Nurse Employment Guide

Job Description & Duties

Registered Nurse

Registered nurses (RNs) are healthcare professionals who provide patient care in hospitals and other healthcare settings.

The Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS) outlines the general duties of RNs:

  • Assessing patients' needs

  • Planning, providing and maintaining nursing care records

  • Collaborating with multidisciplinary health teams, patients, and their families to plan, implement, coordinate and evaluate patient care 

  • Administering medications and treatments as prescribed by a physician or according to established policies and protocols

  • Teaching and counselling patients and families on health-related issues 

  • Leading and supervising teams of nurses

  • Operating or monitoring medical devices or equipment

They may also:

  • Participate in surgical and other medical procedures

  • Develop and implement the discharge planning process for patient admissions

  • Advocate for the improvement of healthcare

Licensed Practical Nurse

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) have a more limited scope of duties compared to registered nurses. They provide direct care to patients under the supervision of RNs or physicians.

ALIS outlines the general duties of LPNs:

  • Assess, plan, deliver and evaluate nursing care

  • Use critical thinking and clinical judgement

  • Document and share client data to ensure continuity of care

  • Work with other health professionals, consulting as needed

  • Speak on behalf of clients

  • Teach the public about good health practices

  • Take part in research

Registered Psychiatric Nurse

Registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs) provide professional nursing and mental health nursing services for patients, residents, and clients in acute and long-term care facilities and in the community. They assess physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health needs, develop diagnoses and plan, implement, and evaluate nursing care.

ALIS outlines the general duties of RPNs:

  • Complete health histories, physical examinations, and mental status assessments

  • Develop, implement, evaluate, and update nursing care plans

  • Administer and assess the effects of prescribed medications and treatments

  • Assess, report, and respond appropriately to observed behavioural changes

  • Plan and implement strategies to promote optimal mental and physical health and well-being of clients

  • Serve as advocates for clients and their families

  • Monitor the unit to ensure quality and safe patient care

  • Facilitate multidisciplinary team meetings and daily case reviews with doctors

  • Prepare daily staff assignment sheets

  • Provide short-term counselling and one-on-one client therapy

  • De-escalate aggressive situations

  • Interview new client admissions and assist with discharge planning

  • Provide wound care management and vital signs assessment

  • Facilitate family or caregiver meetings to discuss client needs and expectations in care

Nurse Practitioner

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are RNs with advanced health assessment, health promotion, and illness prevention training. They diagnose and treat health problems, order and interpret tests, and prescribe drugs.

ALIS outlines the general duties of NPs:

  • Complete advanced, thorough and focused health assessments

  • Diagnose health problems

  • Support and counsel patients regarding health problems

  • Manage and carry out patient care on an ongoing basis

  • Manage complex chronic illness

  • Order and interpret diagnostic tests

  • Research and critically evaluate evidence for the best care available

  • Read, compile, and integrate research into their work

  • Refer patients to other healthcare providers as needed

  • Prescribe medications and therapeutic interventions

  • Consult and work with physicals and others

  • Engage in programs to promote community health

Education and Experience 

Registered Nurse

To be able to work as a registered nurse in Alberta, applicants need to demonstrate the following:

  • Completion of a Bachelor of Nursing (BN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) or an equivalent program approved by the Nursing Education Program Approval Committee (NEPAC). 

  • Registration with the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA)

  • Opportunities for further education:

    • RNs can take post-diploma programs to specialize their skills. For example:

      • Specialize in Emergency, Operating Room, Critical Care, Addition and Mental Health, Neurosciences, Labour and Delivery, Pediatric, Oncology, Long-Term Care, or Community Health

    • RNs interested in clinical graduate nursing studies can pursue Nurse Practitioner master-level training.

    • Alberta universities also offer graduate-level education to train leaders, instructors, and researchers in Nursing.

    • The Post-Registered Nurse (RN) diploma Bachelor of Nursing program at Athabasca University is intended to ladder current diploma-trained RNs into the baccalaureate program.

