raises Fees Once Again

The cost of a licence to practise nursing in BC is once again going up next year. Members covered by the Nurses’ Bargaining Association (NBA) provincial collective agreement are no longer required to pay the fee – the cost is now borne by health employers – but the regular annual increases are nevertheless a concern.

The BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) recent announcement of a 12 percent increase to nurses’ annual registration fees brings the cost of the 2024-25 registration year to $671.50. It’s just the latest chapter in a troubling story that has seen the fee increase almost 50 percent over the last five years.

Individual nurses once had to bear the full cost of registration. BCNU fought to negotiate members’ partial reimbursement of fees beginning in 2020, when employers began paying $215 a year to offset costs. Following the latest round NBA negotiations, and effective for the 2023 registration year and ongoing, provincial employers now reimburse all nurses (including casuals) for the full cost of their annual registration fee (see Article 57.05 – Registration).

The latest fee bump amounts to more than $4 million in additional revenue for the BCCNM. The regulator’s board has provided reasons for its decision, including the cost of inflation, but more accountability is needed to help nurses better understand the justification for the increase.

BCNU is proud to advocate on behalf of those nurses represented by other bargaining associations or who work for independent employers and are not reimbursed for the cost of their annual college registration fees.

Members are encouraged to take action and write to Tanya Momtazian, BCCNM board chair, at governance@bccnm.ca to express their concerns over rising annual registration fees.