After Completing Health Treatment
In most cases, our team and the nurse will agree on the terms and conditions of the nurse’s return to practice. In that case, the College and nurse will make a joint submission to the Fitness to Practise Committee. The committee may accept the agreement, recommend revisions to the agreement, or reject the agreement.
If we do not reach an agreement, the nurse may request a meeting with the Fitness to Practise Committee seeking to return to practice or to change the terms and conditions on their licence. If the nurse agrees to the terms and conditions proposed by the committee, the nurse remains in the fitness to practice process. However, if the nurse does not agree to the terms and conditions proposed by the committee, the fitness to practice process ends and the matter is referred back to the CEO for further action.
Protecting the Public
The standards of practice and code of ethics require each nurse to maintain their physical and emotional health in order to provide safe, competent, compassionate, and ethical care.
The Fitness to Practise process recognizes the value in assisting nurses with health issues that affect their ability to practise by identifying and monitoring appropriate treatment so nurses can safely return to the practice of nursing.
Throughout the Fitness to Practice process, our first priority is maintaining public safety. The stages in this process are in place to provide safeguards during the time when a nurse is seeking treatment and returning to work.
If you have any questions, reach out to us at conduct@nscn.ca.
As an organization, we uphold public trust by being accountable and transparent. One of the ways we do this is by sharing a general overview of our conduct processes in a way that everyone can understand. Due to the nature of this work however, these processes can be complex and there are ultimately a number of factors that determine the best course of action to promote the public interest. The material presented in this website is general information only, and is not legal advice. If there is any inconsistency between this information and the Nursing Act, regulations and bylaws, the legislation prevails. As a result, it is best to contact a member of our team, your legal counsel or a union representative to ensure you fully understand the information presented on our website and within the Nursing Act, regulations, and bylaws.