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About CNO > Council & Committees > Meetings > Connecting with Council

 Last updated Jan. 30, 2004  

Connecting with Council

December 2003

The Council is the board of directors of the College of Nurses. Consisting of 21 nurses (14 RNs and 7 RPNs) elected by nurses across the province and 18 public members appointed by the provincial government, Council makes decisions about nursing self-regulation. Establishing entry-to-practice standards, approving standards of nursing practice and conduct, and recommending changes to legislation and regulations are among Council's responsibilities.

Connecting with Council will provide updates on key decisions made at the most recent Council meeting. The meeting agenda and motions passed at the Council meeting are on the website.

Highlights of key decisions made at the December 11th and 12th Council meeting

Practical Nursing Program Approval

To ensure that future Ontario RPNs graduate from a quality educational program that equips them to meet the needs of the public, Council is putting into place a program approval process.

In December, Council approved the concept of a Practical Nursing Program Approval Committee to advise Council on program approval. The Approval Committee will include educators, RPN practitioners, clinical managers/educators involved with RPNs in direct practice, and a member of the public.

Council also approved the program review process and criteria for ongoing program approval. The rigorous approvals process includes information about the program, students and graduates

Criminal record checks

The public places a great deal of trust in health professionals who work with vulnerable clients. To ensure that trust is well-placed, effective January 1, 2005, all individuals applying to CNO for initial registration or reinstatement from within Canada will need to provide a recent Canadian Police Information Centre Criminal (CPIC) Record Synopsis as part of the registration process.

The Registration Committee reviews each applicant who has been found guilty of a criminal offence and weighs the nature, relevance and frequency of offences committed by an individual in deciding whether the applicant will be registered. This new requirement will provide the Committee with externally verified information on which to make those decisions.

Current College members provide a declaration regarding criminal offences on their Annual Payment Form. Applicants from outside of Canada are screened for criminal offences by Immigration Canada.

2004 Budget Approved

Council approved the 2004 budget for the College. Revenues for 2004 are estimated to be approximately $22.7 million, while expenses are estimated to be $20.3 million, resulting in an estimated surplus of $2.4 million for the year. A breakdown of how your membership dollar is spent will appear in the June issue of The Standard (formerly Communiqué).

When the current membership fee was approved in 2000, Council's goal was to hold the line on fees until 2005. Due to careful management and increased revenues, a fee increase is not anticipated for 2005, and unless something unforeseen occurs, is not anticipated until 2007 at the earliest.

 

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