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Publications & Resources > The Standard > June 2005

   Last modified: June 6, 2005

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Criminal offences reporting drops

As of March, 24 members self reported criminal offences on the 2005 Annual Membership Renewal(AMR) form. Of these 24 reports, the most common offences were impaired driving and theft under $5,000.

This is a reduction from the 35 reports received in 2004, of which 26 resulted in no further action and nine were investigated.

Every year members are asked to declare criminal offences and/or their involvement in ongoing disciplinary or incapacity proceedings. This self reporting obligation ensures that the College is aware of members who have been convicted of a criminal offence that may affect their suitability to practise. Colleagues are under no obligation to inform the College about another person.

What CNO does with the information it receives depends on the type of offence reported, how it affects the member’s suitability to practise, and whether the nature of the conviction represents a risk to the public. The decision to proceed to an investigation and potentially a hearing depends on all of the circumstances of the situation. For example, a nurse convicted of sexual assault, murder or robbery may not be suitable to practise nursing given that the core of nursing values is to keep clients safe from physical and emotional harm. The College also considers when the offence was committed and the nurse’s rehabilitation efforts.

A finding of guilt for a criminal offence can include a wide range of offences: impaired driving, assault, possession of firearms, fraud, theft, probation breaches and child pornography offences. Members must report all guilty findings even if it has been pardoned because a pardon does not remove the guilty finding made by the court.

Members do not have to report offences that result in a fine, such as speeding or parking tickets and other offences under the Highway Traffic Act or bylaw offences such as noise infractions.

Nor do they have to report criminal offences until they have been found guilty; however, members must report if they are the subject of any ongoing discipline or incapacity hearing. Failing to report such information could result in a charge of professional misconduct.

For more on criminal offences and self-reporting, see the fact sheet Mandatory Self-reporting Obligations.

Next — CNO NEWS: RN(EC) Practice Review update

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