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IPS: the nurse practitioner, her role, her classes, her training, her salary

What the law allows the IPS to do, the five specialty classes, the training required by the OIIQ, IPS clinics and the public network salary scale.

October 10, 2026 · Lire en français

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IPS stands for infirmière praticienne spécialisée, a nurse practitioner in Quebec. The Nurses Act reserves nine activities for her, including diagnosing diseases and prescribing medications. In the public network, she has earned from $34.86 to $73.20 an hour since April 1, 2026. This text applies to male nurse practitioners too.

What the law allows the IPS to do

Section 36.1 of the Nurses Act (chapter I-8, up to date as of August 12, 2026) lists the activities of the nurse practitioner. She performs them according to her specialty class, under the conditions of the Règlement sur les infirmières praticiennes spécialisées (chapter I-8, r. 15.1.1.1).

diagnosing diseases
prescribing diagnostic examinations
using diagnostic techniques that are invasive or entail risks of harm
determining medical treatments
prescribing medications and other substances
prescribing medical treatments
using techniques or applying medical treatments that are invasive or entail risks of harm
monitoring pregnancies
administering the medication or substance allowing a person to obtain medical aid in dying under the Act respecting end-of-life care

According to the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ), Quebec's order of nurses, Bill 6 and the regulation came into force on January 25, 2021. Since that date, the IPS can diagnose diseases, determine medical treatments and monitor pregnancies. "Super nurse" is a nickname, not an official title. This article is neither legal advice nor union advice.

The five specialty classes

Section 3 of the regulation, up to date as of June 1, 2026, sets five classes.

Class	Abbreviation	Clientele under the regulation
Neonatology	IPSNN	Neonatal clientele, specialized or ultra-specialized care
Mental health	IPSSM	All ages, community-based, specialized or ultra-specialized care
Adult care	IPSSA	Adults, specialized or ultra-specialized care
Pediatric care	IPSSP	Pediatric clientele, specialized or ultra-specialized care
Primary care	IPSPL	All ages, community-based care

Source: Règlement sur les infirmières praticiennes spécialisées, sections 3 and 23 to 27.

Training and the specialist certificate

The OIIQ first requires being a nurse and having practised for at least two years, including one year with the clientele of the specialty. The training is at the graduate level: a master's in nursing and a complementary diploma in medical sciences, with at least 510 hours of theory and at least 950 hours of internships.

Avenir en santé names nine universities: Montréal, Sherbrooke, Laval, McGill, UQAC, UQAR, UQTR, UQAT and UQO. For the start of the path, see the CEPI and nurse jobs.

The graduate becomes a nurse practitioner candidate (CIPS). With a practice attestation from the OIIQ, she performs the activities of the IPS under the supervision of an IPS or a physician available at all times, under section 30 of the regulation. Section 4 issues the specialist certificate to the candidate who passes the specialty exam. Section 10 gives her three years to pass it and section 17, two retakes. The next session takes place on November 2, 2026.

The Programme ministériel de bourses d'études of the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (July 2023, fact sheet amended May 12, 2026) pays $60,000 in two instalments of $30,000. The recipient agrees to work 6,000 hours in a public network institution targeted by the ministry.

The IPS's salary

The network's job title nomenclature, version of September 15, 2026, places the IPS under title 1915, ranking 28, at 40 hours per week. The scale has 18 steps.

Step	April 1, 2026	April 1, 2027	Annual salary 2026
1	$34.86	$36.08	$34.86 × 40 × 52.18 = $72,760
18	$73.20	$75.76	$73.20 × 40 × 52.18 = $152,783

Source: nomenclature, pages II.33 and III.67. Annual salary: our calculation, full time, without premiums or overtime.

The same nomenclature places the nurse, title 2471, at $29.61 to $47.48 an hour and the clinical nurse, title 1911, at $31.06 to $55.04. See the nurse's salary and the FIQ collective agreement. The IPS candidate has her own title, 1914, at 40 hours per week.

Where the IPS works and what an IPS clinic is

Québec.ca (page up to date as of April 15, 2024) names the settings of the primary care nurse practitioner: public IPS clinic, GMF (family medicine group), CLSC (local community service centre), home support, CHSLD (long-term care centre). The other classes work mostly in hospital centres and outpatient clinics.

The public IPS clinic is a model launched in November 2022. It offers free access to primary care and is most often housed in a CLSC. Its team includes at least IPSPLs, one or more clinical nurses and a social worker. According to a press release of July 16, 2026, the goal is 26 clinics by 2030. Our article on IPS clinics gives the details.

People reach them through the Guichet d'accès à la première ligne (GAP), 811, Rendez-vous santé Québec, the local emergency room or a pharmacy, among others. Since April 15, 2024, the IPSPLs in these clinics take charge of people registered with the Guichet d'accès à un médecin de famille.

IPS, clinical nurse, physician

The IPS is a nurse who is a member of the OIIQ and holds a specialist certificate. This certificate alone opens the activities of section 36.1, within the limits of her class. Our article on the clinical nurse describes that title. Section 28 of the regulation applies to the IPS's prescriptions the standards for prescriptions made by a physician.

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Frequently asked questions

What does the abbreviation IPS mean?

IPS means infirmière praticienne spécialisée or infirmier praticien spécialisé, a nurse practitioner. The abbreviation grows longer according to the specialty class. IPSPL refers to the primary care nurse practitioner (IPSPL).

What is the role of a nurse practitioner?

According to the OIIQ, her role combines advanced nursing practice and the nine activities of section 36.1 of the Act. The network nomenclature describes her as responsible for nursing care and medical professional activities in a specialty field.

How many nurse practitioners are there in Quebec?

The OIIQ counted 1,890 on the Tableau, entitled to practise, in its press release of June 5, 2025. The press release of December 10, 2024 counted 1,829.

What is a mental health nurse practitioner?

She is the IPS of the mental health class, abbreviated IPSSM. Section 24 of the regulation assigns her a clientele of all ages, in community-based, specialized or ultra-specialized care. Section 22 allows her to diagnose mental disorders, except intellectual disability.

Which nurse is the best paid?

Of the three scales compared here, the IPS scale is the highest: $73.20 an hour at the top step, compared with $55.04 for the clinical nurse and $47.48 for the nurse. These are public network rates as of April 1, 2026.