In Western Canada, Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs or “psychiatric nurses”) have been delivering many of these MH&A supports for decades.

The Registered Psychiatric Nurse Regulators of Canada (RPNRC) is the national umbrella organization for RPN regulators in Canada. Its members are the RPN regulatory bodies from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba that regulate psychiatric nursing as a distinct profession. The Yukon Territory government regulates psychiatric nursing within its borders.

It is important to note that once an RPN moves to a jurisdiction where RPNs are not regulated, they can’t practice the full scope of services that their RPN education prepared them to provide. This is unfortunate and expanding RPN regulation east of Manitoba may be an opportunity to add RPNs to existing care teams to improve MH&A outcomes for people living in those jurisdictions.

Similarly, Canadian RPNs or internationally educated psychiatric nurses (IEPNs) in unregulated jurisdictions are often underemployed, working in non-regulated, nursing-related roles. In addition to Canada, we understand that psychiatric nursing is also recognized in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States Of America.

In the Maritime provinces (NS, NB, PE), various stakeholders know how RPNs are providing unique support to Western provincial health systems for people living with MH&A challenges.

They want to determine if adding RPNs to their existing care team models can improve their provinces’ MH&A outcomes, and, if so, what kind of regulatory framework would that require that they could build and operate sustainably.

A 2015 RPNRC study on IEPN integration and RPN qualifications in Canada prompted Nova Scotia Health to contact the RPNRC to explore if Western RPN regulatory frameworks might work in their province. Soon the Nurses Association of New Brunswick joined the conversation and the RPNRC approached Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) for support with a feasibility study to explore these expansion and regulation questions. Prince Edward Island Health and Wellness became the fourth study partner.

The current Registered Psychiatric Nurses in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island – a Feasibility Study is the result and is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Foreign Credential Recognition Program.

ESDC contracted the RPNRC, as the representative of the other study partners, to implement the study funding agreement. RPNRC contracted with the study project manager, research and communications firms on behalf of the project partners.

RPNs are complementary to and distinct from RNs, LPNs and NPs.

While all nursing designations share some of the same theoretical preparation and basic competencies, RPNs are the only nursing professionals who focus on mental health, addictions and neuro-developmental disabilities in the context of overall general health.

These four nursing designations have fundamental differences in their education curriculum focus, core theoretical content, clinical experiences, program length, and in the depth and breadth of study. As a result, RPNs are distinct from other nursing professionals.  As such, RPNs should not displace any nurse, but be seen as complementary to existing health care team professionals.

RPNs provide services relating to people’s mental, physical and developmental health care needs while recognizing the complex relationships between emotional, developmental, physical and mental health and the role of social factors, culture and spirituality in illness and recovery.