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Publications & Resources > The Standard > March 2006

   Last modified: March 2006

Making the Rounds

Working It Out–Together

Through its Participative Resolution Program, the College has become a leader in developing nonadversarial approaches to handling conflict. In this program, the complainant, nurse and College work together to find creative solutions that satisfy everyone involved. Some disputes can be resolved by providing an educational session to nursing staff. Other resolution options include bringing together the complainant, nurse and College staff in a nonconfrontational meeting.

Last September, at the Professional Regulation Summit in Toronto, the College had an opportunity to share what it has learned about conflict resolution alternatives through this program. College investigations staff presented a case study to members of other regulatory colleges, including dentistry, law and pharmacy. In a departure from the usual PowerPoint presentation, staff reviewed an actual complaint that was neutralized to maintain confidentiality.

Andrea Burck, one of the College’s decision administrators, brought the complaint to life by performing a dramatic reading of the original letter of complaint. Karen McGovern, manager of the Investigations Program, and Karen Puckrin, investigations case coordinator, explained that not all complaints are suitable for the program and discussed how the program is confidential, collaborative and transparent.

For more information, refer to the Participative Resolution Program fact sheet at www.cno.org. To inquire about having a presentation on the program at your facility, call Karen Puckrin, investigations case coordinator, at 416 928-0900, ext. 6254.

Click here for client records

Electronic health records are increasingly being incorporated into nursing practice. It’s important for the College to keep current with ongoing developments, and it is crucial for members to engage in the strategic planning, development, implementation and evaluation of electronic health records.

In October, College staff members Denise de Sousa, a policy analyst, and Lisa Freeman, RN , a Practice Consultant, spoke at the Electronic Health and Medical Records Conference in Toronto.

The meeting provided an opportunity to share information on the practice setting realities of nurses implementing electronic health records, and to learn best practices for using such records.

In their presentation “Regulating Change — Challenges, Road Blocks and Leaps of Faith,” de Sousa and Freeman identified how electronic health records can both benefit and challenge nurses. As benefits, they cited increased potential for timely and efficient access to care, interdisciplinary collaboration, better clinical decision-making, and research and data analysis. They reported on the challenges that nurses face such as insufficient educational support, discomfort with technology and threats to the confidentiality of client records.

Meeting our colleagues

Developing relationships with other regulatory colleges and industry experts increases collaborative partnerships and information-sharing. Ultimately, it results in better client care.

In November, Sharon McNickle, RN , a Practice Consultant with the College, participated in round table discussions at the Commitment to Care Pharmacy Awards conference in Toronto. “Getting to know and understand another regulated profession and their practice setting helps the College support nursing practice,” says McNickle.

The round table discussions included educators from pharmaceutical companies, community pharmacists and consultants. “Expert opinions from all levels of practice help identify issues that could potentially affect nursing in different work settings,” says McNickle. “This sharing of ideas reinforces our commitment to client safety.”

Keeping up on nursing issues

Meeting nurses individually and in groups helps the College keep abreast of current nursing issues. In November, College staff attended the annual conference of the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario.

“It was a great opportunity to meet with direct-care practitioners and share ideas and thoughts about the regulation of nurse practitioner practice, both now and for the future,” says Cheri Vigar, RN , a policy analyst with the College.

The conference, called Impacting Health and Wellness, was held in Markham. Vigar, Janet Anderson, Susan Galloway and Jane Fahey-Walsh from the College’s Practice and Policy team participated in the closing plenary session.

Galloway described the three streams of the Nurse Practitioner Model that the College is considering, and Anderson, Vigar and Fahey-Walsh fielded a broad range of questions from the participants. They discussed potential changes to the College’s process for adding new drugs and lab tests to the list that RN (EC )s can order from, the possible expansion of controlled acts for RN (EC )s and the Quality Assurance process.

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