CRMC Internships for the RN Prescriber in the Family Medicine Setting

Each year, Cranston Ridge Medical Clinic (CRMC) offers two internships to Registered Nurses who wish to become RN Prescribers in the Family Medicine setting. One internship runs for 6 and the other for 12 months. The 6-month internship covers Semesters 1 and 2. The 12-month internship covers Semesters 1, 2, 3, and 4. Currently, there is only one entry per year, in September. Starting in 2026, however, there will be three entries in January, May, and September. The internships are designed to equip RNs with the necessary skills and knowledge that will guarantee the safety of practice, a solid and robust basis on which to build one’s own practical advanced nursing experience, and uniformity of methods, including strict adherence to the legislation regulating RN Prescribers in Alberta. In addition, both 6 and 12-month internships offered by CRMC allow those who complete them successfully to transfer their RN Prescriber licence to their final destination clinic without having to fulfil the 750 hours of RN clinical practice in the final destination facility. The two internships are also ideal for Registered Nurses who want to become Family Nurse Practitioners but wish to gain some more knowledge and insight into what it feels like to independently consult patients (roles and responsibilities) in a Family Medicine Setting before applying for FNP training.

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• Cost and Tuitions

The internship is offered free of charge. However, successful applicants are responsible for paying the tuition fees of the RN Prescriber modules 1 and 2 at Athabasca University. CRMC may offer a grant to RN interns to cover the cost of these fees. The internship is not remunerated, meaning that interns are not paid to complete their hours of training at CRMC.

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• Application Process

At present, the only route available is the direct one through CRMC, and it is not remunerated. The facility is currently working with South Calgary Primary Care Network to organize an alternative route approved by the SCPCN that leads to an assured RN position at the end of the training for each internship graduate.

• Places Available

There will be four places available each Fall. Two will always be reserved for PCN-approved applicants; if the requirement from PCN increases during that year, all four places will be reserved for PCN-approved applicants. 

• Duration of Program

6 months - comprising 1,197 hours of RN practice at CRMC

12 months – comprising 1,950 hours of RN practice at CRMC

• Requirements

Requirements from the CRNA

1. 3,000 RN practice hours since graduation.

2. RNs must maintain registration with the CRNA for the duration of the entire program.

Additional CRMC requirements for admission to the program: at least one of the following for each candidate:

1. Postgraduate education in either Nursing, Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, or Occupational Health OR

2. 3,000 hours of experience in one of the above-mentioned clinical settings in the last 5 years OR

3. Certification by the ANCC for Ambulatory Care Nursing (AMB-BC)

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Additional residence requirements for admission to the program: at least one of the following for each candidate:

1. Canadian citizen

2. Permanent Resident of Canada

Holders of any status in Canada other than citizen or permanent resident are not eligible for admission to this program.​

Other administrative requirements may be imposed by CRMC, such as but not restricted to obtaining a FAMA-enhanced background check.

• Program Breakdown

First Semester (6 and 12-month internship programs)

Course 1 – CRMC (RNPI1) Practice Component

One month of consolidation of basic clinical RN skills

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RN Prescriber Module 1 – AU Theory Component

Completion of the first module for RN Prescribers at Athabasca University required by the CRNA for licensure as an RN Prescriber in Alberta

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Certificate in Basics of Nurse Prescribing - Alison Theory Component

Completion of additional certificate to consolidate knowledge of pharmacological management and prescribing for common conditions in the family medicine and community setting

Course 2 – CRMC (RNPI2) Practice Component

Three months of advanced training on RN Skills in the family medicine and community setting

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Diploma in Clinical Nursing Skills - MEDCoE Theory Component

Covering anatomy, physiology, nursing physical assessment, diagnostic procedures, and pharmacology for the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, and nervous systems - offered by the US Army Medical Center of Excellence

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Second Semester (6 and 12-month internship programs)

Course 3 – CRMC (RNPI3) Practice Component

Three months of Advanced RN Prescriber Skills sampling Clinical Support Tools under constant direct supervision of an RN Prescriber, with discussion of plans and treatments with a PCP (MD or NP)

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RN Prescriber Module 2 – AU Theory Component

