Nova Scotia Nurses union unhappy with criminal background check plan

The College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia will start requiring all prospective Nurses to conduct a $30 Canadian Criminal background check. The must pay for the background check themselves.  An honor system is currently inplace and all nurses must report any criminal offeneses on their annual renewal.  The college executive director thinks that requiring the prospective nurses to pay for their own background check is prohibitive and she feels that the honor system is working.  

We agree that having prospective candidates pay for their own background check may force them to apply elsewhere.   There is a shortage of nurses in the United States and Nova Scotia nurses may do well to travel south of the border. 

We disagree that the honor system is working.  The honor systems works for those who do not commit crimes.  It is naive to believe that those nurses commit crimes, will honorably report all crimes on renewal.  The honor system, while high minded and should reflect the decency and civility of Nova Scotia, is subjecting medical patients to the “honor” of a criminal minded nurse.  By reductio ad absurdum, imagine a child molesting nurse.  Are we to believe that such a nurse would admit such crimes or convictions to the nursing college knowing that this information would assuredly ruin her chance to keep her job.   The college rightfully has instituted a background check program to protect the populace.

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