Fake nurses in Canada: what the Ontario cases show and how to check a registration

Why this is the strongest evidence in the Canada set

Elsewhere on this site we describe patterns because no police source documented a seller. Nursing is different. There are court records and news reports of people who worked as nurses with forged credentials, and a regulator that publishes a list of individuals who have come to its attention and tells employers how to check. We read the CNO page and two CBC reports; we describe them without naming the individuals.

Case one: Kingston, Ontario

CBC reported on 6 May 2025 that a 24-year-old Kingston woman was sentenced in the Ontario Court of Justice to two years less a day to be served in the community, including 18 months of house arrest, 240 hours of community service and a $40,000 payment to the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation. She had pleaded guilty to defrauding Kingston Health Sciences Centre of more than $5,000 and to using a forged document. The court heard that she lied about her education and gave falsified credentials, including a photo of a degree she had not earned and a doctored screenshot from the CNO website. She treated roughly 200 patients before she was found out. The judge described a series of lies and said her conduct was calculated, sustained and had the potential to harm a wide range of people in a medically vulnerable state. The Crown had asked for jail and described the fraud as lasting 672 days.

Case two: long-term care homes in Hamilton and Toronto

CBC reported on 8 March 2024 that Hamilton police had arrested a 29-year-old Mississauga woman. Police said an investigation started in May 2023, that she worked at three long-term care homes between October 2022 and May 2023, and that she “forged a real nurse's legitimate documents into her own name to obtain employment”. The Ministry of Long-Term Care said inspections in May and June 2023 identified the suspect and that all homes were issued compliance orders and written notifications. The ministry also said hiring of staff in homes is the responsibility of the licensee or operator. She was charged with fraud over $5,000, false pretence over $5,000 and four counts of used forged documents. We have not seen the outcome, so we treat the charges as unproven.

What the cases show

How to check a nurse

1. Use the register yourself. In Ontario, go to the CNO public register, Find a Nurse, on cno.org. Do not rely on a screenshot, a PDF or a link supplied by the nurse; the Kingston case involved a doctored screenshot.
2. Match the identity. Check the name and registration number against government photo ID shown in person.
3. Do the same for agency staff. CNO says to verify nurses employed directly or through an agency.
4. Other provinces have their own colleges. Each province or territory regulates nursing through its own body; start from the provincial college's own site, which we have not opened for every province.
5. If someone does not appear, CNO asks that you email investigations-intake@cnomail.org with the person's name and employment details.

If you are an internationally educated nurse

NNAS, the National Nursing Assessment Service, describes itself as a credentialing service for internationally educated nurses and the first step towards becoming a nurse in Canada. It says it helps verify credentials and share accurate and verified information with regulatory partners. A purchased diploma or a purchased registration cannot pass that process, and the Criminal Code consequences are on the Criminal Code and fake documents. If someone offers you a licence for a fee, do not pay; report it to the college and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

If you are a patient

You can ask a nurse for their name and college registration and look it up on the college's public register. A real nurse will not mind. If something seems wrong, tell the facility's patient-relations office and the college. We cannot say what a particular patient's rights are; a lawyer or patient advocate can.

Frequently asked questions