Proposed By-law Amendments for the Regulation of Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs)

Overview

NSCN is seeking feedback on proposed amendments to the By-laws with respect to the anticipated future regulation of Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs).

Background

NSCN is developing a regulatory framework for registered psychiatric nurse (RPN) registration and licensure. 

RPNs are a separate and distinct nursing designation within the profession of nursing. RPNs are currently registered and licensed in six provinces and three territories across the country: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

A key prerequisite to NSCN’s ability to regulate RPNs is the development of new regulations under the Nursing Act. It is anticipated that NSCN will submit regulations for consideration by the Nova Scotia Government in the coming months. 

The framework under exploration would also require amendments to NSCN’s By-laws in order to effectively regulate RPNs. NSCN is seeking feedback on proposed amendments to the By-laws in order to be ready to register and licence RPNs if NSCN is given this regulatory authority. 

More information about RPNs and NSCN’s regulatory work can be found here. 

Proposed By-law Amendments

The proposed by-law amendments relate to three topics:

• Establishment of currency of practice requirements for RPNs
• Regulatory Committee composition requirements for RPNs
• Establishment of regulatory documents for RPNs: Standards of Practice, Entry-Level Competencies, and Code of Ethics 

The draft proposed by-law amendments can be found here.

Currency of Practice

One of the requirements for registration and licensure with NSCN is that the applicant provide satisfactory proof that they meet currency of practice requirements. Currency of practice requirements are used to promote continuing nursing competence. These requirements generally relate to a nurse’s time actively engaged in practice or the length of time since they completed their education. These requirements are founded on the premise that competence diminishes as the time that a nurse is away from practice increases, which may place the public at risk when the nurse returns to practice. 

The NSCN currency of practice by-laws were approved by the NSCN Board following a review of public feedback on the proposed language. NSCN strives to develop regulatory requirements that apply consistently to all designations unless there is a public interest reason for a different approach. To that end, the currency of practice by-law applies to all designations regulated by NSCN. It is proposed that RPNs be added to the by-law to promote a consistent regulatory approach across designations. 

Regulatory Committees

NSCN has eight regulatory committees who help regulate the nursing profession in the public interest: 

• Complaints Committee
• Education Program Approval Committee
• Fitness to Practise Committee
• Practice Review Committee
• Registration and Licensing Committee
• Registration and Licensing Review Committee
• Professional Conduct Committee
• Reinstatement Committee 

These committees are composed of independent members of the public and nurses who are appointed by the NSCN Board. By-law 17 sets out the number of nurses and members of the public required for each committee, as well as requirements for certain designations to sit on panels appointed from the larger committee membership to consider a particular issue. In general, By-law 17 requires committees to include at least one registrant from each designation regulated by the College, and requires panels to include at least one registrant with the same designation as the applicant/respondent. 

We do not yet know how many RPNs will seek or obtain registration and licensure with NSCN. It is anticipated that in this initial phase, there may not be a sufficient number of RPN registrants to ensure membership on each regulatory committee. NSCN appreciates the value that RPNs bring to committees and panels and understands the importance of ensuring RPN knowledge and experience is shared with the committee. This must be balanced with ensuring that by-law requirements are attainable and support effective regulation without overburdening RPN registrants or increasing the risk of conflicts of interest among a small group. 

It is proposed that a new by-law create an exemption to the committee and panel composition requirements if a designation has 50 or fewer registrants. Despite this exemption, NSCN intends to invite RPN registrants to apply for membership on regulatory committees and explore alternative means to ensure our regulatory committees are informed on RPN matters. 

Regulatory Documents

In accordance with section 4(2)(a)(ii)(iii)(A)(B) of the Nursing Act, to regulate the provision of nursing services, NSCN is required to approve and promote a code of ethics and establish standards for practice and entry-level competencies. These important regulatory documents exist for LPNs, RNs and NPs. The NSCN Board will need to approve equivalent regulatory documents for RPNs. In order to do so, an amendment to the NSCN By-laws is required.   

For this initial phase of RPN regulation in Nova Scotia, NSCN staff intend to propose that the Board adopt the following regulatory documents that have been developed, validated and approved by Registered Psychiatric Nurse Regulators of Canada (RPNRC) and/or current Canadian RPNs regulators:

• Standards of Psychiatric Nursing Practice (2019)
• Registered Psychiatric Nurse Entry Level Competencies (2014) – proposed to be in effect until replaced by the 2026 version
• Registered Psychiatric Nurse Entry Level Competencies (2026) – proposed to take effect January 5, 2026
• Registered Psychiatric Nurse Code of Ethics – developed by the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Saskatchewan 

Standards of Psychiatric Nursing Practice (2019) 

The Standards of Practice set out the minimum acceptable level of performance required of an RPN. These standards articulate the legal and professional obligations of all RPNs. They apply to all practice settings, domains and roles, regardless of an individual RPN’s educational preparation or professional experience. It is the professional responsibility of each RPN to know, understand and adhere to these standards.

