Empowering nurses to better support families

The Voice of Canada News:

Nurses will play a bigger role in Alberta’s health-care system with the province expanding their abilities to prescribe drugs and order X-rays.

Minister Hoffman is joined by students of Mount Royal University’s nursing program

New regulations will expand the scope of practice for registered nurses and nurse practitioners. These frontline health-care professionals will now be able to prescribe drugs in places like travel clinics, sexually transmitted infection programs and workplace health and safety clinics. RNs will not be prescribing controlled drugs and substances. Nurse practitioners will now be able to set bone fractures.

“Nurses have always played a vital role in Alberta’s health-care system, and their future as a profession has never been brighter. I’m proud our government is supporting nurses to use their frontline expertise and training to help Albertans get the care they need sooner and closer to home.”

Sarah Hoffman, Minister of Health

“Registered nurses and nurse practitioners are highly trained health-care providers who deliver exceptional care to patients across the province each and every day. Now, these nurses have an opportunity to bring more of their training, knowledge and experience to further benefit and support the care of patients and their families.”

Sean Chilton, vice-president, Health Professions and Practice, Alberta Health Services

“This is not only a milestone for registered nursing practice in Alberta but an important step towards providing people with access to medications and tests when they need them. These changes can improve access to timely, cost-effective health care by maximizing the contributions of registered nurses who are the largest group of health professionals working in our health system.”

Dennie Hycha, president, College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta

Other amendments to the Registered Nurses Profession Regulation will increase professional standards for Alberta’s 38,000 registered nurses and 550 nurse practitioners. The College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta will expand its continuing competence assessments to ensure practitioners continue to be supported to do their jobs effectively.