FAQs ABOUT THE REGISTERED NURSE

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• What is a Registered Nurse?

RNs in Alberta are highly trained healthcare providers licensed by the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA) who have completed a minimum of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. 

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• What specific qualifications must Registered Nurses hold to work at CRMC?

Due to the specific and unique functions performed by RNs at this clinic, RNs working at CRMC must have advanced skills that go beyond those of newly-qualified nurses. Registered Nurse Prescribers may work at CRMC only after having finished postgraduate education in either Nursing, Family Medicine, Occupational Medicine, Emergency Medicine, or already possess a Certification in Ambulatory Care Nursing (AMB-BC) from the American Nurses Credentialing Centre and having completed the CRMC RN Prescriber Internship. As an alternative, in some circumstances, CRMC may employ RNs who hold a professional/academic qualification that is comparable to or exceeds the ones listed above.

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All permanent, full-time RNs in CRMC are expected to obtain RN prescribing rights or enroll in the CRMC Internship for the RN Prescriber in the Family Medicine Setting. The ANCC also encourages them to be board-certified for Ambulatory Care. Locum RNs and RNs on the PCEPRP programs require at least 3 years of full-time experience in Canada or 6 months of full-time experience at CRMC but will not be able to prescribe.

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There is an exception to the above. CRMC allows internationally-educated nurses (IENs) to practice at CRMC under the  preceptorship of an advanced practice nurse (APN) such as the RN Prescribers. These nurses work at CRMC to consolidate their entry-level skills and knowledge and they do not require training that go beyond that of newly-qualified nurses as their skills and knowledge match those of newly-graduate Canadian nurses. For this reason, all they require for this position is an active license from the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta. You may find more information by clicking here.

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• What can a Registered Nurse do?

According to the Scope of Practice for Registered Nurses (CRNA 2021), Registered Nurses apply nursing knowledge, skill and judgment to:

• assist individuals, families, groups and communities to achieve their optimal physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health and well-being,

• assess, diagnose and provide treatment and interventions and make referrals,

• prevent or treat injury and illness,

• teach, counsel and advocate to enhance health and well-being,

• coordinate, supervise, monitor and evaluate the provision of health services,

• teach nursing theory and practice,

• manage, administer and allocate resources related to health services, and

• engage in research related to health and the practice of nursing, and

• provide restricted activities authorized by the regulations

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According to CRNA (2021), the scope of practice of an individual Registered Nurse is limited only by the client needs, the individual RN competence, the employer requirements, and the practice environment. CRMC is committed to the evolution of the Nursing profession and the harmonization and full collaboration between the Medical and the Nursing professions according to the terms of current laws and professional regulations in Alberta.

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• What services do Registered Nurses offer at CRMC?

RNs in CRMC offer the following services:​

1. Urgent appointments (for patients registered with our physicians) - learn more by clicking here

2. Contraceptive Injections / B12 Injections / Other Injections

3. Diabetes Counselling and Management

4. STI Counselling and Management

5. Sutures / Staples Removal

6. Wart Treatment

7. Ear Syringing

8. Follow-up appointments for conditions for which the patient was seen by an RN

9. Over-the-phone consultations / Telehealth

10. Mental Health Counselling / CBT

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• What can a Register Nurse in the RN-led Walk-in Service do?

When you attend the RN-led urgent appointment service at CRMC, the Registered Nurse will:

1. Take a full patient medical history

2. Conduct a relevant physical examination

3. Establish a diagnosis as per relevant approved Clinical Support Tool

4. Discuss the plan of care with the patient

5. Organize for a follow-up with the Primary Care Provider of the patient (Physician or Nurse Practitioner).

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• What is the Patient Outreach Program of the Registered Nurse also known as POP CoRN? 

POP CoRN is a compassionate charitable program run by Cranston Ridge Medical Clinic. It is a cooperation between the Medical and the Nursing teams of CRMC and it is 100% free of charge for the patient/client.

