the privilege of a self-regulated
profession that Helen Randal and her
contemporaries fought so hard to establish
was predicated on their belief it was the best way
to protect the public. It was true 100 years ago and
remains true today.
All registered nurses, nurse practitioners and
licensed graduate nurses practising in British
Columbia are required to adhere to a Code of
Ethics that includes the assumption they will
provide “safe, compassionate, competent and
ethical care.”
In the 1970s, RNABC’s Committee on Social and Economic Welfare was responsible for much of what
would become the domain of the Association’s Labour Relations Division and eventually the B.C. Nurses
Union. Within that committee was a sub-committee, the Committee to Hear Appeals of Nurses Dismissed
from Their Positions.
In the mid-1970s, a process was established for receiving complaints about nurses. When a complaint was
received, the nurse in question was interviewed by RNABC’s employment referral director. A report was
submitted to the Referral and Review Committee, which then made a recommendation to the Board of
Directors. If the Board deemed it necessary, a hearing was ordered.
Writing about this new process in the 1975-76 annual
report, Ann Sutherland, chairman of the Committee on
Social and Economic Welfare, said: “I would like to assure
you that the hearings have been very hard on all concerned.
This is the first time that board members have had to face
such a situation, assessment of peers. It is not an easy thing
for any of us: ‘Who am I to be judging another nurse? Do I
understand all the facts?’ The decisions are not taken lightly.”
c e l e b r at i n g t h e e vo lu t