Professional Practice

The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) and other regulatory bodies have Standards of Practice that registrants are expected to meet in order to provide safe, ethical and quality patient/client/resident care within their scope of practice.

ONA has developed the Professional Responsibility and Workload (PRW) process to resolve professional practice and workload issues.

By engaging in the PRW process, you are playing a pivotal role in meeting your Accountability Standard for your regulatory college, while advocating for patient safety and quality patient care.

The Role of Members

Report and document practice and workload concerns, to the manager or designates and through the chain of command, whenever issues arise. Ideally the issues will be resolved at the time or during the shift where they are occurring, ensuring improved patient/resident/client outcomes.

Document the practice or workload concern on the Professional Responsibility Workload Report Form provided by ONA, as soon as possible after the occurrence. Usually within 10 days of the occurrence or as soon as possible after the incident. Unresolved issues will be forwarded for discussion to the Labour-Management Committee. In order to forward practice/workload concerns to the Committee the member(s) must notify and provide a written copy of the PRWRF describing the practice/workload concerns to the Workload and Professional Responsibility Representative, Bargaining Unit President or their delegate, who will present the concerns to the committee.

Members need to be prepared to meet with the Workload and Professional Responsibility Representative, Bargaining Unit President or their delegate to review the PRWRF and should be prepared to attend the meeting where the PRWRF will be discussed.