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Reporting Guide
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What to Report
CNO's mandate is to protect the public. We can achieve this by partnering with employers, facility operators, nurses and those who work with nurses. Patient safety is a collective responsibility. We need you to send us a report when you believe a nurse poses a serious risk of harm to patients.
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What Do You Need to Include in Your Report?
When you complete the reporting form, you need to include details of the incident(s). Ask yourself: What happened? When and where did the incident(s) occur? Who was involved in the incident(s)? When were the incident(s) discovered or identified? How were the incident(s) discovered or identified? Who has direct knowledge of the incident(s)?
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Nurses’ Professional Accountability in Reporting
Nurses have a professional accountability to act in the best interests of patients. As a nurse, you are in a position of trust. You are well-placed to notice harmful behaviour by another nurse, and your first priority is to protect the patient.
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Legal Obligations
Employers, facility operators and nurses have certain legal obligations to report information to CNO. If you are sending a report to CNO in accordance with a legal obligation, you should send it as soon as possible, but no more than 30 days after the incident. If you miss the 30-day window, please still send us the report as quickly as possible.
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What Does CNO Do When We Receive a Report?
We conduct a preliminary investigation on every report we receive. During this investigation, we typically interview at least one individual at the facility named in the report. We also analyze the level of risk a nurse’s practice poses to the public based on the information provided. Once the preliminary investigation is completed, the investigator prepares a report for CNO’s Executive Director.
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Glossary
A glossary of terms used in this guide.
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Remedial Options
CNO conducts a preliminary investigation on every report we receive. We determine an appropriate regulatory response based on the level of risk created by the nurse’s practice. When the risk is low, the matter is resolved through remedial options: Reflection-based strategies to ensure public protection. In most cases, the remedial action appropriately addresses the risk presented by the nurse’s practice.
