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

 Created March 22, 2005  

Connecting with Council

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March 2005

Connecting with Council provides 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 March 9, 2005 Council meeting follow.

Regulated Health Professions Act Under Review

The Regulated Health Professions Act is the legislation through which the Ontario government delegates regulation to nursing and other health professions. The Minister of Health and Long-Term Care has written to the Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council (HPRAC) for advice on a range of issues related to regulation of health professions under the Act. A copy of the Minister's letter is available on this website.

Council welcomed the review as an opportunity for input into strengthening the legislative framework for self-regulation. Over the coming year, all health regulatory colleges will be involved in an extensive consultation process, identifying areas where the legislation can be enhanced. Council will be providing input into responses to HRPAC on a variety of regulatory issues, which will be shared with members and stakeholders through the website and The Standard.

Examination Fee Increase - By-Law Amendment Approved

Due to an increase in the purchase cost, Council approved increases in the fee for the national examination for registration as a registered nurse. The by-law, which includes a one-time subsidy of $131,822, was published in The Standard in December 2004. Council considered the responses to the proposal prior to making its decision.

The revised by-law is available on the College's website.

Practice Guideline: Supporting Learners

Members have requested guidance in relation to their role as preceptors in supporting learners - students, novice nurses, nurses new to Ontario, and experienced nurses who have changed practice settings or clinical areas.

Council approved a new practice guideline: Supporting Learners. It outlines the responsibilities of all nurses in relation to supporting learners and the accountability of preceptors and learners. Strategies for promoting quality practice settings that support learners are also provided.

A request card for the practice guideline will be included with the June edition of The Standard and the practice guideline will be available on the website in the near future.

RN(EC) Entry to Practice Competencies

It is in the public interest that, where possible, standards and entry to practice competencies are common across the country. CNO has been involved in a national project to identify entry to practice competencies for nurse practitioners, addressing both primary health care nurse practitioners [regulated in Ontario as RN(EC)s] and acute care nurse practitioners (not currently regulated in Ontario). As part of the project, a number of expert focus groups were held to review the draft national competencies for congruency with Ontario's competencies.

Council approved the National Nurse Practitioner Competencies as the entry to practice competencies for the RN(EC) in Ontario. The competencies will also be used as a component of the regulatory framework for Ontario's acute care nurse practitioners.

 

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