Complaints NANB Can Address

NANB has the authority to address complaints about nurses who are currently registered to practise nursing in New Brunswick or who were registered to practise nursing in New Brunswick at the time your complaint arose. Complaints within NANB’s jurisdiction raise concerns that nurses:

• practiced inappropriately and/or failed to meet the Standards of Practice or Code of Ethics requirements;
• have medical, physical, psychological or other condition(s) that makes her/him/them unfit, incapable or unsafe to practise nursing; and/or
• pose a risk to the public as a result of poor nursing practice.

In some situations, NANB does not have the authority to address your concern.  For example, NANB cannot address concerns about healthcare providers other than Graduate Nurses, Registered Nurses or Nurse Practitioners, and cannot address workplace or labour relations complaints. NANB cannot order financial compensation to patients, complainants or their families, and cannot proceed with a complaint without notifying the nurse(s) in question.

Third Party Complaints

During the complaints process, personal health information about a person who has received care from a nurse may be disclosed.  In some cases, a person may make a complaint regarding the care provided to another person, such as a family member or a loved one.  In those cases, NANB will not disclose personal health information about the family member or loved one to the person making the complaint, unless the complainant is authorized to receive such information about that person.

The following table outlines individuals who may be authorized to receive personal health information about another person during the complaints process:

Where authorization is required, you must submit a copy of the applicable legal documentation, which may include: Personal Directive, Guardianship Order, Will, Letters of Administration or Power of Attorney to NANB along with the complaint.

Mandatory Reporting

As noted above, complaints related to concerns that a nurse practiced inappropriately and/or failed to meet the requirements of the Standards of Practice or the Code of Ethics; concerns that a nurse is unfit, incapable or unsafe to practise nursing; and/or concerns that a nurse is a risk to the public as a result of poor nursing practice; should be reported to NANB.

Certain conduct must be reported to NANB:

• Any nurse is obligated to file a complaint with NANB if they have reason to believe that another nurse is unable to function safely to such an extent that the welfare of patients is jeopardized.
• Any nurse is obligated to file a complaint with NANB if they have reason to believe that another health professional has sexually abused a patient or client. Nurses who have reason to believe that another health professional has sexually abused a patient, or client must report that person to the applicable governing body within 21 days. Consult the Practice Guideline: Duty to Report and sections 28.1 and 28.2 of the Nurses Act for more information.
• Employers who terminate employment or engagement of a nurse for reasons of incompetence or incapacity are obligated by law to report such termination to NANB.

Failure by a nurse to report these matters to NANB is considered professional misconduct.