The Professional Code of Quebec

The Professional Code of Quebec is a framework law that regulates the professional system of Quebec (Publications Quebec, 2019). The professional system of Quebec is comprised of the Government of Quebec, the National Assembly of Quebec, the 46 professional orders, the Office des professions du Québec (OPQ) and of Conseil Interprofessionnel du Québec (CIQ) (Quebec's Interprofessional Council) (Publications Quebec, 2019).

The Professional Code was created in 1973 to define and regulate the professional system. It outlines the directives, responsibilities, structure and roles of the OPQ, the CIQ and the 46 professional orders, safeguarding that they are implementing their services with competence and integrity (Publications Quebec, 2019). The OPQ is an independent government agency that reports to the Minister of Health and oversees the professional orders, ensuring that they are abiding by the regulations of the Professional Code and protecting the public (Office des Professions du Quebec, 2019). The CIQ is an association of the professional orders and represents them collectively on issues of shared concerns. It is also an organization that acts in an advisory capacity to the government (Québec Interprofessional Council (Conseil interprofessionnel du Québec – CIQ), 2014). The professional orders are autonomous, self-regulating bodies and their mission is to protect the public (Office des Professions du Quebec, 2019). As with the professional order for nurses, the Ordre des Infirmieres et Infirmiers du Quebec (OIIQ) of which I am a member, the various other orders also regulate the licensing, competency and continuing education of their professional members, represent and promote their profession and apply penalties and sanctions on members who contravene the code of ethics of their profession (Ordre des Infirmieres et Infirmiers du Quebec (OIIQ). (2015).

The Professional Code is necessary to provide a standard, in the form of a law, that all professional orders must adhere to and thereby protect the public from incompetent or unethical practice. The OPQ functions by supervising the 46 professional orders to ensure that the Professional Code is being upheld. In turn, the Professional Orders oversee their members to ensure that they maintain their competencies and provide care using their Code of Ethics framework. The ultimate goal being the protection of the public that the professional orders and their members serve.

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References

Office des Professions du Quebec (OPQ). (2019). Retrieved from the Government of Quebec website https://www.opq.gouv.qc.ca/accueil/

Ordre des Infirmieres et Infirmiers du Quebec (OIIQ). (2015). Code of ethics of nurses. Retrieved from https://www.oiiq.org/documents/20147/237836/8450_doc.pdf

Publications Quebec. (2019). Chapter C-26 Professional Code. Legis Quebec. Retrieved from the Government of Quebec website http://legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/showdoc/cs/C-26

Québec Interprofessional Council (Conseil interprofessionnel du Québec – CIQ) (2014) Retrieved from https://professions-quebec.org/en/quebec-interprofessional-council/