A complaint to the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) is the formal mechanism by which a patient or member of the public raises a concern about the conduct or competence of a nurse. Complaints are investigated by the College’s complaints committee, which can dismiss the complaint, provide advice or guidance, require remediation, impose terms, or refer the matter to the Discipline Committee for a hearing.
The complaints process is regulatory and is directed at protecting the public and governing the nursing profession rather than at compensating the patient. A patient injured by negligent nursing care must pursue any compensation through a civil claim, often against the employing hospital given its potential vicarious liability for nursing staff. A complaint decision can nonetheless be an early source of information about the events and about the regulator’s view of the relevant nursing standard.
Posts tagged CNO Complaints analyze decisions and processes arising from the College’s complaints stream and their relationship to civil claims involving nursing care.
A practical guide to filing complaints about medical care in Ontario, from hospital patient relations and the Patient Ombudsman to the regulatory colleges and the Office of the Chief Coroner.
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