Health and Conduct

If you have a physical or mental condition or disorder (which could include an impairment caused by alcohol and/or substance abuse) that may affect your ability to practise nursing, then you will be asked to provide additional information with your application.

For each physical or mental condition or disorder, you must give the College:

• a personal statement that describes:
  • the specific details of your condition, disorder or disability
  • the impact (if any) that your condition, disorder or disability will have on your ability to practise nursing safely and the strategies that you have in place to address this impact
  • your understanding of your accountability as a regulated health professional as it relates to your condition, disorder or disability
• any other information as requested by the College.

You may also be asked to arrange for the following types of documents to be sent to the College:

• information about your condition, disorder or disability from your primary care provider or other relevant health care professional, which may include: information about the diagnosis; a brief history and description of the condition, disorder or disability; her or his assessment of your current and past health status in relation to the condition, disorder or disability (this could include medical, psychological, psycho-educational, or other reports from your primary care provider or other health care professional)
• letter(s) of reference or evaluations from present or past nursing or non-nursing employers, professors, or clinical preceptors detailing your roles, responsibilities, and performance, as well as indicating your ability to meet the requirements with or without accommodations
• at least two letters from sponsors or counsellors regarding attendance of treatment or recovery programs (in cases of alcohol or drug abuse)
• any other information as requested by the College.

How will the College assess the information?
When reviewing information about your physical or mental condition or disorder, the College will take into account several considerations. For example:

• What is the nature of your condition, disorder, or disability?
• Will your condition, disorder, or disability affect your ability to practise nursing safely?
• What is the nature, type and extent of your functional limitations?
• What accommodations have you received in the past?
• Do you demonstrate an awareness of your condition or disorder?
• Are there any limitations as a result of the condition or disorder that indicate that you do not have the required skills and abilities to practise nursing safely?
• Do you demonstrate an ability to work with any functional limitations so that nursing care can be provided safely?
• Are you compliant with any medical or other treatment required?

To avoid delays, you are strongly encouraged to ensure all supporting documents are sent to the College as early as possible in the application process. Information must be provided for each physical or mental condition or disorder that you declare or is reported to the College by a third party.

You are responsible for ensuring that all supporting documents from third-party sources (e.g., attending physicians or individuals providing references) are sent directly to the College from the third party. Third-party information forwarded by the applicant directly to the College will not be accepted.

As an applicant, you must show that you possess the required nursing knowledge, skill and judgment to practise nursing.

In most cases, this is done by satisfying the registration requirements related to nursing education, recent nursing practice, and the registration and jurisprudence exams.

However, during the application process the College may receive other information that raises concerns about your ability to meet this requirement (e.g., another regulatory body reports a finding of incompetence or professional misconduct). If that happens, the College can consider this additional information.

If the College has concerns about whether you possess sufficient nursing knowledge, skill and judgment, then it will ask for additional information to better understand the nature of your circumstances. Additional information can include:

• information about findings of incompetence
• information about current investigations, inquiries, or proceedings for incompetence
• information about a refusal of registration
• information from another regulatory body, such as compliance with continuing competence requirements
• any other information requested by the College

How will the College assess the information?
When reviewing information about your nursing knowledge, skill and judgment, the College will take into account several considerations as relevant to the circumstances, including:  

• Is there evidence that you are unable to meet the required skills and abilities expected of all nurses?
• Is there evidence that you failed to meet continuing competence requirements for nursing or any other profession (i.e., you do not demonstrate a commitment to ongoing learning, engagement in reflective practice or an ability to set and achieve learning goals)?

To avoid delays, you are strongly encouraged to ensure all supporting documents are sent to the College as early as possible in the application process.

You are responsible for ensuring that all supporting documents from third-party sources (e.g., regulatory bodies or individuals providing references) are sent directly to the College from the third party. Third-party information forwarded by the applicant directly to the College will not be accepted.

The expectation that nurses practise with honesty, integrity and professionalism is so important to the nursing profession that it is considered professional misconduct for any member of the College to act in a way that would reasonably be considered by members to be disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional.

Because of this, the College must be satisfied that all applicants will:

• practise nursing with decency, honesty and integrity, and in accordance with the law.
• display an appropriately professional attitude.

If the College receives information that raises concerns about your ability to meet these requirements, then it may request additional information to better understand whether you can practise in accordance with these expectations.

Examples of the types of documents you may be asked to forward to the College include:

• any information related to findings of guilt, findings of professional misconduct; current investigations, inquiries, or proceedings for professional misconduct; current proceedings for other offences; or refusal of registration (see Reporting Requirements above)
• any other information as requested by the College

How will the College assess the information?
When reviewing information about your ability to meet the two requirements described above, the College will take into account several considerations. For example:

• What is the nature and severity of the conduct?
• What is the relationship of the conduct to nursing?
• Is there a pattern of conduct (e.g., an escalation in frequency or severity)?
• Does the conduct reflect poorly on the profession?
• When did the conduct occur and what were your circumstances at the time of the conduct?
• How much time has elapsed since the conduct last occurred?
• Did you assume accountability and take responsibility for your actions?
• Have you shown evidence of remorse?

To avoid delays, you are strongly encouraged to ensure all supporting documents are sent to the College as early as possible in the application process.

You are responsible for ensuring that all supporting documents from third-party sources (e.g., regulatory bodies or individuals providing references) are sent directly to the College from the third party. Third-party information forwarded by the applicant directly to the College will not be accepted.