CURRENT PRACTICE ALERTS
MARCH 22, 2021 | ALBERTA NURSING REGULATOR'S STATEMENT ON HIGH VOLUME VACCINATION CLINICS
The Alberta Nursing Regulators: The College and Association of Registered Nurses, the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta and the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic is a public health emergency and mass immunization clinics are being put in place to protect Albertans from COVID-19. As a result, Alberta Health Services (AHS) has put forward protocols for use in AHS COVID-19 High Volume Vaccination Clinics. These protocols apply to specific locations, for a specified time frame and will be reviewed periodically. The Nursing Regulators wish to provide the following information to their registrants.
All nurses are expected and required to abide by their Practice Standards. It is important to acknowledge that the Practice Standards of each regulatory college recognize the need for health care professionals to exercise their evidence-informed professional judgment given the circumstances.
The Colleges recognize that the first duty of health professionals is to their patients, and that in certain circumstances appropriate patient care involves exercising professional judgment as to the best means of protecting patients from risk of serious harm.
In addition, nurses should follow their employer requirements for administering medications within their competence and scope of practice, while at the same time adhering to their professional accountability and responsibility. COVID-19 has impacted how we work together as a greater community in addressing public health interests, directives, and mandates.
PROTECTING PATIENTS FROM SEXUAL ABUSE AND MISCONDUCT EDUCATION COURSE
Mandatory Requirement - All RPNs MUST Complete This New Course
On April 1st, 2019, Bill 21 – An Act to Protect Patients - officially took effect in Alberta to protect patients from sexual abuse and sexual misconduct by health professionals. As part of the legislation, all regulated health professionals in Alberta must successfully complete an education course on preventing and addressing sexual abuse and sexual misconduct towards patients. The three-module course will create awareness about how to recognize and prevent sexual abuse and sexual misconduct. The course includes key definitions, mandatory reporting requirements, and consequences of sexual abuse and sexual misconduct.
All members must complete the online education course Protecting Patients from Sexual Abuse and Misconduct and upload their certificate of completion through their CRPNA Member Page prior to renewing their 2021-2022 practice permit.
This mandatory course on sexual abuse and sexual misconduct is now available through the Alberta Federation of Regulated Health Professions (AFRHP) and can be accessed by clicking the link below.
Click this link to the Mandatory Course: Protecting Patients from Sexual Abuse and Misconduct
Please note this course will take approximately an hour and a half to complete, and your progress is not saved. Upon completion, you must save this certificate and upload it to your CRPNA Member Page prior to the 2021/2022 renewal year.