BCCNM encourages a collaborative approach to resolving professional practice concerns. The goal is safe, competent and ethical care for clients.
What is a professional practice concern?
It’s any concern or situation that:
- Puts clients at risk
- interferes with meeting BCCNM’s Standards of Practice, workplace guidelines and policies, or other clinical standards
What are your responsibilities?
Nurses and employers have responsibilities in the workplace.
Nurses
- Meet Standards of Practice.
- Take action when concerns impact client care.
- Communicate and collaborate with employers to resolve concerns.
Employers
- Examine situations and work with nurses to resolve concerns, once they have been informed about them.
- Provide resources and support so that nurses can meet the Standards of Practice.
Consider the concern
The first step to resolve a concern is to clarify the nature of the concern and how best to approach it.
Ask yourself:
- How does the concern put clients at risk? What specific examples can I give?
- How does the concern conflict with BCCNM's Standards of Practice and/or my workplace guidelines and policies?
Communicate the concern
Now that you have clarified the concern, communicate it. Start with verbal communication.
Verbal communication
- Ask your manager for a meeting to discuss the concern.
- Explain how the concern puts clients at risk and conflicts with BCCNM’s Standards of Practice or workplace guidelines and policies.
- Be specific, factual, include all relevant information, and respect client confidentiality.
- Listen with an open mind to your manager’s perspective and pay attention to any new information the manager provides.
- Be prepared to work together to resolve the concern, recognizing that some negotiation and compromise may be necessary.
- Work together to confirm the next steps.
After your meeting, follow up in writing with your manager. Send your manager a summary of what was discussed, the response received, and the next steps you agreed upon.
Written communication
Clearly and concisely document your communication. Keep a personal record of all correspondence.
- Treat all documentation as confidential.
- Use a workplace form, letter or, memo and send in a secure manner.
- Include your manager’s name and title in this formal communication.
- Start with a general opening statement such as: “This is a follow up to our discussion of ...”.
- Describe the concern: date, time, place, who was involved (use initials for names), what happened, how it affected clients, what specific.
- Cite the standards reviewed and referenced.
- Include possible solutions.
- Ask for confirmation that the correspondence has been received and request a response by a specific date, allowing a reasonable amount of time for progress to occur.
Resolution is not always immediate
Continue to work within the system to improve client care.
- If you do not hear back by the specified date, follow up with your manager (“What is happening with the concern?”).
- If the concern has not been addressed, send a second memo or letter to the same person, re-state the concern, include any new information, attach the first correspondence, and request assurance that the concern will be addressed.
- Your manager may not be able to resolve the concern. Be prepared to take your concerns to the next level of management.
- You may work with your manager to take the concern to the next level or you may take the issue forward yourself, advising the manager of your plan.
- If you are not getting the response you need from your manager, take your concern to their manager or possibly a program director, and follow up with written documentation.