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Telephone:
416 928-0900
Toll Free in Ontario:
1 800 387-5526
Fax:
416 928-6507
FastFax Service:
1 877 963-7502
General E-mail:
cno@cnomail.org
Website Help:
website@cnomail.org
Last modified Nov. 29, 2005
Policy Issues
Frequently Asked Questions about Policy
What is policy?
Policy may be defined as “a consciously chosen course of action (or inaction) directed toward some end. It is a plan, direction, or goal for action” .
Policy is a cycle that starts with the identification of potential issues, the adoption of certain issues for policy development, and finally, setting a course of action for addressing those issues.
When you are making choices about goals, priorities and the allocation of resources, you are making policy. At CNO, policies are developed and implemented with a primary aim: to protect the public interest through the regulation of nursing practice.
How is policy developed at the College of Nurses of Ontario?
At CNO, Council and committees are the policy decision-makers. Staff’s role is to help Council and committees make policy decisions by providing facts, analysing the impact of potential decisions, explaining options and making recommendations to the decision-makers. Staff also implement the policy decisions made by Council and committees.
At CNO, policy is triggered by a number of factors, such as responding to legislative initiatives, direction from Council, needs identified through our regulatory activities (for example, trends in workplace settings identified by our Practice Consultants) and issues identified through environmental scanning.
Policy development is dynamic and consultative. Once a policy issue is identified, the development and implementation of policy is typically guided by research, stakeholder feedback and consultation, and the consideration of the outcomes of the policy. Policy-makers take the information provided to them into account when making decisions on plans, directions and statements.
Kalisch, B.J. & Kalisch, P.A. (1982). Politics of Nursing. In D. Mason et al. (Eds.), Policy & Politics for Nurses: Action and Change in the Workplace, Government, and Organization (pp.5). Philadelphia, Penn. Saunders Co.
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