As a nurse in Ontario, your license is your livelihood. A single complaint or investigation from the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) can place everything you’ve worked for at risk. At Tamir Litigation, we provide experienced, results-driven legal defence for nurses facing disciplinary, regulatory, or licensing issues.
We understand how quickly a minor issue can escalate into a formal investigation. Whether you’re dealing with a CNO complaint, a fitness-to-practice concern, or a registration issue, you need a lawyer who knows the process and knows how to protect your professional future.
Defending Nurses Across Ontario
Mandatory Reporting of Nurses in Ontario
We represent nurses at all stages of the regulatory process, including:
- CNO investigations and complaints
- Professional misconduct and discipline hearings
- Fitness-to-practice and incapacity proceedings
- Licensing, registration, and renewal challenges
- Early Resolution
- Appeals before HPARB and Divisional Court
Whether the allegation involves patient care, record-keeping, boundaries, or off-duty conduct, we provide strategic, clear, and proactive defence.
In Ontario, certain professionals and companies are legally obligated to file mandatory reports with the CNO when they have reasonable grounds to believe that a nurse has engaged in professional misconduct, is incompetent, or is incapacitated.
These obligations are critical to public safety and are governed under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA). Employers, facility operators, fellow regulated health professionals, and even insurance companies must report in specific circumstances — such as terminations, resignations during investigations, or findings of negligence.
This means that if a nurse has lost their job based only on allegations of negligence, impropriety etc their employer must report the occurrence to the CNO. Failure to report can result in penalties. This comes as a surprise to many nursers we worked with. If you are terminated as a result of such allegations, ideally you should address it on an employment law front in order to solidify your defence.
If you are a nurse facing a complaint triggered by a mandatory report, it is essential to seek legal advice immediately to protect your license and reputation.
Legal Help for Unionized Nurses in Ontario
Why Nurses Trust Tamir Litigation
While unionized nurses in Ontario have access to representation through their union, there are situations where independent legal advice is often essential. Experience shows that unfortunately many union representatives are unwilling or unable to properly advocate on behalf of nursers facing misconduct allegations by their employer.
We work collaboratively with union representatives or independently, depending on the circumstances, to provide experienced legal support tailored to your specific needs.
- In depth knowledge of health professional regulation in Ontario
- Proven experience with CNO processes and hearings
- Dedicated to protecting your license and reputation
- Prompt, responsive, and fully confidential legal support
Don’t face the CNO alone. Even a single misstep in the early stages can affect your career. Let us help you respond the right way.
f.a.q.
You have questions. wE have answers.
Resist the temptation to answer the complaint on your own. Experience shows that unfortunately CNO is almost never prepared to close investigation after receiving response from the nurse. It is best not to respond to the College without legal guidance, as your response may impact the outcome of the investigation.
Unfortunately union will not provide any assistance for any issues in front of the CNO, as it falls outside Collective Bargaining Agreement. Hence it is advised to retain your own legal representation on an ASAP basis.
Common issues include documentation errors, allegations of failure to follow doctors’ orders, patient complaints, boundary violations, and alleged breaches of professional standards or ethics. Nurses who lost their jobs due to allegations of fraud , theft (including time theft) will also be investigated by the CNO, regardless of whether employer was able to prove those allegations.
Unfortunately yes. If the complaint results in a finding of professional misconduct, it may lead to suspension or revocation of your license. Legal representation is critical.
Some liability insurers also cover proceedings against CNO. Experience shows that unfortunately liability insurers do not allocate nearly enough resources to fighting disciplinary complains. This is most likely because disciplinary complaint very rarely results in a lawsuit against the nurse. In other words, even if the nurse is found in violation of professional conduct by CNO, liability insurer will not be forced to pay any damages. This is different from a lawsuit because if the nurse is found guilty of negligence in court, insurer will have to pay out significant amounts in damages to the injured party. That’s why coverage for proceedings against CNO is often times just a selling point designed to attract more nursers to purchase that particular policy.
While lawyers who are on the roster of insurance companies for defending nursers against disciplinary complains are for the most part skilled and professional, experience shows that they are often limited by small budgets and associated issues. For that reason ideally you should retain or at least consult with an experienced lawyer of your own choosing.
For nursers facing disciplinary complains we do provide free initial consultations. We do not provide free legal advice. The purpose of the free initial consultation is to understand your case and advise you what is the best way to proceed with your defence.
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Contact Tamir Litigation today for trusted legal defence for Ontario nurses. We defend your practice, your name, and your future.