 

POP CoRN was created to reduce hospital admission and re-admission of patients at high risk. The program targets all patients registered with the clinic who meet one or more of the following criteria:

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1. Home-bound and lives alone, unable to attend the clinic and needing attention

2. Above the age of 65 discharged back to community in the last 24-48 hours

3. Affected by chronic degenerative disorder

4. Affected by a chronic disorder (physical or mental) and living alone

5. Patients expected to die soon and whose community palliative care package has not yet started

 

The program can be initiated exclusively by one of the family physicians or nurse practitioners of CRMC. The patient is referred to the community outreach registered nurses directly by the family physician or nurse practitioner through a special referral form.

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POP CoRN offers a minimum of one home visit by a registered nurse who will carry out a relevant nursing assessment as well as assessment of needs of the patient in their usual living environment. The registered nurse will then fill out relevant documentation and refer back to the primary care provider of the patient.

 

The registered nurse will then assess and agree together with the patient/client the need for continuation or termination of the program based on the nurse’s professional and clinical judgement.

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The registered nurses who participate in the POP CoRN do so on a voluntary basis and no remuneration is provided to them for their service. ​

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• What post-graduate and professional programs do you offer for Registered Nurses at CRMC?

CRMC offers the only internship for RN Prescribers in the Family Medicine Setting in the province. The program is tailored to prepare registered nurses to prescribe confidently and with robust knowledge and clinical skills required to consult, diagnose, treat, investigate, and follow-up patients through the use of approved pathways (Clinical Support Tools) without the need to involve a physician or a nurse practitioner in the consultation. The RN Prescriber attends to the needs of patients with acute conditions who cannot find a slot available with the physician or the nurse practitioner on the same day, and who cannot wait to receive treatment for specific conditions such as bacterial, viral, fungal infections, trauma, etc.

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To learn more about the internship program for the RN Prescriber in the Family Medicine Setting, click here. Please, remember that to apply for the RN internship program at CRMC, you must hold a full and unrestricted license with the College of Registered Nurse of Alberta, as well as meeting other specific requirements.

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CRMC also has a long-term agreement with Athabasca University for the clinical placement of Family Nurse Practitioner students on their MN:NP program. CRMC accepts students from other institutions in Canada, the USA, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand only. However, institution must sign a long-term agreement with us before their students will be able to start their practicum placement at our clinic.

 

If you are a Family Nurse Practitioner student, and you wish to learn more about applying for a practicum placement at CRMC, please click here. Please, remember that to complete a practicum placement at CRMC, you must hold full and unrestricted registration with the College of Registered Nurse of Alberta.

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• Is Alberta the only place where RNs may prescribe medications?

No. Alberta is one of the first provinces in Canada together with Manitoba. However, Ontario, and British Columbia already allow registered nurses to prescribe, while Saskatchewan, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces are working on legislation that will allow this in their territories. As well as Canada, also the following countries allow RNs to prescribe medications: Australia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Israel, Iran, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In addition, the Canton of Vaud, in Switzerland, allows RNs to prescribe some of the medications on their formulary. Nonetheless, each country regulates RN Prescribers differently.

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• What can't RN Prescribers do?

Nurse Prescribers cannot:​

• Renew your regular prescriptions (this can be done only by a physician or nurse practitioner, alternatively, you may ask your pharmacist to send a fax to your primary care provider requesting an emergency prescription renewal).

• Diagnose a condition for which they do not have a clinical support tool for diagnosis and prescription.

• See you for the same condition that you have already been seen for at another walk-in clinic.

• See you for the management of your chronic conditions.

RN Prescribers are NOT the same as nurse practitioners. While nurse practitioners are considered "primary care providers", just like family physicians, RN prescribers may help you only with an acute ailment. They cannot take care of your chronic conditions. For a chronic condition, you necessarily need to see a physician or a nurse practitioner.​