Nursing regulation literature in Canada: protocol for a scoping review
Open accessPublished version of a preprint
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Significant reforms are occurring in health practitioner regulation across Canada. Within the nursing profession, growing workforce challenges and health system demands have accelerated the pace of changes to nursing regulation policies and practices. There is significant political investment to modernize and harmonize nursing regulation across Canada, and evidence is needed to guide regulatory decision-making. To better understand the current state of scholarship and the gaps that exist, a comprehensive understanding of the available literature informing nursing regulation in Canada is first warranted. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this scoping review is to examine the nature, extent, and range of literature focused on nursing regulation in Canada. METHODS: The review will be conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines for scoping reviews. We will search electronic databases, including Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection. We will also search for grey literature using the websites of Canadian nursing regulatory bodies, nursing organizations, and other leading Canadian regulatory organizations. No limitations will be placed on the year of publication. The review will include papers that explore nursing regulation in Canada, including topics such as education program accreditation or approval, licensure, standards of practice and code of conduct/ethics development and enforcement, continuing competence, discipline and conduct, regulatory models, governance, and reform. We will extract data using a predeveloped tool. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and conventional content analysis. RESULTS: A preliminary search in Ovid MEDLINE was undertaken on December 7, 2023, and a full search was conducted in 5 academic databases on March 15, 2024. Findings will be presented using evidence tables and a narrative summary. Reporting will follow the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. This scoping review is expected to be completed in early 2025. CONCLUSIONS: The results will be disseminated through conference presentations and a publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The findings will provide a comprehensive overview of the state of nursing regulation literature across Canada and inform the development of a focused research agenda. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework osf.io/3qk8t; https://osf.io/bm7jv. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/56163.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The review was registered with the Open Science Framework on January 8, 2024, and a protocol was published in JMIR Research Protocols.
“This review was registered with the Open Science Framework on January 8, 2024, and a protocol was published in JMIR Research Protocols [25].”
From Nursing regulation in Canada: Insights from a scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as [25]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Three Approaches to Qualitative Content Analysis
Hsieh, H.-F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/1049732305276687 · Cited by 44,601 · see citing works
PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and Explanation
Tricco, A. C., Lillie, E., Zarin, W., O'Brien, K. K., Colquhoun, H., Levac, D., Moher, D., Peters, M. D. J., Horsley, T., Weeks, L., et al. (2018) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/m18-0850 · Cited by 43,565 · see citing works
Scoping studies: towards a methodological framework
Arksey, H., & O'Malley, L. (2005) · International Journal of Social Research Methodology · doi:10.1080/1364557032000119616 · Cited by 36,742 · see citing works
PRISMA-P Group, Moher, D., Shamseer, L., Clarke, M., Ghersi, D., Liberati, A., Petticrew, M., Shekelle, P., & Stewart, L. A. (2015) · Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1186/2046-4053-4-1 · Cited by 26,223 · cited 1× · see citing works
“This protocol has been developed using the reporting guidelines in the PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols) as they apply to scoping reviews [11] (see Multimedia Appendix 1).”
MethodScoping studies: advancing the methodology
Levac, D., Colquhoun, H., & O'Brien, K. K. (2010) · Implementation Science · doi:10.1186/1748-5908-5-69 · Cited by 15,268 · see citing works
Munn, Z., Peters, M. D. J., Stern, C., Tufanaru, C., McArthur, A., & Aromataris, E. (2018) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/s12874-018-0611-x · Cited by 11,385 · see citing works
Updated methodological guidance for the conduct of scoping reviews
Peters, M. D. J., Marnie, C., Tricco, A. C., Pollock, D., Munn, Z., Alexander, L., McInerney, P., Godfrey, C. M., & Khalil, H. (2020) · JBI Evidence Synthesis · doi:10.11124/jbies-20-00167 · Cited by 7,751 · see citing works
JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis
(2020) · JBI eBooks · doi:10.46658/jbimes-20-01 · Cited by 4,165 · see citing works
Peters, M., Godfrey, C., McInerney, P., Munn, Z., Tricco, A., & Khalil, H. (2019) · JBI Reviewer's Manual · doi:10.46658/jbirm-20-01 · Cited by 2,222 · see citing works
Pollock, D., Davies, E. L., Peters, M. D. J., Tricco, A. C., Alexander, L., McInerney, P., Godfrey, C. M., Khalil, H., & Munn, Z. (2021) · Journal of Advanced Nursing · doi:10.1111/jan.14743 · Cited by 769 · cited 1× · see citing works
“To fill this gap, we chose to conduct a scoping review as our focus is on mapping the existing literature and providing an overview of evidence, concepts, and studies within the field of nursing regulation in Canada [9,10].”
