March 14, 2023
Every year, the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA) recruits into vacancies on Council and the regulatory committees. We use a competency-based selection process to ensure we have the right people in the right seats.
Council and regulatory committees play an important role in fulfilling the CRNA’s mandate of regulating in the public's interest. You can learn more about their different roles and functions on the Council and regulatory committees pages.
The appointment process for new Council and committee members is similar. Anyone who is interested in applying for a vacancy submits an expression of interest form, which includes questions about the applicant’s skills, attributes, knowledge and experience.
For Council applicants, the Nominating Committee will review the applications, interview candidates and make recommendations to Council for appointments. For regulatory committee applicants, the process is the same, except a panel of CRNA staff who work closely with regulatory committees will review applications and interview candidates.
Our goal with Council and all regulatory committees is to have a range of diverse perspectives represented, including having both registrant and public points of view. We don’t expect any individual to have all the competencies we’re looking for. Each member brings their unique background and competencies to the table that contribute to collective discussion and decision-making.
The Nominating Committee maintains Competency and Attribute Profiles for Council and regulatory committees and reviews them every year. Each year, serving councillors and committee members self-assess against the profiles, and data is collected that identifies areas where there are strengths and areas where there are gaps. The CRNA's recruitment priorities are informed and guided by this assessment to fill gaps across the Council and committee profiles. The current profiles can be viewed in the Council and Committees Selection Policy.
In general, the Nominating Committee looks for specific professional/lived experience, knowledge, skills and practices when reviewing the expressions of interest. For example, they might be looking for someone with financial expertise or strategic planning or leadership experience. The Committee also considers the applications to ensure Council and regulatory committees have diverse experience, backgrounds and perspectives.
When recruitment opens, expression of interest forms will be posted on the CRNA website, and applications are generally accepted for about two weeks. Registrants can apply for both Council and regulatory committee positions. Members of the public can apply for positions on select committees, but not Council. According to the Health Professions Act, the Government of Alberta is responsible for appointing public members to college councils, hearing tribunals and complaint review committees.
While the CRNA only actively recruits during a short window of time every year, you can prepare in advance by reviewing the Competency and Attribute Profiles and considering how your unique perspective will help you contribute to Alberta’s health-care system. Do not be deterred or discouraged from expressing your interest in serving on Council or a committee just because you only have a couple of the competencies listed in the profiles — you may be exactly what we are looking for!