Clinical nurse: the role, the salary, the difference with a nurse
A clinical nurse holds a bachelor's degree and earns $31.06 to $55.04 an hour. Same licence, same order, same scope of practice as a nurse.
A clinical nurse in Quebec is a nurse who holds a bachelor's degree. In the public network, she earns from $31.06 to $55.04 an hour since April 1, 2026. She has the same licence and the same professional order as a nurse. This article applies to clinical nurses of all genders.
Job title 1911
The job title nomenclature of the health and social services network, updated on September 15, 2026, classifies the clinical nurse under number 1911, at ranking 22. The work week is 37.5 hours.
The job description requires the following: « Doit détenir un baccalauréat en sciences infirmières ou un baccalauréat comportant trois (3) certificats admissibles, dont au moins deux (2) certificats reconnus en soins infirmiers et être membre de l'Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec. » In short: a bachelor's degree in nursing, or a bachelor's degree made of three eligible certificates including at least two in nursing, and membership in Quebec's order of nurses.
What the description adds to the nurse's
The nurse holds number 2471, at ranking 19. Her job description requires only one thing: membership in the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ). Both descriptions begin with the same sentence. The clinical nurse's description adds
- users « présentant des problèmes de santé complexes ou des dimensions bio-psycho-sociales variées » (with complex health problems or varied bio-psycho-social dimensions)
- designing, applying and evaluating care programs « requérant des connaissances avancées » (requiring advanced knowledge)
- coordinating teamwork and a « rôle consultatif » (advisory role) with the care team and the interdisciplinary team
- orienting new staff and training interns
One licence, one scope of practice
The Nurses Act, up to date as of August 12, 2026, defines the practice of nursing in section 36 and reserves seventeen activities to nurses there. The word « clinicienne » appears nowhere in the Act. It does not create two scopes of practice. Only one of the seventeen activities, the sixteenth, requires university training and clinical experience set by regulation.
« Infirmière clinicienne » is a job title in the nomenclature and not a separate licence. This article is neither legal advice nor union advice.
The salary scale
The scale for title 1911 has 18 steps. Here are the hourly rates from the nomenclature of September 15, 2026, next to those of the nurse.
| Title | Step | April 1, 2026 | April 1, 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical nurse (1911) | 1 | $31.06 | $32.15 |
| Clinical nurse (1911) | 18 | $55.04 | $56.97 |
| Nurse (2471) | 1 | $29.61 | $30.65 |
| Nurse (2471) | 18 | $47.48 | $49.14 |
Source: job title nomenclature, part III, pages III.63 and III.114, version of September 15, 2026.
The gap is $1.45 an hour at the first step and $7.56 at the eighteenth.
Annual salary
The FIQ collective agreement, in article 7, counts 52.18 weeks in a year.
| Step | Calculation | Annual salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $31.06 × 37.5 × 52.18 | $60,777 |
| 18 | $55.04 × 37.5 × 52.18 | $107,700 |
Our calculation, full time, without premiums or overtime.
Related titles
| Title | Number | Top step on April 1, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical nurse assistant head nurse | 1912 | $60.67 |
| Nursing care advisor | 1913 | $57.81 |
| Clinical nurse specialist | 1917 | $63.64 |
| Nurse practitioner (IPS) | 1915 | $73.20 |
All four scales have 18 steps. The nurse practitioner's work week is 40 hours.
The right to prescribe
The Règlement sur certaines activités professionnelles qui peuvent être exercées par une infirmière et un infirmier, up to date as of June 1, 2026, covers three areas: « Soins de plaies » (wound care), « Santé publique » (public health) and « Problèmes de santé courants » (common health problems). This is where the bachelor's degree matters.
Section 7 requires one of five training conditions. The first is a university diploma that gives access to the licence, meaning the bachelor's degree in nursing from one of seven Quebec universities or McGill University's master of science in applied nursing. The second is a bachelor's degree by accumulation of certificates, including at least 2 in nursing, with university training of at least 45 hours in wound care. The other three cover nurses trained outside Quebec.
Section 8 also requires an OIIQ certificate for a 2-hour training. The OIIQ then issues a prescriber number. According to its page on eligibility, a nurse who holds a bachelor's degree earned after a DEC (CEGEP diploma) in nursing is eligible in all areas.
A nurse with a DEC only has access through sections 9 to 11. She had to be performing these activities under a collective prescription on June 30, 2017 and have obtained the certificate before July 12, 2018.
From nurse to clinical nurse: the DEC-BAC
Université Laval describes its bachelor's degree in nursing, DEC-BAC program, on its program page dated May 7, 2025. The program has 105 credits. The Faculty recognizes 36 of them for a holder of a DEC in nursing. That leaves 69 credits, or 2 to 2.5 years full time.
See also nurse salary, nurse jobs and the FIQ collective agreement.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a nurse and a clinical nurse?
The difference is the diploma and the job title. The nomenclature requires a bachelor's degree for title 1911, clinical nurse, and only OIIQ registration for title 2471, nurse. The licence, the order and the scope of practice in section 36 of the Nurses Act are the same.
What is the role of a clinical nurse?
According to the description of title 1911, she is responsible for a set of nursing care for users with complex health problems. She designs, applies and evaluates care programs. She coordinates teamwork, plays an advisory role, orients new staff and contributes to research.
What is a clinical nurse's salary?
Since April 1, 2026, the scale for title 1911 ranges from $31.06 to $55.04 an hour over 18 steps in the public network. Full time, that comes to $60,777 a year at the first step and $107,700 at the top. On April 1, 2027, the scale will range from $32.15 to $56.97.
Can a clinical nurse prescribe medication?
Yes, in the regulation's three areas: « Soins de plaies », « Santé publique » and « Problèmes de santé courants ». She must meet a training condition of section 7, hold the certificate for the 2-hour training required by section 8 and obtain a prescriber number from the OIIQ.
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Sources
- Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, Nomenclature des titres d'emploi, des libellés, des taux et des échelles de salaire du réseau de la santé et des services sociaux, pages II.30 to II.35, II.77, III.63 to III.69 and III.114, September 15, 2026
- LégisQuébec, Nurses Act (chapter I-8), section 36, up to date as of August 12, 2026
- LégisQuébec, Règlement sur certaines activités professionnelles qui peuvent être exercées par une infirmière et un infirmier (chapter M-9, r. 12.001), sections 2 to 11, up to date as of June 1, 2026
- LégisQuébec, Règlement sur les diplômes délivrés par les établissements d'enseignement désignés qui donnent droit aux permis et aux certificats de spécialistes des ordres professionnels (chapter C-26, r. 2), section 1.17, up to date as of June 1, 2026
- Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec, Droit de prescrire, consulted on October 10, 2026
- Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec, Droit de prescrire, étape 1 : admissibilité, consulted on October 10, 2026
- CPNSSS and FIQ, Convention collective, version administrative, in force from December 15, 2024 to March 31, 2028, article 7
- Université Laval, Baccalauréat en sciences infirmières (formation DEC-BAC), version of May 7, 2025, consulted on October 10, 2026