Welcome to the College of
             Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta

 

Regulatory Body for Psychiatric Nurses
in Alberta Since 1950

 

The College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta (CRPNA) regulates psychiatric nursing as a distinct profession in Alberta under the Health Professions Act.

As a College, CRPNA provides direction to and regulates the practice of psychiatric nurses. The College establishes, maintains and enforces the requirements for licensure/registration, standards for registration, code of ethics, standards of practice and continued competence of the Profession in a manner that serves and protects public safety.

                                 

November 1st, 2019 - Professional Liability Insurance

   
All regulated members of the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta are required to hold Professional Liability Insurance (PLI) during their registration.  This is a requirement by law under the Health Professions Act (HPA) Part 2 – Registration Section 28 (1)(c) to show evidence of having the amount and type of Professional Liability Insurance (PLI) required by the regulations.  CRPNA regulations Section 11 Liability Insurance states:   All applicants for registration as regulated members must provide evidence of having the type and amount of professional liability insurance required by the Council.

PLI is in place to protect both the patient and the member.  By having PLI, a member is protected professionally and financially from claim (real, alleged or false) made against the member as a result of rendering professional services.  The client is protected should the claim be substantiated, and damages awarded.

CRPNA provided a secondary aggregate insurance coverage with every practice permit.  The primary PLI coverage for employed RPNs has been with their employer.  RPNs in independent practice have always been required to purchase their own PLI and provide proof of PLI to CRPNA.  As of November 1st, 2019 CRPNA, will no longer be providing secondary aggregate insurance coverage aligning with many other Health Professions in Alberta. The current secondary aggregate insurance has never been utilized in Alberta or had a claim made against it.
  
During renewal all RPNs will be asked to declare they have met the PLI requirements.  CRPNA is working with most of the major employers to have them verify that RPNs in their employ are adequately covered under their PLI.  The employer will submit a copy to CRPNA on behalf of RPN’s in their employ annually. 
 
FAQ - Professional Liability Insurance

If you have questions, please contact the CRPNA office.                    

Collaborative Practice in Nursing

The College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta (CRPNA), the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA), and the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA) have jointly developed a new resource called Collaborative Practice in Nursing (2019). This resource provides clarification on intra-collaborative practice and discusses collaborative practice principles that support nurses to practice collaboratively in any setting. This resource replaces the 2003 Collaborative Nursing Practice in Alberta (CRPNA, CARNA & CLPNA). 

Upcoming Webinars

WEBINAR:  AESTHETIC NURSING-REGULATORY MATTERS

Two dates available for this webinar:

November 7, 2019 – 12:00 – 1:00pm (MST)
November 21, 2019 – 12:00 – 1:00pm (MST)

 For more information and to register click here .

Vaccine Hesitancy

This message is from the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Health Workforce regarding vaccine hesitancy and the recent resurgence of measles cases in Canada.

Vaccine hesitancy is described as a delay in acceptance or refusal to vaccinate, despite the availability of vaccination services.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO) vaccine hesitancy is now one of the top 10 threats to global health, despite robust evidence showing the effectiveness and safety of vaccines. The WHO also acknowledges that health care professionals are among the most trusted sources of information when parents make decisions regarding vaccination.

The College (CRPNA) has the ultimate responsibility for oversight on licensing and practice.  It is within the scope of practice of an RPN to communicate sound, evidence-based advice in their daily practice including promoting vaccine acceptance.

There are reports of health professionals promoting disproven vaccine “alternatives”, the CRPNA , through monitoring and evaluation and follow up on complaints, want to ensure that RPNs provide scientifically valid information on vaccines and do not promote anti-vaccination messages or “alternative therapies” when it is within their scope of practice to comment on vaccines.

While social media influencers have made a significant negative impact on the perception of vaccination in recent years, a parent’s trust in their health care provider (RPN) remains one of the most important predictors of vaccine acceptance.  RPNs should only provide science-based advice and options when discussing vaccination with parents, when it is in their scope of practice to do so.

To assist RPNs in having up- to-date science-based resources on vaccinations in Canada, please review the following:

•         Government of Canada, Vaccines and Immunization

•         Immunize Canada

•         Canadian Paediatric Society

•         Provincial and territorial ministries of health

•         Canadian Vaccination Evidence Resource and Exchange Centre (CANVax)

Health workforce professionals in Canada must consistently deliver sound care based on the best evidence.  They must also play a leadership role in helping combat misinformation and decrease the rate of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, pertussis and influenza, to name a few.

It is the responsibility of the CRPNA to prevent anti-vaccination message from being promoted by RPNs and should a complaint be received by the College against a member for this type of messaging it will be taken seriously and investigated fully.

NEW STANDARD OF PRACTICE: WHAT EVERY REGISTERED PSYCHIATRIC NURSE NEEDS TO KNOW

On April 1, 2019, amendments to the Health Professions Act (HPA) to protect Albertans from sexual abuse and sexual misconduct when accessing health services came into effect. These amendments establish mandatory penalties for sexual abuse and sexual misconduct by all regulated health professionals.
   
The College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta (CRPNA) is pleased to release a new Standard of Practice to address the protection of patients from sexual abuse and sexual misconduct.  The new CRPNA Standard of Practice “Maintaining Professional Boundaries and Preventing Sexual Abuse”  provides the definitions and the must do’s and must not do’s for registered psychiatric nurses in any practice setting.  This Standard of Practice is in addition to the existing standards of practice that govern the practice of all psychiatric nurses in Alberta.  Knowing and utilizing all standards of practice is mandatory for all practicing psychiatric nurses.

BE INFORMED ABOUT CANNABIS AND PSYCHOSIS

The Schizophrenia Society of Canada announces its newly redeveloped website on cannabis and psychosis. Featuring current scientific evidence and young people’s experiential perspectives, the resource dispels some of the myths about cannabis while empowering youth and emerging adults with education and prevention resources they need to have an informed understanding about the risks of cannabis use www.cannabisandpsychosis.ca .

Article - Cannabis Website Educates Youth