Registered Psychiatric Nursing
One of the Regulated Types of Nursing in Canada

Registered psychiatric nursing is recognized as one of types of nursing in the 4 western provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

In all other provinces the mental health nursing professional would be a registered nurse with a mental health specialty.

Both RPN's and RN's practice within the legal definition of nursing. Both types of nursing professionals are licensed to plan, implement, and evaluate nursing care for clients and families across the lifespan.

It is the scope of client conditions that differentiates the practice of the RPN and the RN.

A registered psychiatric nurse (RPN) can practice mental health nursing.

A registered nurse (RN), however, can practice in many areas including psychiatric and mental health nursing, acute care, oncology, infection control, and many other specialities.

A RPN can also specialize but that specialty must be within the field of mental health nursing. Examples of specialization might be with a specific client group such a forensics, gerontology, or pediatrics.

Specialization can also occur for specific client conditions such as psychosis, depression, or substance abuse.

Nursing laws regulate all types of nursing in Canada, and a provincial regulatory body oversees each of the different types of nursing in the public interest by enforcing those laws and regulations.

Under that mandate a regulatory body called a "College" or an "Association" would regulate nursing education programs, provide support to registered members, and discipline members who fail to practice according to the established nursing standards of practice.

The college would also be responsible for processing applications to write the Canadian Registration Exam for Psychiatric Nursing in order to obtain a nursing license as a RPN.

You can find out more about psychiatric and mental health nursing in Canada by going to the website of any of the provincial regulatory nursing organizations or the Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Canada.

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