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Telephone:
416 928-0900
Toll Free in Ontario:
1 800 387-5526
Fax:
416 928-6507
What's New
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College of Nurses Supports Romanow Recommendations
(December 2, 2002) — The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) welcomes the nursing recommendations made in Commissioner Romanow's report on the future of health care in Canada. In fact, the College has already recognized the importance of many of the issues identified in these recommendations and taken action on them.
"We are pleased to see that issues such as the role of nurses in the system, improving supply and addressing workplace issues are major components of the Romanow report - we agree that these are in the public interest," says Anne Coghlan, RN, Executive Director of CNO. The College regulates nursing in Ontario to protect the public. With more than 139,000 nurses, the College is one of the largest regulatory bodies in Canada.
The College and its Council of elected nurses and appointed public members are laying the groundwork to prepare and support nurses to meet the challenges of tomorrow's health care environment. This is self-regulation in action; supporting nurses to provide safe, effective care to clients.
Coghlan was responding to the Romanow Commission's final report, Building on Values: The Future of Health Care in Canada, which was tabled in the House of Commons on November 28th.
"We believe that following through with Romanow's recommendations on nursing is essential to ensuring Ontario residents receive the quality nursing care they need and deserve," says Coghlan. "And we are keen to collaborate with other partners in the health care system to implement these important recommendations."
In his report, Romanow sees nurses working to their full scope of practice in multidisciplinary settings to improve primary health care services. Ontario nurses are prepared to meet this challenge, says Coghlan. The College believes that nurses have the education and expertise needed to work in a collaborative workplace and to make full use of their knowledge, skill and judgement.
To prepare new nurses to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing health care workplace and the increasingly complex needs of clients, the College will be increasing the minimum education requirement for Ontario nurses. Starting in 2005, all new Registered Nurses (RNs) will need a university degree in nursing. Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) will need a two-year college diploma in practical nursing. This higher level of education will ensure that new nurses just starting their careers have an educational foundation that prepares them to meet the needs of the clients of the future.
Romanow's vision of primary health care recognizes the critical role played by nurses and nurse practitioners. In 1998, the College was active in changing legislation to allow for an expanded role for the primary care nurse practitioner, also known as the RN-Extended Class or RN(EC). Nurse practitioners can diagnose common disorders and diseases, order basic tests, and prescribe and administer certain medications. The College is now actively involved in exploring options for regulation of acute care nurse practitioners.
The College is also addressing Romanow's concern with delays in registering internationally-educated nurses wanting to practise. The College is closely involved with Creating Access to Regulated Employment for Nurses (CARE), an Ontario project designed to help international nurses become registered in this province. The College will soon launch a new interactive electronic fact sheet that will guide international applicants through the registration process.
The difficult working conditions some nurses face are also a key part of Romanow's report. The College currently offers employers of nurses a unique program to help them understand and address the needs of their staff. To date, more than 100 employers have voluntarily participated in the program.
These are just a few of the initiatives that the College and its Council of nurses and public members do to support nurses in providing safe and effective nursing care.
The College's mission is to protect the public's right to quality nursing services by providing leadership to the nursing profession in self-regulation. CNO establishes the entry requirements for new nurses, sets and enforces the practice standards, and operates a variety of programs to support and ensure nurses' ongoing competence.
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For more information contact:
Cindy Campbell
Manager, Communications
College of Nurses of Ontario
416 928-0900 (or toll free 1 800 387-5526), Ext. 6309
ccampbell@cnomail.org
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