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?​

CRMC expects all RNs to hold a full and unconditional permit from the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta.

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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

• Our nurses are trained to read and interpret ECGs and perform Eply maneuver for BPPV patients.

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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. ​​​​​​​​