In light of ongoing and persistent drug shortages, Health Canada has issued clarification regarding pharmacist dispensing authority under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and its regulations. Please access the communication provided from the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals here.
CRNS Practice and Education Nursing Advisors are available to answer your questions by phone at 1.800.667.9945 or 306.359.4227 or by email at practiceadvice@crns.ca.
With the recent release of the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) Code of Ethics for Nurses 2025, we want to clarify which version applies to CRNS registrants.
For clarity, CRNS registrants will be held to the expectations within the CNA Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses, 2017, as it is the version approved by CRNS Council and the Ministry of Health and is referenced in CRNS Bylaw XV (p. 47).
While the newly released 2025 version may be used as a current, evidence-informed resource for ethical guidance, it is not the standard to which registrants are currently held, but rather aspirational.
As part of our commitment to align ethical expectations nationally, the CRNS is working towards implementing its own Code of Conduct. We appreciate your patience during this period of transition; more details will be shared as progress continues over the coming months.
CRNS Practice and Education Nursing Advisors are available to answer your questions. They can be contacted by phone at 1.800.667.9945 or 306.359.4227 or by email at practiceadvice@crns.ca.
The Canadian Council of Practical Nurse Regulators (CCPNR) and the Canadian Council of Registered Nurse Regulators (CCRNR) are working together to update their respective entry-level competencies for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and Registered Nurses (RNs) across Canada. This collaboration will result in two documents: the updated entry-level competencies for Licensed Practical Nurses and the updated entry-level competencies for Registered Nurses.
Entry-level competencies reflect the knowledge, skills, critical thinking and judgement expected of an entry-level licensed/registered practical nurse and registered nurse to provide safe, competent and ethical care.
We invite you to share your insights by completing a short survey that will inform the update of the entry-level competencies for Licensed /Registered Practical Nurses and for Registered Nurses in Canada. Your responses will guide the steering committees in identifying what’s working well, where gaps exist, and what changes are needed to reflect current and emerging realities in nursing and health care.
Survey Details:
To complete the survey, visit:
https://survey.alchemer-ca.com/s3/50381613/CCPNR-CCRNR-Registrant-Survey
Deadline to participate is August 15, 2025 at 5:00pm EST.
Questions can be directed to Mariam Kilyana at mariam.kilyana@sensenous.ca.
Thank you for your valuable contribution to this important initiative for the CCPNR and CCRNR.
The College of Registered Nurses of Saskatchewan (CRNS) is revising the Graduate Nurse (GN) Practice Guideline, which provides direction and support for GN practice across the province.
The consultation period is from May 27 to June 24. Please submit your feedback no later than June 24, 2025 at 4:30 pm.
This review is being conducted through a survey and administered on a secure website. Your responses will be anonymous and confidential.
GN Practice Guideline for External Consultation
Survey for GN Practice Guideline
If you have any questions, please email Donna Marin at dmarin@crns.ca and/or Lana Prystai at lprystai@crns.ca.
Thank you for your participation.
The CRNS is participating in a national project to review the RN Entry-Level Competencies (ELC). The project’s main objectives include:
A consulting firm, Sense & Nous, has been hired to assist with the project. They are looking for volunteer subject matter experts (SME) to take part in the review.
Each session will be a one hour virtually facilitated one-on-one interview. Interviews will be scheduled based on the SME’s availability and held between June 1 and August 1. A consultation guide will be sent beforehand to allow time to prepare.
To express interest, contact a CRNS Practice and Education Nursing Advisor by email at practiceadvice@crns.ca no later than Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
The Prescribing Controlled Drugs and Substances (CDS) for Nurse Practitioners resource has been revised.
Updates include information on the Prescription Review Program (PRP), controlled drugs and substances (CDS) that can and cannot be prescribed, medical Cannabis, as well as PRP prescription requirements, part fills and more.
For more information, contact the Prescription Review Program via email at PRP@crns.ca.
Saskatchewan pharmacists may prescribe in specific situations outlined by the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals here. Details of and updates to pharmacists prescribing for minor ailments can be accessed through the Saskatchewan Health Information Resources Program (SHIRP) and the medSask section. If you do not have a SHIRP account, you are encouraged to sign up. These and many other resources are accessible through SHIRP.
Contact a CRNS Practice and Education Nursing Advisor by email at practiceadvice@crns.ca or by phone at 1.800.667.9945.
The Aesthetic Nursing Resource has been revised to provide further clarity in the following areas of the document:
Contact a CRNS Practice and Education Nursing Advisor by email at practiceadvice@crns.ca or by phone at 1.800.667.9945.
Nurse Practitioners (NP) are expected to cooperate with investigations processes conducted by regulatory bodies, including but not limited to the CRNS and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CPSS) by responding to requests for information in accordance with the Health Information Protection Act.
Section 36(1) stipulates that written requests are responded to within 30 days. NPs comply with self-regulation practice standards by adhering to current relevant legislation such as the Health Information Protection Act. Not responding in a timely manner or at all could be considered professional misconduct.
The Canadian Nurse Protective Society (CNPS) or CRNS Practice and Education Nursing Advisors can be contacted for questions related to releasing information.
Contact CNPS by phone at 1.800.267.3390.
Contact a CRNS Practice and Education Nursing Advisor by email at practiceadvice@crns.ca or by phone at 1.800.667.9945.
Call for Volunteers: CNPE Exam Development & Exam Committee Member (SK Representative)
Meazure Learning is seeking subject matter expert (SME) volunteers to be item writers for the CNPE Exam. Each group of item writers is composed of a representative mix of four to eight participants from different jurisdictions and different areas of nursing expertise. Work related to exam development occurs throughout the year.
The CRNS is seeking an Exam Committee member to represent Saskatchewan at the Exam Committee meetings. The committee has several duties including reviewing content of the exam and establishing the standard for the exam. This is a 3-year term and would start in January 2026.
For more information, click here.
Pharmacist Assessment Record Content Changes
There have been changes made to the overall Pharmacist Assessment Record (PAR) for prescribing by pharmacists (minor ailments, self care and other diseases).
The Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals’ (SCPP) Bylaws (Part K – Prescribing of Drugs – Pharmacist Assessment Record 3(3) ) require the entire Pharmacist Assessment Record be provided to the patient’s primary care practitioner (and where appropriate other practitioners involved in the patient’s care) when prescribing for minor ailments, self-care and other diseases identified by the Minister of Health or Designate.
To support this requirement, the medSask Pharmacist Assessment Records have been updated.
Questions can be directed to Lori Postnikoff lori.postnikoff@saskpharm.ca at the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals or Danielle Larocque danielle.larocque@usask.ca at the University of Saskatchewan.
Contact a CRNS Practice and Education Nursing Advisor by email at practiceadvice@crns.ca or by phone at 1.800.667.9945.
