The Ontario Public Health Organizational Standards require boards of health to designate a Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) by January 2013. To facilitate the implementation of this requirement, a Public Health Chief Nursing Officer Working Group was established, jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC), the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) and ANDSOOHA - Public Health Nursing Management (ANDSOOHA), with representation from the Council of Medical Officers of Heath (COMOH); public health Chief Executive Officers (CEOs)/Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) and Business Administrators; Ontario Nurses Association; current CNOs/senior nurse leaders; and the ministries of Health Promotion and Sport (MHPS) and Children and Youth Services (MYCS).
The Working Group’s objectives included identifying and documenting role and requirements for public health CNOs and CNO implementation experiences and strategies. It developed recommendations on CNO role and requirements to provide information and guidance to boards of health and to foster greater consistency of the CNO role in public health units across the province. The recommendations were informed by literature reviews, the expert opinion of current public health CNOs and nurse leaders and an understanding of the public health context. The recommended CNO role incorporates the themes of Nursing Practice Quality Assurance and Continuous Quality Improvement, Nursing Leadership, and Organizational Effectiveness. The CNO requirements outline professional requisites and minimum levels of experience and education for CNO designates.
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