MethodDesign, delivery and effectiveness of health practitioner regulation systems: an integrative review
Leslie, K., Bourgeault, I. L., Carlton, A.-L., Balasubramanian, M., Mirshahi, R., Short, S. D., Carè, J., Cometto, G., & Lin, V. (2023) · Human Resources for Health · doi:10.1186/s12960-023-00848-y · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Self-citationRecent research into healthcare professions regulation: a rapid evidence assessment
Browne, J., Bullock, A., Poletti, C., & Cserző, D. (2021) · BMC Health Services Research · doi:10.1186/s12913-021-06946-8 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Health practitioner regulation and national health goals
Mahat, A., Dhillon, I. S., Benton, D., Fletcher, M., & Wafula, F. (2023) · Bulletin of the World Health Organization · doi:10.2471/blt.21.287728 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Regulation of nursing practice in the Region of the Americas
Cassiani, S. H. D. B., Lecorps, K., Cañaveral, L. K. R., da Silva, F. A. M., & Fitzgerald, J. (2020) · Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública · doi:10.26633/rpsp.2020.93 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
A structured policy review of the principles of professional self‐regulation
Benton, D., Jurado, M. A. G., & Beneit‐Montesinos, J. V. (2013) · International Nursing Review · doi:10.1111/inr.12003 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Nelson, S. (2013) · Nursing Leadership · doi:10.12927/cjnl.2013.23254 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Envisioning the Future of Nursing Regulation Through Research: A Global Agenda
Alexander, M., Martin, B., Kaminski-Ozturk, N., Zhong, E., & Smiley, R. (2021) · Journal of Nursing Regulation · doi:10.1016/s2155-8256(21)00111-3 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Major regulatory reform comes to Canada
Durcan, R., Richler, E., & Steinecke, R. (2023) · Journal of Nursing Regulation · doi:10.1016/s2155-8256(23)00091-1 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Acting in the Public Interest: The Heart of Professional Regulation
Oetter, H. M., & Johansen, C. (2017) · A Nudge Too Far? A Nudge at All? On Paying People to Be Healthy · doi:10.12927/hcpap.2017.25199 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Introducing an integrated nursing research programme
Shuldham, C. M., & Poole‐Wilson, P. (1996) · Nursing Standard · doi:10.7748/ns.10.18.42.s44 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Examining the Global Nursing Regulatory Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Kaminski-Ozturk, N., & Martin, B. (2023) · Journal of Nursing Regulation · doi:10.1016/s2155-8256(23)00071-6 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Consensus Statement: Definitions for Consistent Emergency Department Metrics
American Academy of Emergency Medicine, A. A. O. C. C. N. (2017) · American Academy of Pediatrics eBooks · doi:10.1542/9781610020862-part06-consensus_statement · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Legislation Pertaining to Medicare
Fierlbeck, K. A., & Marchildon, G. P. (2023) · McGill-Queen's University Press eBooks · doi:10.1515/9780228016335-012 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Habyarimana, J. D. D., Tugirumukiza, E., Sun, H., Pathirana, A., & Zhou, K. (2025) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1636891 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Nursing regulation in Canada: Insights from a scoping review
Chiu, P., Thiessen, N. J., Idrees, S., Leslie, K., & Kung, J. Y. (2025) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0323716 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“This review was registered with the Open Science Framework on January 8, 2024, and a protocol was published in JMIR Research Protocols [25].”
Self-citation
- Authors
- Chiu, P., Leslie, K., & Kung, J. Y.
- Affiliations
- University of Alberta (CA)
- Athabasca University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Chiu, Patrick
- Venue
- JMIR Research Protocols
- Publisher
- JMIR Publications Inc.
- Published
- 2024-07-26
- Volume
- 13
- Pages
- e56163
- ISSN
- 1929-0748 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4400474802
- Cited by
- 2
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2
- FWCI
- 2.21
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- JMIR Research Protocols (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Issues, ethics and legal aspects › Nursing Education, Practice, and Leadership
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Occupational and Professional Licensing Regulation
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Health Information Management › Healthcare Regulation
- Keywords
- nursing regulation, health practitioner regulation, nursing licensure, nursing education accreditation, standards of practice, codes of conduct, nursing ethics, continuing competence, disciplinary sanctions, regulatory models, regulatory governance, regulatory reform, Canada
- MeSH terms
- Scoping Reviews as Topic, Canada, Humans, Nursing
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