Completion of the second and final module for RN Prescribers at Athabasca University required by the CRNA for licensure as an RN Prescriber in Alberta

Diploma in Human Anatomy and Physiology - MEDCoE Theory Component

Consolidating knowledge of anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular, digestive, respiratory, reproductive, visual, olfactory, musculoskeletal, and nervous systems - offered by the US Army Medical Center of Excellence

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RN Prescriber licence issued by the CRNA

On completion of the NEPAC course from Athabasca University, the CRNA will be notified by the NEPAC course leader that the candidate has completed the course successfully and will forward a copy of the certificate to the Nursing regulatory body. CRMC will certify that the RN has indeed achieved 750 hours of practice at the clinic during the previous 6 months of work at CRMC (by the end of the NEPAC course, the RN will have achieved 1,197 hours of RN practice at CRMC). The RN will apply for a PRAC-ID through the Government of Alberta, and CRMC will proceed to register the RN on its providers’ list with the laboratory services and with the radiology clinics.

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Third and Fourth Semesters (12-month internship program only)

Course 4 – CRMC (RNPSP1) Advanced RN Prescriber Practice and Building on Own Knowledge and Skills Practice Component

After obtaining the RN Prescriber licence, the new RN Prescriber will complete five months of gradual exposure to all Clinical Support Tools available at CRMC; during this period, the new RN Prescriber will have constant support from the senior RN Prescriber, Medical Director, and Community Pharmacy at Cranston Smart Drug Mart. By the end of this period, the RN Prescriber will have achieved proficiency in the utilization of all Clinical Support Tools (CSTs) at CRMC.

Completion of training

On achieved proficiency of all CRMC CSTs (utilized at least three times correctly without recurring to any help from the Medical Director), the RN Prescriber will be deemed competent and safe to utilize these CSTs independently in the Family Medicine Setting and is ready to move to the final destination clinic. CRMC will release the record of training to the CRNA, which will allow the RN Prescriber to transfer his/her prescriber licence to the new clinic without the need to fulfill 750 additional hours at the new facility. CRMC will also release a certificate of completion to the graduate.

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Relocation of RN to final destination clinic

This will be automatically available only to those who completed the program through a PCN-funded place. Those who completed the internship through CRMC only will have to apply for a post as an RN Prescriber independently.

• Reflective Practice

Throughout the two programs, the intern will develop a personal portfolio that includes a CV, professional certificates, and a reflective diary that documents the widening of the personal scope of practice achieved during the program.

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• Attendance

The hourly attendance commitment required to complete the 6-month internship is 39 hours/week for 26 weeks. The 12-month internship, instead, comprises 39 hours/week for 50 weeks (statutory holidays and weekends are excluded). These include direct patient contact hours, direct instructional hours, and self-directed study time.​​

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• Assessment

In order to finalize either one of the internships, the intern must complete and successfully pass all the practice and theory components of the first and second semesters. In addition, at the end of the 6-month internship, the intern must successfully pass a 10-station OSCE exam covering Upper & Lower Respiratory Tract Infections, Urinary Tract Infections, Otitis Media, Musculo-Skeletal Injuries, Bacterial/Viral/Allergic Conjunctivitis, Gout, Long COVID-19, Osgod-Schlatter Disease, and Skin Bacterial Infections.

At the end of the 12-month internship, after completing the practice component of the third and fourth semesters, a second 23-station OSCE exam must be passed; this will cover Acne, Allergic Reactions (respiratory and skin), STIs, Diaper Dermatitis, Diverticulosis, Dysmenorrhoea, Atopic Dermatitis, GERD, Headache and Migraine, Herpes Simplex, Hormonal Contraceptives, Hypertension Emergency, Insect Bites, Obesity Management, Onychomycosis, Candida, Post-Operative Hospital Discharge Review, Shingles, Tinea Corporis, Tinea Pedis, Tinea Versicolor, Tobacco Cessation, ECG interpretation.

• Language of Instruction and Practice

English (registration with the CRNA assures proficiency in the English language)

• Location

Cranston Ridge Medical Clinic

35 Cranford Way SE

Unit 123

Calgary, AB T3M 3A9