Health and Community Services
December 2, 2014
Enhancing Quality of Patient Care
Amendment to Registered Nurses Act Expands Quality of Care and Protection for Patients
An amendment to the Registered Nurses Act, 2008, was introduced in the House of Assembly today. The amendment proposes to add quality assurance provisions to the act with the intent of strengthening and improving the practices of registered nurses.
“It is our obligation to ensure that proper levels of oversight and protection are in place to safeguard our patients and strengthen the health sector. This amendment will give authority to a Quality Assurance Committee to work with a registered nurse before issues escalate to the point of being a conduct deserving of sanction such as professional misconduct. Ultimately this is about early intervention in situations that could impact patient care.”
- The Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Community Services
The proposed amendment will require the establishment of a Quality Assurance Committee whose responsibility is to carry out quality assurance reviews. While there are measures in place that currently allow for a review of a registered nurse’s practice, the addition of these provisions to the act will authorize the committee to exercise powers to require a registered nurse to:
- Undergo an examination, evaluation, assessment or review of his or her professional practice or capacity or fitness to practice;
- Obtain counselling;
- Complete a course of studies or an educational/training program;
- Restrict his or her nursing practice; and
- Obtain supervised clinical experience.
“The primary goal of the quality assurance provisions is to strengthen and improve the practices of registered nurses and ultimately provide better protection for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. There are currently over 6,800 nurses registered with the Association of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador who are providing the highest level of care every day to the people of this province. However, in those cases where there are concerns, it is important for the association to have the tools it needs to address those concerns rather than wait until they become more serious and thereby require engagement in the disciplinary process.”
- Minister Kent
The Association of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador was consulted on the development of the proposed amendment. The association is the regulatory body created under the act that is responsible for advancing and promoting the ethical and professional standards of the nursing profession and promoting proficiency and competency in the nursing profession. The mandate of the association is to ensure that nurses in this province are qualified and that they provide care and services in accordance with the standards and code of ethics applicable to the practice of nursing.
QUICK FACTS
- Bill 32, entitled An Act to Amend the Registered Nurses Act, 2008, was introduced in the House of Assembly today.
- The amendment proposes to add quality assurance provisions to the act that aim to strengthen and improve the practices of registered nurses.
- The amendment will require the establishment of a Quality Assurance Committee whose responsibility is to carry out quality assurance reviews related to a registered nurse’s practice.
- The overall intent of the amendment is to provide proactive measures to assess, identify, remediate and monitor a registered nurse’s practice before it gets to the point of being a conduct deserving of sanction such as professional misconduct.
- The amendment will build on and enhance existing provisions that allow for a review of a registered nurse’s practice.
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Media contact:
Hugh Donnan
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
709-729-1377, 725-6511
hughdonnan@gov.nl.ca
2014 12 02 3:10 p.m.