Consultation Overview
From October 15 to November 15, 2020, NSCN held a public consultation on the proposed by-laws that govern the election of registrants to the NSCN Board.
The consultation presented eight proposed by-laws on the following topics:
- Board composition and quorum
- Election process of registrants to the Board
- Process to fill Board vacancies
- Eligibility pool for election nominations
- Eligibility criteria of registrants to vote in an election
- Board term limits
- Circumstances for removing a registrant from the Board
- Election of Board Chair and Vice-Chair
Approach
The proposed by-laws along with an online survey to collect stakeholder feedback were publicly available on our website during a 31-day period. For additional clarity, the survey also included a plain-English summary of the proposed by-laws, a visual illustration of the proposed election process and a link to the current NSCN by-laws.
Every registrant received an email invitation on October 15, 2020. Registrants also received a reminder through our monthly e-newsletter on October 19.
Members of the public, registrants and others were also notified of the consultation through our website and on five occasions through the Facebook and Twitter platforms (Oct. 7, 15, 22 and Nov. 5, 15).
In addition, members of the Provincial Nursing Network (PNN) received an email notice on October 15. PNN includes representatives from the nursing unions, schools of nursing, provincial government, employers and others, each of whom are uniquely positioned to reach registrants through their corporate communications vehicles.
Consultation Participation and Response
Participation
Thirty individuals participated in the consultation, with representation from registrants, members of the public, employers, schools of nursing and others. This included:
- 74% registrants
- 13% members of the public
- 7% representatives from the schools of nursing
- 3% employers
- 3% others
Response
The consultation results indicate that there was majority support from stakeholders on all of the proposed by-laws that govern the election of registrants to the NSCN Board:
- 67% in support of By-Law 10: Composition & Quorum
- 82% in support of By-Law 10A: Election of Board Members
- 95% in support of By-Law 10B: Vacancy of Board Members
- 86% in support of By-Law 10C: Eligibility Pool for Nominations
- 100% in support of By-Law 10D: Eligibility to Vote
- 91% in support of By-Law 10E: Board Terms
- 86% in support of By-Law 11: Removing Registrant Members
- 95% in support of By-Law 13: Election of Chair and Vice-Chair
While each by-law received majority support, the level of majority support was lower for by-law 10 that proposed the Board have representation from at least one licensed practical nurse and one registered nurse. One-third of participants did not support this by-law because they believe the Board should also require representation from at least one nurse practitioner. In addition, some participants suggested that the Board have representation from nursing specialties as well.
Participant comments also included questions rather than feedback. Since some of the by-laws introduced new concepts and processes, registrants were interested in learning more about how the by-laws would function in practice.
Finally, participants made recommendations related to future Board work. This included suggestions to incorporate diversity within future Boards and to share any Board and/or Nominating Committee’s election decisions in an open, transparent manner.
Impact on the Project
Composition of the NSCN Board, reflected in by-law 10, was an important consideration for each of the previous legacy Colleges during the creation of NSCN and it remains an important consideration for the Board today.
As a regulator, registrant Board members are required to regulate in the public interest. As such, NSCN Board members do not represent specific registrant groups, which is often rooted in an association model.
The NSCN Board has embraced what is referred to as a competency-based model of governance, which identifies the competencies required and matches them to the skills and attributes of prospective candidates. The following steps, enshrined in the NSCN by-laws, supports the process to fill registrant Board vacancies:
- The Board has created a Board Composition Matrix. This matrix allows the Board to identify required competencies, qualities and other criteria and forms the desired composition of the Board.
- The Board Nominating Committee compares the existing composition of the Board with the Board Composition Matrix. This helps the Board to identify the competencies, qualities and other criteria needed to fill the vacancies.
- The election process supports the Board to recruit and evaluate prospective candidates with the changing skills and attributes required of the Board at the time of Board vacancies.
Although not required by the by-laws, the use of the Composition Matrix by the Nominating Committee allows the committee to seek out or receive applications from nurse practitioners to sit on the NSCN Board.
Conclusion
After thoughtful consideration and dialogue by the Board concerning the stakeholder feedback, the Board voted in favour of the by-laws that govern the election of registrants to the Board at their December 2020 meeting. The updated NSCN By-Laws document is available online.
The approved by-laws are now guiding the first election of registrants to the NSCN Board. In early March, the NSCN Board will begin its search for qualified registrants to sit on the Board and regulate the practice of nursing in the public’s interest. Click here for more information.