  • If you have not practiced as a Registered Nurse within the last 5 years, completion of the following free courses is required:

Licensed Practical Nurse

To be able to work as a licensed practical nurse in Alberta, applicants need to demonstrate the following:

Registered Psychiatric Nurse

To be able to work as a registered psychiatric nurse in Alberta, applicants need to demonstrate the following:

Nurse Practitioner

To be able to work as a nurse practitioner in Alberta, applicants need to demonstrate the following:

  • Completion of the requirements to be a registered nurse and must complete 4,500 hours of work in clinical registered nursing before applying for a nurse practitioner education program.

  • After RNs have a master’s degree in advanced nursing practice, they must pass the nurse practitioner registration exam for their chosen stream of practice.

  • Registered in one of three streams of practice. These include: Adult, Child (with or without a neonatal speciality), and Family / All Ages

Regulation & Credential Evaluation

Registration Requirements

Registered Nurse

Visit the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA) website to register, and follow these steps to obtain a permit to practice in Alberta:

  1. Apply through the CRNA online portal.

  2. Complete the National Council Licensure Exam – RN (NCLEX-RN)

  3. Complete post-secondary education equivalent to a 4-year nursing degree program within five years before the application date. Equivalency may be proved with: 

    • An educational credential assessment that verifies equivalent post-secondary education.

    • Registration in an equivalent jurisdiction is listed in Bylaw 4.15.

    • Proof of registration in a substantially equivalent jurisdiction for applicants who studied in Australia, India, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Nigeria, the Philippines, the United Kingdom or the United States

    • A National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS) report that provides confirmation of education rated as comparable 

  4. Meet the English language proficiency requirement. This can be done with:

    • Successful completion of the National Council Licensure Exam – RN (NCLEX-RN).

    • Successful completion of an English nursing education program of at least two years of full-time study in Canada.

    • Completion of nursing education in English of at least two years of full-time study within the past two years outside of Canada.

    • Any nursing practice in English within the past three years.

    • National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS) report confirms ELP.

    • Nursing Community Assessment Service (NCAS) report confirms ELP.

    • Completion of Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses (CELBAN) within two years of the application's registration date and meeting the following minimum scores: Listening = 9, Writing = 7, Reading = 8, Speaking = 8.

    • Completion of International English Language Testing System (IELTS) assessment within two years of the date of the application and meeting minimum scores: Listening = 7.0, Writing = 6.5, Reading = 6.5, Speaking = 7.0, Overall = 7.0

  5. Meet the Currency of Practice Requirement, or: 

    • Complete an assessment via the Alberta Registered Nurse Assessment Program (ARNAP).

    • Complete nursing hours as a registered nurse in a jurisdiction where you are currently registered.

    • Apply to the CRNA for the supervised practice program.

    • Complete bridging education.

  6. Complete a criminal record check.

  7. Attest the following on the online application:

    • Being fit to practice

    • Being of good character

  8. Complete the Jurisprudence requirement through two e-learning modules in the CRNA online portal.

  9. Hold liability insurance 

Other Nursing Positions

Registering for the other regulated nursing positions, as outlined above for the RN, will be a similar process.

To register for the other nursing positions, please follow the relevant link below:

Credential Evaluation

If you are an internationally educated nurse, your education must be authenticated through a credential evaluation as part of the registration process.

Approved agencies include:

Education for Internationally Educated Nurses

IEN Bridging Program Framework and Guidelines

Alberta Universities with Bridging Programs

  • Bridge to Canadian Nursing - Mount Royal University:

    • This program provides IENs with resources and training to enhance professional nursing communication skills, build nursing knowledge and skills for the Canadian healthcare setting, and strengthen clinical and ethical reasoning skills. The program also provides 192 hours of hospital experience for those who need nursing experience in the Canadian context.

  • Practical Nurse Diploma - Internationally Educated Nurses - Bow Valley College:

    • This program recognizes the past education of IENs and helps prepare IENs to become nurses in Alberta.

  • Practical Nurse Diploma for Internationally Educated Nurses - Norquest College:

    • This program prepares IENs to become professional practical nurses by building on their previous education and providing information about the Canadian healthcare system.

Bursary for IENs

The Albertan government is working hard to support internationally educated nurses to find opportunities for training and working in Alberta. The Government of Alberta Bursary for Internationally Educated Nurses (BIEN) offers a remote living bursary of up to $30,000 per student based on the type and length of the bridging program in which the student is enrolled. 

