In 2013, the Registered Psychiatric Nurse Regulators of Canada (RPNRC), formerly the Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Canada, launched a pan-Canadian initiative with funding from the Government of Canada. The aim of the initiative was to improve the mobility and assessment of Canadian and internationally educated Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs). Currently in Canada, the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Yukon Territory regulate psychiatric nursing as a distinct profession. As part of RPNRC’s initiative, the four provincial jurisdictions collaborated to develop national entry-level competencies for Registered Psychiatric Nurses in Canada.
This document sets out the entry-level competencies. The development of national entry-level competencies increases consistency among the jurisdictions in Canada that regulate Registered Psychiatric Nurses. This consistency supports the psychiatric nursing regulatory authorities in meeting the mobility
obligations identified in Canada’s Agreement on Internal Trade. National entry-level competencies can also support the future regulation of the profession in Canada.
As each regulating jurisdiction approves the 2014 Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN) Entry-Level Competencies document, this document will replace previous documents used to describe the entry-level competencies.