Becoming A Registered Psychiatric Nurse in Alberta  

 

To be eligible to practice as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN) in Alberta, you must meet registration requirements to obtain a practice permit/license from the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta (CRPNA).  

Requirements for registration as a RPN in Alberta are established in the Registered Psychiatric Nurses Profession Regulation, which falls under the Health Professions Act (HPA). They include:

  • Graduated from an approved psychiatric nursing education program  within the last four (4) years
  • Passed the Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Canada (RPNC) Examination
  • Have been employed in the practice of psychiatric nursing or its equivalent for at least 1400 hours in the past five (5) years
  • Successfully completed an approved psychiatric nursing refresher education program within the past three (3) years
  • Competent to practice psychiatric nursing
  • Evidence of good character
  • Sufficiently proficient in the English language to be able to provide professional services in English - click on document link below to determine English Language proficiency.  Applicants may be required to demonstrate proficiency in the English language.
  • Currently registered in good standing in another jurisdiction and have substantially equivalent registration requirements
  • Proof of Professional Liability Insurance (PLI)

To apply select one of the following:


New Psychiatric Nurse Graduates
 
Internationally Educated Psychiatric Nurses
 
Canadian RPN

 

Information about an application will ONLY be discussed with the applicant. 

Have you started or submitted a registration application?


If you have started an application and wish to edit or upload documents, or check the status visit your applicant portal by clicking the button below.

Applicant Portal

English Language Requirements

Updated Language Proficiency Cutscores/Benchmark Levels

Communicating effectively in English or French is a critical factor to provide safe nursing practice in Canada. The Canadian Nurse Regulators Collaborative (CNRC), of which the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta is a member, reviewed the current language proficiency requirements for the regulated nursing professions. The objective of this review was to determine the current English and French language proficiency levels for listening, reading, writing, and speaking; and to recommend the best approach and method(s) to assess the language proficiency of internationally educated nurses.

To view the news release please click here .

To view the background document please click here

 

You can find the link to English Language Test requirements here:   English Language Test Requirements 

  • If English is NOT the first language learned at home in childhood and it is NOT the first language that is primarily used for reading, writing, listening, and speaking then the English Language competence must be demonstrated by completing one of the approved English Language tests.
  • Achieve at least the minimum scores in all components of the test
  • Ensure test results are less than six months old when applying.  If results are more than six months old, the test will have to be re-taken and submitted before you can proceed.
  • Send a copy of the test results when applying.  Arrange for the original test to be sent directly from the test centre to CRPNA.
       


Registration Exam Requirement


To find information about exam requirements, how to apply, withdraw from the exam, exam schedule - click here  .

RPNRC announces new tools to assist candidates writing the national registration exam

Click here for the News Release 

Click here for the Study Guide

Psychiatric Nursing Education Programs

For those thinking of entering a psychiatric nursing program read more about where you can obtain your education.