Legislation and By-laws

The Registered Nurses Act, 2008 lays out the governance structures and disciplinary procedures for the College.

The Act describes disciplinary procedures, regulation processes and details requirements on the part of the Council. The Act covers all registered nurses (RNs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) currently registered in the province.

The Act also details the ethical duty of RNs or NPs who observe the misconduct of another colleague to report it to the Director of Professional Conduct Review. The Act includes protection for the individual who reports the misconduct.

The Registered Nurses Regulations, under the RN Act, are approved by the Minister of Health and Community Services. Regulations are delegated legislation that speaks to areas such as registration, licensure and continuing competency.

By-laws are rules of procedure that are not already specified in legislation. Final authority to make, amend, or repeal By-laws rests with Council. These speak to such things as Council elections and meeting procedures.