Patient safety is at the heart of nursing. To provide safe, high-quality nursing care, nurses must maintain their knowledge and skills throughout their careers. As the nursing regulator in Ontario, one way CNO administers this requirement is through our Quality Assurance (QA) program.
What is Quality Assurance?
QA is a process where nurses are required to reflect on their practice, identify gaps in their knowledge and take action to fill those gaps. CNO supports this process by providing tools and resources to help nurses complete their annual QA requirements.
QA is important because it keeps nurses accountable for staying up to date with the evolving health care environment, such as changes in nursing scope of practice, increasing client care needs, and advances in health care technology.
The Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 requires that all health care regulators in Ontario establish and administer a QA program.
How does CNO’s QA program protect the public?
Every year, when nurses renew their CNO registration, they must declare that they have engaged in QA activities. When nurses engage in QA activities, they demonstrate their commitment to lifelong learning and continuing competence. This gives the public confidence in the nursing profession and assurance that nurses are providing safe, high-quality care.
How does CNO’s QA program work?
All nurses registered with CNO participate in QA Every Day
All nurses registered in the General or Extended Class are accountable under legislation to self-assess their nursing practice every year by:
- reflecting on current practice,
- identifying learning needs and
- completing a learning plan that clearly outlines activities to improve competence.
We call this QA Every Day.
Randomly selected nurses complete a QA Assessment
Each year, CNO randomly selects nurses to complete a QA Assessment. They may be selected to complete either Part A or Part B:
- Part A: Knowledge Assessment Nurses complete a set of learning modules focused on the standards of practice and nursing accountabilities, and then complete a knowledge check.
- Part B: Practice Assessment Nurses submit their learning plan and other activities for review. A CNO-trained QA Peer Coach reviews the submission and provides feedback. Nurses can work individually with the QA Peer Coach to understand and apply their feedback to improve future practice.
In certain circumstances, a nurse may be asked to complete both Part A and Part B.
What if a selected nurse does not participate in QA Assessment?
If a nurse chooses not to participate in QA Assessment or does not demonstrate adequate knowledge, skill and judgment in their submission, they may be directed by CNO’s Quality Assurance Committee to complete additional activities.
Failing to participate in QA Assessment may also be considered an act of professional misconduct. A nurse who fails to participate may be referred to the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee.
Contact the QA program
If you have questions about the QA program, you can email QAassessment@CNOmail.org, or call 416 963-3922 or 1 800 387-5526 (extension 3922).