Nurse practitioner applicants

What is a nurse practitioner?

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are registered nurses who have undertaken graduate education and training in advanced clinical practice.

NPs conduct comprehensive health assessment, diagnose health/illness conditions, treat and manage acute and chronic illness within a holistic model of care. NPs order and interpret screening and diagnostic tests, perform procedures and prescribe medications and therapeutic interventions.

Download the scope of practice standards for nurse practitioners

Before you apply

RNs from Alberta or other Canadian jurisdictions

You will need to hold current RN registration in Alberta or another Canadian jurisdiction, and will need to have reported at least 4,500 hours of practice satisfactory to the registrar. Contact nursepractitioners@nurses.ab.ca to find out if you have enough RN hours.

You must then complete an approved NP program in Alberta, or an NP program elsewhere in Canada that is recognized in one of the Canadian jurisdictions. You will then need to pass the NP registration exam for your stream of practice.

NPs from other jurisdictions in Canada

You will need to hold active NP status in the jurisdiction where you are currently registered and have 1,000 NP practice hours in the last four years, of which 500 must be NP clinical hours. 

As part of the registration requirements, all CARNA members must meet the currency of practice requirement of 1,125 hours in the last five membership years. The NP practice hours above will count towards this requirement.

Internationally educated applicants

You must first be registered as an RN in Alberta, and have 4,500 hours of practice satisfactory to the registrar. Contact nursepractitioners@nurses.ab.ca to find out if you have enough RN hours. Once you have become an RN in Alberta, you can apply to the registration committee to you have NP and experience education evaluated.

How to apply