The Standards of Psychiatric Nursing Practice (2019) were developed by a working group composed of representatives of RPN regulators in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The working group participated in a series of meetings to review and consider trends in the profession, various psychiatric nursing practice scenarios, and the literature to recommend revisions to the current Standards of Psychiatric Nursing Practice. Participants in the Working Group included practising registered psychiatric nurses, regulators and psychiatric nursing educators. In addition, all practising RPNs in Canada and key stakeholders in each of the participating provinces were invited to participate in a validation survey of the proposed revisions to the Standards. 

The regulators who participated in the working group adopted the standards for use in their jurisdiction between 2019 and 2022. The College of Registered Nurses and Midwives of PEI (CRNMPEI) adopted the standards in June of 2024 when they began regulating RPNs. 

The 2019 Standards of Psychiatric Nursing Practice align very well with the Nova Scotia practice context and were developed using a process consistent with the process used by NSCN to develop standards of practice for other designations. NSCN staff intend to propose that the NSCN Board adopt the 2019 Standards of Psychiatric Nursing Practice with only minimal changes: 

• Minor grammar/wording changes to increase clarity of the statement.
• Minimize confusion and redundancy by deleting standards 1.5 and 1.6 as they are captured in NSCN’s Sexual Misconduct Standard of Practice for Registrants.
• Add standard 3.1 to further that the expectation with respect to accountability for an RPN is consistent with the expectation applied to all other nursing designations regulated by NSCN:
  • Is accountable and responsible for their actions, inactions, decisions and the evaluation of their own practice 

RPN Entry Level Competencies (2014 & 2026) 

Entry-level competencies (ELCs) are the foundational skills, knowledge, and judgment that a newly graduated nurse must possess. These competencies outline what nurses are expected to be able to do upon entering the profession, reflecting the minimum standards for safe and competent practice. 

In 2013-2014, RPNRC developed national entry-level competencies for RPNs. This project involved collaboration between the RPN regulators in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Yukon Territory. In 2024-2025, RPNRC conducted a project to update the ELCs. The review process included consultation with each of the regulatory bodies that regulate RPNs, as well as with RPNs from a variety of practice settings, psychiatric nursing faculty and clinical educators, and employers. The project also included an environmental scan, interviews, focus groups and workshops with subject matter experts. 

The 2014 and 2026 Registered Psychiatric Nurse Entry-Level Competencies align very well with the Nova Scotia practice context. The process used to develop these ELCs is consistent with the process used by NSCN to develop ELCs for other designations. NSCN staff intend to propose that the Board adopt the Entry-Level Competencies without changes. The 2026 ELCs would replace the 2014 ELCs effective January 5, 2026. 

RPN Code of Ethics

The Code of Ethics articulates ethical principles, values and standards to guide RPNs in Nova Scotia. The Code defines accepted behaviors and establishes a framework for professional responsibility and accountability. The Code promotes high standards of practice and provides a benchmark for psychiatric nurses to use for self-evaluation. The Code of Ethics identifies the obligations of the profession and the obligations of individual psychiatric nurses to society.

The proposed RPN Code of Ethics for NSCN was developed by adapting the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Saskatchewan (CRPNS) Code of Ethics by adding the Nova Scotia context and small non substantive language changes for clarity. BCCNM, CRPNA and CRPNM have developed their own respective codes that are based on similar themes and ethical obligations. 

NSCN previously conducted a public survey on draft concepts for a unified code of ethics. NSCN staff are now engaged in the development of a draft unified code of ethics. It is anticipated that this unified code would apply to all designations regulated by NSCN, including RPNs. 

Join the Conversation

If you have feedback regarding the proposed by-law amendments, please email Alison Bird, Deputy General Counsel, at generalcounsel@nscn.ca. Please identify whether you are a member of the public or a nurse, and whether you are responding as an individual or on behalf of an organization. 

In providing your feedback, we invite you to consider:

• Are the proposed draft By-laws in the public interest?
• Will there be benefits from the proposed changes?
• Will there be risks from the proposed changes?

Next Steps

NSCN will share the feedback with the NSCN Board for their consideration prior to their vote on whether to approve the by-laws. As noted above, the approval of the by-law amendments is contingent on NS Government approval of regulations to be proposed by NSCN. If these new by-laws are approved and take effect, an updated by-laws document will be posted on the website.