About CRPNA

The College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta (CRPNA) is the professional regulatory body for registered psychiatric nurses in Alberta, the Health Professions Act and Regulations set out the College's responsibilities. The Governing body of the College is the Council a twelve member board– 50% of the board members are registered psychiatric nurses and 50% are public representatives.

The College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta (CRPNA) regulates psychiatric nursing and exists to protect the public. We do this by setting standards for registered psychiatric nursing practice, supporting registered psychiatric nurses in meeting the standards and taking action when the standards are not met. Here are some of the ways we do our work:

  • We establish and maintain a registration process that ensures those who practice as registered psychiatric nurses are qualified and competent.
  • We set and maintain the standards of psychiatric nursing practice that RPNs must meet every day to ensure safe, competent and ethical registered psychiatric nursing care.
  • We approve psychiatric nursing education programs in Alberta to ensure registered psychiatric nurses get the education they need to perform the competencies of a registered psychiatric nurse.
  • We receive and investigate complaints about the practice of registered psychiatric nurses and direct appropriate remedial or disciplinary actions as required.

The purpose of regulation is to ensure that registered psychiatric nurses practice in a safe, competent and ethical manner. To that end, self-regulation involves three over-all principles: promoting good practice, preventing undesirable practice, and intervening when necessary.

CRPNA Mission Statement

The mission of the CRPNA is to:

Protect and serve the public interest by ensuring members provide safe,
competent and ethical practice and, address the needs of members and the public through education and regulation.

CRPNA Vision Statement

The CRPNA is an innovative, proactive, recognized leader in mental health
ensuring the people of Alberta have accessible, effective, efficient health
delivery systems that fully utilize the skills and expertise of Registered Psychiatric
Nurses.

The CRPNA BYLAWS govern the day to day operations. They define how CRPNA is governed and structured and the rights, duties, and responsibilities of members.