Discipline and Fitness to Practise Committees

The Discipline Committee and Fitness to Practise Committee share the same membership.

These Committees need nurses who

• have excellent clear-writing skills

You will need to

• participate in virtual hearings between one and four days each month, with some hearings lasting two to four days in a row
• possibly participate in an in-person hearing in Toronto (if appropriate)
• review materials and participate in short virtual meetings (one-half to one day a month)
• participate in a two-day in-person meeting in Toronto (if appropriate)

About the Discipline Committee’s work

The Committee holds public hearings at which evidence is tabled. From the evidence, the Committee decides whether a nurse is incompetent (unable to practice safely) or has committed an act, or acts, of professional misconduct.

If so, it determines the appropriate action, which may include

• reprimanding a nurse
• imposing terms, conditions and limitations on a nurse’s practice or suspending a nurse
• requiring a nurse to pay a fine
• revoking a nurse’s registration

After a hearing, the Committee writes its decision and reasons.

Members of the Committee may be asked to take on additional roles, such as pre-hearing Chair, panel Chair or decision writer. These roles involve additional time commitments.

About the Fitness to Practise Committee’s work

The Committee reviews and approves agreements between CNO and a nurse about the actions the nurse will take to ensure their health condition does not affect patient care. If the parties haven’t been able to agree, the Committee conducts a hearing and reviews evidence and arguments presented by both sides. Fitness to practise hearings are not public.

From the evidence, the Committee decides whether a nurse has a health condition that could impact the nurse’s ability to practice safely. If so, it decides the appropriate action to take, which may include

• imposing terms, conditions and limitations on a nurse’s practice or
• suspending a nurse or
• revoking a nurse’s registration

After a hearing, the Committee writes its decision and reasons. Members of the Committee may be asked to take on additional roles, such as panel Chair or decision writer. These roles involve additional time commitments.

Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee

You will need to

• participate in one half-day and one full-day virtual meeting each month
• carefully review large amounts of information about complaints and reports before each full-day meeting (three to four days of preparation)
• carefully review information to deliver oral cautions (one to two hours of preparation)
• participate in one in-person meeting in Toronto (if appropriate)

About the committee’s work

The Committee reviews complaints and reports about nurses and uses legal criteria to determine how to respond. Responses may include

• investigating a complaint or report
• approving an alternate dispute resolution agreed to by the person who complained, the nurse and CNO
• requiring a nurse to participate in remediation, such as an oral caution or continued education
• requiring a nurse to undergo a health assessment to determine whether they have a health condition that impacts their ability to practice nursing safely
• imposing terms, conditions or limitations on a nurse’s certificate of registration
• suspending a nurse’s certificate of registration
• referring specified concerns to the appropriate adjudicative committee (Discipline or Fitness to Practise)

Quality Assurance Committee

You will need to

• participate in one- to two-hour virtual meetings every month
• carefully review QA assessment reports submitted by peer coaches and any other  accompanying documents provided by the program team before each meeting (two hours)
• participate in one annual virtual education session

About the Committee’s work

The Committee considers assessments of a nurse’s practice and determines whether the nurse demonstrates satisfactory professional knowledge, skill and judgement. If it finds inadequacies, the Committee may

• require the nurse to address these inadequacies through specific actions (for example, continuing education)
• impose terms, conditions and limitations on the nurse’s practice if the nurse demonstrates unsatisfactory knowledge, skill or judgement or fails to complete the action to address them
• refer serious concerns about a nurse’s conduct, competence or capacity to the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee

Registration committee

This Committee needs nurses who

• understand the post-secondary education system and its relationship to CNO’s registration processes

You will need to

• participate in half-day virtual meetings monthly
• carefully read large amounts of information about applicants and understand the issues and reason for referral before each meeting (one to two days of preparation)
• actively participate in discussing each application at meetings
• attend one annual virtual education session

About the committee’s work

The Registration Committee reviews applications from people who want to become nurses in Ontario. It determines whether the evidence applicants provide meets the registration requirements. The Committee uses evidence and applies legal criteria to decide whether an applicant

• can be registered
• must complete additional requirements, such as exams or education, or provide additional information to be registered
• can be registered with terms, limits or conditions or
• cannot be registered

The Committee may also make other decisions as is appropriate, such as referring an applicant for an independent medical assessment.