NSCN’s Commitment to Right-touch Regulation

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June 20, 2025

NSCN is committed to principles-based innovation to promote regulatory excellence and efficiency on behalf of the public. In 2024, NSCN began the work to build on these foundational concepts through the development of Regulatory Guiding Principles. The draft principles, rooted in our regulatory philosophies, were shared with the public and nursing community for feedback. 

“The needs of our communities and the health care system are ever-changing and complex. We recognize it is more important than ever for our regulatory work to remain relevant to the needs of the public and the healthcare system,” says NSCN CEO & Registrar, Douglas Bungay. “The feedback we received on the guiding principles was key to helping us understand the expectations of the public and the profession we regulate. We’re looking forward to ongoing implementation of this regulatory philosophy in new and innovative ways at all levels of the organization.” 

As a ‘right-touch’ regulator, NSCN strives to engage in the minimal amount of regulatory intervention needed to achieve a desired outcome. The approach enables the NSCN Board and staff to fully understand problems before jumping to solutions to make sure the level of regulation is proportionate to the level of risk to the public. 

“Right-touch regulation recognizes there is usually more than one way to solve a problem and that regulatory intervention may not always be the best response to a matter that needs attention,” says Bungay. “This enhances our problem-solving as a regulator and the approach continues to be hugely influential across all levels of the organization.” 

We’re looking forward to sharing more so stay tuned to the upcoming newsletter for NSCN’s new regulatory guiding principles. Learn more about NSCN’s regulatory journey. 

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