The Bursary includes:

  • A non-repayable fixed incentive, set at $3,500 per student, to cover assessment, examination, criminal record checks, licensing fees, and program fees, etc.

  • Tuition support varying between $2,625 and $12,000 per student based on the program in which the student is enrolled.

  • Living expenses of $3,625 per term to a maximum of $14,500 based on the program in which the student is enrolled.

Eligibility:

  • Students must be enrolled in full-time studies in an approved bridging program leading to a licensed practical nurse or registered nurse certification at one of the participating institutions: Bow Valley College, Mount Royal University, or NorQuest College 

  • Students must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or a protected person within the meaning of subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada), or authorized to study at a Participating Institution and authorized to work in Canada.

Amounts and conditions may vary depending on the educational institution. Application can be done on RhPAP website.

Resources

Canadian Nurses Association (CNA)

  • National professional association representing registered nurses, nurse practitioners, licensed and registered practical nurses, registered psychiatric nurses and retired nurses across all 13 provinces and territories in Canada.

Alberta Association of Nurses (AAN) 

  • AAN advocates for all nurses and promotes quality health service delivery in the best interest of all Albertans.

Alberta International Medical Graduates Association (AIMGA)

  • The AIMG Program is a provincial program created in 2001 and uses a competitive and merit-based assessment protocol to identify International Medical Graduates (IMGs) who reside in the province and have the clinical skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to enter an Alberta postgraduate medical residency program.

United Nurses Alberta

  • Created in 1977, United Nurses of Alberta is the union for more than 30,000 Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses and allied workers in Alberta.

Alberta Registered Nurses Educational Trust (ARNET)

  • A Canadian registered charity since 1984, ARNET provides educational and research grants and scholarships to Alberta Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners to improve health care for Albertans.  

Alberta Registered Nurses Assessment Program (ARNAP)

  • A no-cost service helping Internationally Educated Nurses (IEN) meet the requirements to be certified as a Registered Nurses in Alberta. Their 8-week program will prepare you to write the Multiple-Choice Questions Exam and to challenge the Objective Structured Clinical Exam. The program was developed to replicate the structure and format of the ARNAP exams to facilitate proficiency in exam-taking skills.

Alberta Health Service (AHS)

  • Alberta Health Services promotes wellness and provides health care services across the province.

College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA)

  • The College of Registered Nurses of Alberta is the professional and regulatory body for more than 36,000 registered nurses and nurse practitioners licensed to practice in the province of Alberta, Canada.

Canadian Nurses Protective Society

  • The Canadian Nurses Protective Society provides legal advice, risk management services, legal assistance and professional liability protection related to nursing practice to over 140,000 eligible Canadian nurses across all Canadian provinces and territories. 

College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA)

  • The College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta exists to protect the public by regulating the profession of practical nursing.

College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta (CRPNA)

  • The College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta (CRPNA) regulates psychiatric nursing as a distinct profession in Alberta under the Health Professions Act.

Alberta Primary Care Nurses Association 

  • Alberta Primary Care Nurses Association is a provincial association of nurses who network and provide mentorship, tools, resources and educational opportunities to foster professional development, leadership and excellence in primary care.

Union of Nurses Practitioners (UNA) 

  • United Nurses of Alberta is the union for more than 30000 Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses and allied workers in Alberta.

National Emergency Nurses Association (NENA)

  • NENA advocates and educates within the health community for the recognition and support of emergency nursing as a vital specialty in health care.

Philippine Canadian Nurses Association 

  • Community of diverse Filipino nurses (RN, RON, NP, LPN, Nursing Aides) educated outside Canada.

Clear Communication for Health Professionals at Directions For Immigrants in Trades and Professional Career

  • Workplace communication group to learn how to communicate effectively in health care.

National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) study group at Directions For Immigrants in Trades and Professional Career 

  • This study group focuses on assisting internationally educated nurses in reviewing competencies outlined in the National Council of State Boards of Nursing test plan through a question-and-answer format and review with a facilitator.