Making a complaint about a nurse/midwife can lead to better care for all patients.
When you have a concern about a nurse's or midwife's professionalism or clinical competence, we recommend:
- if possible, discuss the problem directly with the nurse/midwife, the nurse's/midwife’s supervisor or both
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if your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction after speaking to the nurse/midwife and/or supervisor, consider pursuing the matter with the Patient Care Quality Office and/or health care agency where the nurse or midwife works
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when it's not possible to resolve the issue directly with the nurse/midwife or through other agency channels, we encourage you to bring your concerns to us, especially if you think there is a risk to the public.
Making a complaint — what to expect
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When you make a complaint about a nurse/midwfe, it is the beginning of a regulatory and legal process.
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The process can take 12 months or longer.
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We typically share all complaints with the named nurses/midwives involved.
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Most complaints are resolved
without a discipline hearing. However, information provided to or obtained by BCCNM during an investigation into a complaint may become public if a discipline hearing is required.
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The nurse or midwife will typically be required to provide BCCNM with a written response to the complaint made about them.
What we cannot do
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withhold the identity of a complainant who wants to remain anonymous
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direct the clinical care of an individual patient/client
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investigate complaints about a health care facility
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arrange for the transfer of care to a different nurse/midwife
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compel a nurse/midwife to apologize
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provide or require financial compensation
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Complaints are resolved through the inquiry process or the discipline process.
