Certain professions are granted the privilege to self-regulate because their specialized body of knowledge positions them to be most appropriate to develop standards for education and practice and to ensure these standards are met by those who work within the profession. The goal of self-regulation is the delivery of safe and competent services by the members of the profession based on principles that promote good practice, prevent poor practice, and intervene when practice is unacceptable. The authority to self-regulate is granted to a profession by the government through law or legislation. In Nova Scotia, all nurses (LPNs, RNs and NPs) are self-regulated, which means they are regulated by the profession. Our practice support tools are available to help nurses understand their professional accountabilities related to self-regulation.
