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Page modified October 10, 2007

Connecting with Council
September 2007

This document highlights key decisions made at the September 26 Council meeting.

On this page:

Strategic Plan

The College’s strategic objectives set a broad, long-range direction for the College. At this meeting, evidence was presented on the ongoing relevance of the objectives. For example, the amendments to the Regulated Health Professions Act include three new objects (objectives) for each health regulatory college. These new objects come into effect on June 4, 2009. As a result of the directions set by the Strategic Plan, the College has already undertaken initiatives relevant to the new objects and is well placed to meet the three new objects when they officially become part of the College’s regulatory mandate.

When the Strategic Plan was first approved, it was to cover five years – from Jan. 1, 2005, to Jan. 1, 2010. Council decided to extend the time frame to the end of 2010. Evidence showed that the plan remains relevant, and the extension allows staff and Council time to implement the myriad changes that will be required with the upcoming amendments of the Regulated Health Professions Act.

 

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Nurse Practitioner legislation update

In September 2006, Council forwarded to government proposed regulations to expand the Extended Class to include four specialty certificates: Nurse Practitioner-Primary Health Care, Nurse Practitioner-Adult, Nurse Practitioner-Paediatric and Nurse Practitioner-Anaesthesia. Council was informed that on Aug. 28, 2007, the government approved the registration regulations. With the passage of the regulations, the College has the legislative authority to register additional members in the Extended Class. Also, the title Nurse Practitioner became protected; now, only members of the Extended Class may use this title.

The proposed amendments to the Nursing Act and the controlled acts regulation with respect to the Extended Class have been referred to the Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council (HPRAC) for review. HPRAC is scheduled to present its recommendations to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care by the end of March 2008. Council was updated on the College’s participation in the review.

 

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Nurse Practitioner programs and examinations approved

Registration requirements for the Extended Class include completing an approved program and passing an approved examination.

At the meeting, Council adopted the Ontario Council of Graduate Studies’ program appraisal information as the basis to approve graduate Nurse Practitioner programs in Ontario. Council approved educational programs in Ontario and other Canadian jurisdictions, and approved examinations for registration in the Extended Class.

 

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Amendments to the Fees By-Law

In June, Council approved a number of changes to the Fees By-Law related to the implementation of the expanded Extended Class, including the fee for an assessment, specialty certificate and examination.

The most significant change proposed was to set the fee for an examination for a specialty certificate in the Extended Class at $1,100. For applicants for the Nurse Practitioner-Primary Health Care specialty certificate, the previous fee of $200 was established in 1997 and has been subsidized since then.

The new fee is based on recovering the College’s costs for purchasing and administering the examination. This is the same approach that’s used in establishing the fees for the RN and RPN examinations.

In accordance with legislation, the proposed amendments were circulated to members for feedback. Members were asked if they supported the philosophy that examinations be self-funding. More than 480 members responded to the proposed amendments. Of those, 406 responded to specific questions about the basis for the fee and over 75 per cent supported the philosophy that all examinations be self-funding.

Council approved the amendments to the Fees By-Law, and the new examination fee came into effect.

 

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2007 RN(EC) drug, lab-test and diagnostic-test lists approved

To facilitate Nurse Practitioners-Primary Health Care accessing first-line treatments, the drug, laboratory-test and diagnostic-test lists are reviewed annually. The proposed amendments were circulated to members for feedback with the Summer edition of The Standard. Council reviewed a report on the feedback and approved the lists for forwarding to government.

 

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Council member update

New public member

Gino Cucchi

Gino is a retired businessman and active member of the community. Gino currently serves on a number of local and national committees.

Contact

[h] E-mail: gino_cucchi@yahoo.ca

Resigned

Karen Harder has resigned as a public member of Council.

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