Following protests against vaccination mandates that took place in the Fall of 2021 at various healthcare sites across Canada, the Criminal Code was amended to include the offence of intentionally taking steps to intimidate health-care professionals in specific circumstances. These changes came into effect on January 16, 2022. Section 423.2 now makes it a criminal…
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Hand-held devices can be useful tools for nurses and other health-care practitioners. They can be used to communicate about patient care in certain circumstances as long as the right security measures are in place to ensure patient confidentiality. However, when used for a personal purpose, hand-held devices can also distract from the provision of care….
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Lessons from the courtroom: A reminder that with collaborative care comes greater individual responsibility Two recent court decisions have focused on the important role that nurses play within a treatment team, and the corresponding responsibility that this entails. Case 11 The court had to decide whether an ER physician, a registered psychiatric nurse (“RPN”) and…
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THIS PUBLICATION IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. NOTHING IN THIS PUBLICATION SHOULD BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL ADVICE FROM ANY LAWYER, CONTRIBUTOR OR THE CNPS. READERS SHOULD CONSULT LEGAL COUNSEL FOR SPECIFIC ADVICE. What are the legal risks in preceptoring? The key is accountability for all, whether you are the registered nurse or the student. Acting…
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On June 17, 2016, the federal government’s Bill C-14 An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make related amendments to other Acts (medical assistance in dying) received royal assent and became law in Canada. As a result of receiving royal assent, the provisions of Bill C-14 which amend the Criminal Code now form…
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Nurse practitioners, and at times, registered nurses, may be asked by their patients or required by legislation to complete forms to be submitted to a third party. This typically includes filling out a form or writing a letter on behalf of the patient for the purposes of gaining access to a benefit, or confirming certain…
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On January 15, 2016, the Supreme Court suspended the operation of its declaration in Carter v. Canada permitting physician-assisted death until June 6, 2016. This is to allow the federal government additional time to decide upon its response. Until then, physician-assisted death remains generally prohibited by the Criminal Code. However, as part of its ruling,…
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THIS PUBLICATION IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. NOTHING IN THIS PUBLICATION SHOULD BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL ADVICE FROM ANY LAWYER, CONTRIBUTOR OR THE CNPS. READERS SHOULD CONSULT LEGAL COUNSEL FOR SPECIFIC ADVICE. With Canada in the midst of a nursing shortage, many nurses are concerned about its impact on their own practice and their patients’…
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The following Q&A may assist eligible nurses who have legal questions about providing professional nursing services during natural disasters, such as wildfires, flooding, earthquakes, etc. Question: Do I remain eligible for CNPS professional liability protection if I provide professional services during a natural disaster? Answer: Yes. CNPS beneficiaries continue to have access to CNPS services…
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THIS PUBLICATION IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. NOTHING IN THIS PUBLICATION SHOULD BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL ADVICE FROM ANY LAWYER, CONTRIBUTOR OR THE CNPS. READERS SHOULD CONSULT LEGAL COUNSEL FOR SPECIFIC ADVICE. Cost-containment strategies have meant the loss of many registered nurse positions in health care facilities across Canada. Nurses are concerned about whether there…
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