Federal and provincial legislation and regulations govern nursing practice. The College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA) and its registrants must be compliant with this legislation.
Key Pieces of Legislation
The following is a list of the main legislation guiding the practice of registered nurses (RNs), nurse practitioners (NPs), graduate nurses (GNs), graduate nurse practitioners (GNPs) and certified graduate nurses (CGNs) in Alberta:
- Health Professions Act
The Health Professions Act (HPA) provides a legislative framework for governance, registration, restricted activities, discipline and continuing competence. It defines the requirements that regulated health professions in Alberta need to follow to provide safe and competent care to the public. Specifically, Schedule 24, Section 3 of the HPA defines the domains of RN practice, as well as specific roles and responsibilities of RNs, and outlines the overall scope of practice for the registered nurse profession.
- Registered Nurses Profession Regulation
The Registered Nurses Profession Regulation under the HPA defines the rules that govern registered nursing practice in Alberta, including:
- Authorization to use titles
- Certain registration requirements (others are specified in the bylaws)
- Annual practice permits
- Health Professions Restricted Activity Regulation
The Health Professions Restricted Activity Regulation authorizes the performance of restricted activities by regulated health professions governed under the HPA. Section 60 outlines the restricted activities CRNA registrants are authorized to perform in accordance with standards of practice.
- Health Information Act
The Health Information Act (HIA), along with the Health Information Regulation and Alberta Electronic Health Record Regulation, outlines expectations for the collection, use, disclosure and security of health information that protects the privacy and confidentiality of individuals and their health information. It provides individuals with the right to request access to health records in the custody or control of custodians and covers the actions of affiliates. All registrants are either custodians or affiliates under the HIA and have obligations to properly manage health information. The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta protects and promotes the access and privacy rights of all Albertans.
Other Relevant Legislation
The following is a list of other relevant pieces of legislation that registrants may need to be aware of (please note this is not an exhaustive list):
Registrants should be aware of any legislation that is applicable to their role and seek more information as needed.
Legislation Guiding the CRNA's Processes
When considering applications for registration, in addition to the Health Professions Act, the CRNA must comply with the requirements in the following two statutes:
- Labour Mobility Act (Bill 49) | Awaiting Proclamation
The Labour Mobility Act (LMA) works to ensure applicants experience a registration process that is standardized, timely and consistent. The CRNA is aligning its current practices for out-of-province applicants to the new legislation. The CRNA is already aligned with the principles of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) and the New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA), which assure policies and procedures remove barriers to labour mobility across provinces.
- Fair Registration Practices Act
The Fair Registration Practices Act (FRPA) exists to ensure fair registration practices by regulatory bodies. The FRPA, and its corresponding code and regulations, outline the duties for assessing applicants fairly. The CRNA reports its registration procedures and policies to the Minister under the FRPA.