Training

Training and requirements to keep up to date: attendant, licensed practical nurse, nurse

For each job, what is renewed, how often and where to check: continuing education hours, registration on the Tableau, PDSP, first aid.

October 10, 2026 · Lire en français

Training

Mandatory training for healthcare workers varies by job. A nurse owes 20 hours of continuing education per year. A licensed practical nurse (nursing assistant in Quebec) owes 10 per two-year period. A patient care attendant (PAB) has no hour quota set by a professional order. Here are the training requirements to keep up to date, how often, and where to check. The word "nurse" covers male nurses too. This text is neither legal advice nor union advice.

The summary table

Job	What is renewed	Frequency	Source
Nurse	Continuing education: 20 hours, at least 7 of them accredited	Every year, from January 1 to December 31	OIIQ, continuing education standard
Nurse	Registration on the Tableau and annual fee	Every year, payment no later than March 15	OIIQ
Nurse	Attestation for the right to prescribe (2-hour training)	No expiry date in the regulation	Regulation M-9, r. 12.001, s. 8
Licensed practical nurse	Continuing education: 10 hours	Per 2-year period. Current period: April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2027	Regulation C-26, r. 159, s. 2, and OIIAQ
Licensed practical nurse	Annual declaration and fee	Every year, no later than March 31	OIIAQ
Patient care attendant	PDSP card	No expiry date	ASSTSAS, February 2022 guide
PDSP instructor	Accreditation	Every three years	ASSTSAS, February 2022 guide
First aider designated by the employer	Workplace first aid certificate	Valid 3 years at most	Regulation A-3.001, r. 10, s. 2.1, and CNESST

Nurse: the OIIQ standard

The professional standard of the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ), Quebec's order of nurses, has applied since January 2012:

Take part in at least 20 hours of continuing education activities, at least seven of them accredited
Complete these hours between January 1 and December 31 of each year
Keep an annual record of activities and retain it for five years

The hours are declared at registration on the Tableau the following year. Training given by the OIIQ counts as accredited hours.

The standard document names no sanction. Compliance is checked during professional inspection.

Registration on the Tableau

According to the OIIQ, the deadline to pay the annual fee is March 15 at 11:59 p.m. From March 16, a $50 late penalty is added. The total payable for 2026-2027 is $579.00, including $5.22 for professional liability insurance.

The right to prescribe

A nurse who prescribes must hold an OIIQ attestation confirming she passed a 2-hour training, under section 8 of regulation M-9, r. 12.001. This regulation, up to date as of June 1, 2026, sets no expiry date for this attestation. See also the CEPI and the clinical nurse.

Licensed practical nurse: the OIIAQ regulation

Section 2 of the Règlement sur la formation continue obligatoire des infirmières et infirmiers auxiliaires du Québec reads: "Every member is required to devote 10 hours per reference period to continuing education activities directly related to his or her professional practice." The reference period lasts 2 years. The Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers auxiliaires du Québec (OIIAQ), Quebec's order of nursing assistants, shows the current period: April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2027.

Eligible activities (section 6): courses from the Ordre, employer training, CEGEP and university courses, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), symposiums and conferences
Declaration (section 9): no later than 30 days after the end of the period
Exemptions (section 3): among others, a person who registers on the Tableau 51 weeks or less before the end of the period
Default (sections 10 to 13): the Ordre sends a notice. The member has 60 days to complete the hours and 30 days to file the declaration. After these deadlines, the executive committee strikes the member off the Tableau

The deadline for the 2026-2027 annual declaration and fee was March 31, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. The permit is renewed on April 1 of each year.

Two trainings required by regulation

Regulation I-8, r. 3 requires an OIIAQ attestation for two sections: a training of at least 7 hours for "entretien d'une trachéostomie reliée à un ventilateur" (care of a tracheostomy connected to a ventilator), and of at least 21 hours for "contribution à la thérapie intraveineuse" (contribution to intravenous therapy). The role is described in The role of the licensed practical nurse.

Patient care attendant

The job profile on Québec.ca, updated June 19, 2026, mentions no professional order. None of the texts read for this page sets a number of continuing education hours for the attendant. See Patient care attendant training.

PDSP (formerly PDSB, safe patient handling principles): "La carte PDSP ne comporte pas de date d'expiration" (the PDSP card has no expiry date), writes the ASSTSAS (the joint health and safety association of the health and social services sector) in its February 2022 management guide. The instructor, however, takes part in a reaccreditation activity every three years. Details in our article on PDSB
CPR and first aid: Québec.ca writes that first aid and CPR training is "often required" for the job. No official Quebec source read sets how long a CPR card is valid
Oméga training: the 2026 ASSTSAS summary shows no refresher for workers. The training is presented in Code white at the hospital

The workplace first aid certificate

Section 2.1 of the Règlement sur les normes minimales de premiers secours et de premiers soins: "The first aid certificate is valid for a maximum period of 3 years from the date of issue." The CNESST (Quebec's labour standards and workplace safety board) specifies that the first aider renews it by taking the training again every 3 years. Section 2 of the same regulation excludes network institutions where medical or nursing staff are qualified to give first aid to workers.

What the employer owes

Section 51 of the Act respecting occupational health and safety requires the employer, in paragraph 9, to "inform the worker adequately as to the risks connected with his work and give him the appropriate training, training assistance and supervision".

An institution can make a training mandatory. The CISSS des Laurentides (integrated health and social services centre) writes in a March 2024 fact sheet: "Formation ENA 14246 sur les mesures d'urgence obligatoire pour tout le personnel" (ENA 14246 emergency measures training mandatory for all staff). Check what yours requires.

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Frequently asked questions

How many hours of continuing education are mandatory for a nurse?

The OIIQ standard requires at least 20 hours per year, at least seven of them accredited. They are done between January 1 and December 31. According to the standard document, dated September 2011, extra hours do not carry over.

What continuing education is mandatory for nurses under the OIIQ?

The OIIQ does not impose a specific course. Its standard sets a number of hours, a share of accredited hours, a record kept for five years and a declaration at registration on the Tableau.

Where can I find free continuing education for nurses?

For licensed practical nurses, the OIIAQ writes that many trainings are offered online and free of charge on its professional development portal. The OIIQ presents its offer on its continuing education platform, where the price of each activity is shown.

How long is CPR certification valid?

The length depends on the certifying body and on what the employer requires. No official Quebec source read for this page sets a length for CPR. Only the workplace first aid certificate has a length set in a regulation: 3 years at most.