Employer Newsletter - Jan. 15, 2026

The CRNA’s applicant and registrant portal, College Connect, will soon undergo a transformation to provide a better user experience, as a result of registrant feedback. Effective Jan. 26, users can expect a new look and feel on the College Connect website.

To complete this update, there will be a system outage from Jan. 16 to Jan . 26, during which College Connect and the Nurse Verification Tool For Employers will be inaccessible. During the planned outage, the public nurse verification tool (single permit search) and the CRNA’s customer service team will remain available.

You may reach the customer service team by email at registration@nurses.ab.ca or by telephone at 1-800-252-9392.

Recruitment for the CRNA’s Council and regulatory committees is now open.  

We are looking for registered nurses (RNs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) to serve on Council and various regulatory committees. Out of those who apply, registrants are selected through a competency-based selection process to ensure the best individuals are chosen to complement the existing skillsets on Council and regulatory committees, as well as ensure that a range of diverse perspectives are represented.  

Deadline to submit an expression of interest: Feb. 22, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. MT. 

Health-care employers often ask: “Can registered nurses (RNs) incorporate new interventions or restricted activities into their practice?” This is an important question as care needs evolve and organizations look to optimize nursing roles. The CRNA provides clear guidance to ensure any expansion of RN practice is safe, authorized and supported. 

Can Alberta RNs Incorporate Restricted Activities into Practice?
Yes. RNs can incorporate restricted activities, but only under specific conditions set by the CRNA. However, the authorization of restricted activities in the regulation does not mean that a registrant can perform any restricted activity, in any situation, in any clinical practice area.

What Are Restricted Activities?
Restricted activities are high-risk procedures identified in Alberta's Health Professions Act.

Registrants must practise within the limits of their own competence, perform restricted activities that are appropriate to the registrant’s area of practice, and ensure the restricted activities are performed within the context of care, in the best interests of the client.

Key Requirements
To incorporate a restricted activity, RNs must:
• Be authorized under the Health Professions Restricted Activity Regulation.
• Demonstrate competence through knowledge, skill and judgment.
• Ensure appropriate supports such as policies, supervision and equipment.
• Integrate the activity within the nursing process (assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation).

The CRNA document Incorporating a Restricted Activity into Practice: Guidelines (2022) provides a decision-making framework which can assist employers and others in making decisions about interpreting the RN scope of practice to allow for additions to the individual RN’s scope of practice. The CRNA’s guidelines outline a structured approach:
1. Assessing client need, intent and purpose of the restricted activity.
2. Verify knowledge, skill and competence to perform the restricted activity safely.
3. Identify and establish practice setting supports to facilitate safe and competent performance of the restricted activity.

Resources for Employers
Helpful information is available on the CRNA website. Check out the following pages and documents:
•    Restricted Activities Standards (2022)
•    Incorporating a Restricted Activity into Practice Guidelines (2022)
•    Interprofessional Collaboration Guidelines (2023)
•    Coordination of Client Care Guidelines (2023)
•    General Practice Guidance FAQs
•    Scope of Practice
•    Standards of Practice
For guidance or questions, contact the CRNA’s Practice Guidance team.