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Upcoming process change for renewing Professional Liability Protection

We want to let you know about an upcoming change to the CRNS registration process related to professional liability protection (PLP).

Your CRNS registration has always included the fee for PLP, which is required by law as part of nursing licensure. In previous years, CRNS collected the fee and forwarded this payment to our PLP provider, the Canadian Nurses Protective Society (CNPS), on your behalf.

Beginning this year, registrants will now pay the fee for PLP directly to CNPS instead of it being collected by CRNS as part of registration.

What does this mean for me?
There is no change to the total cost of registration, this is a change to the process only. Your CRNS registration fee and the applicable fee for CNPS PLP and Core Services will remain the same. For a current breakdown of fees, see the CRNS Fee Schedule.

Why is there a change?
This change will help CNPS more easily identify nurses who are eligible for services, better support mobility across jurisdictions, and eventually help reduce duplicate PLP fees when transitioning between provinces or territories, where possible.

Direct registration with CNPS will also make it easier to identify you as a CNPS beneficiary, reduce verification steps if assistance is needed, and improve access to CNPS services and support.

Watch for more information
We’ll share step-by-step guidance and additional support closer to launch and again ahead of the registration period so you know exactly what to do. For now, we wanted to provide early awareness of this upcoming change.

To learn more about CNPS PLP and other services, visit the CNPS website. If you have any questions, please contact us at info@crns.ca.

External Consultation: Aesthetic Nursing Resource and Self-Employed Practice Guideline

The CRNS is revising the Aesthetic Nursing Resource and the Self-Employed Practice Guideline. As part of the external consultation process, the CRNS is seeking feedback on these documents from registrants and external partners, including the public. The consultation period is now open until June 4, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. 

Your responses will be anonymous and confidential. Each document has its own survey link that allows for sections of content to be viewed at a time. To view the documents in their entirety while completing the survey, please see the link to draft copies below. 

Access the Aesthetic Nursing Resource survey

Access the Self-Employed Practice Guideline survey

Questions or comments are welcome and can be directed to Virginia Deobald at vdeobald@crns.ca.

CCRNR Validation Survey: Entry-Level Competencies for Registered Nurses

The Canadian Council for Registered Nurse Regulators (CCRNR) is updating the entry-level competencies (ELCs) for Registered Nurses across Canada and is inviting your feedback through a short survey to help validate the draft updates.

Your insights will help the steering committee determine whether the draft set of ELCs accurately capture the full scope of contemporary nursing practice and identify anything that may have been overlooked or needs refinement.

You can access the survey here.

The survey is confidential, takes approximately 25-30 minutes to complete, and includes a save and continue later option. The deadline to provide feedback is April 17, 2026, at 3:00 pm.

If you have any questions, please contact the survey administrator, Sense & Nous, at survey@sensenous.ca. 

External Consultation: Professional Boundaries and the Nurse-Client Relationship

The CRNS is revising the current Professional Boundary Considerations for Nurse Client Relationships resource. 

As part of the external consultation process, the CRNS is seeking feedback from registrants and external partners. The consultation period is March 19 to April 9. The deadline to provide feedback is April 9, 2026, at 4:00 pm. The online survey can be accessed here.

Questions or comments are welcome and can be directed to Nursing Practice Advice at practiceadvice@crns.ca.   

Independent Practice Register

Given the nature of the work/services provided by Registered Nurses (RN) and Nurse Practitioners (NP) in independent practice, there is potential for increased risk to the public. Effective March 9, 2026, registrants who operate in an independent practice must register the practice with the CRNS. 

RNs and NPs in independent practice are self-employed and provide professional nursing services in a variety of ways:

  • as an individual;
  • in association with other self-employed health professionals; and/or, 
  • as an employer of other health professionals. 

These nursing services are provided independent of an employer or health care agency. As they do not operate under the direct control of another health professional, employer or health care institution, RNs and NPs are legally accountable for the professional services they provide as well as the business matters related to the independent practice. 

RNs and NPs may also be subject to various laws and regulations regarding the organization of the services provided (i.e., the business) in addition to those that regulate the practice of nursing (CNPS, 2021). Examples of independent practice may include but are not limited to health promotion services (smoking cessation, prenatal classes); or curative/restorative/palliative care (foot care, home care, aesthetics). 

Registering an independent practice is a separate process from Confirming Nursing Practice. The confirmation process may also be required. 

To register your independent practice:

  • Sign into your CRNS profile.
  • On the left side of the screen, click “Add independ. practice” to complete a two-step registration process.
  • There is no associated fee.

A separate register will be housed on our website at CRNS.ca  where the public can look up a registrant and their independent practice.

CRNS Registration Nursing Advisors are available to answer your questions by email at regulation@crns.ca.

Updated Practice Direction

The CRNS recently updated three documents now available on the CRNS website.

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.

CRNS Code of Conduct

On December 19, 2025, the Ministry of Health approved changes to CRNS Bylaws that replace the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses with the CRNS Code of Conduct.

The CRNS Code of Conduct (the Code) is a set of six principles that describes the accountabilities RNs have to clients, employers, colleagues and the public. The Code explains what the public can expect from RNs, and what RNs do to maintain professionalism, competence and ethical behavior to deliver safe client care. 

The Code is effective February 17, 2026. 

Although the words may be different, the practice expectations of RNs and NPs have not changed. Getting to know the Code is a great focus for your 2026 Continuing Competence Program learning plan. A couple of resources to help familiarize yourself with the Code are:

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.

Saskatchewan Biosimilars Initiative: Phase 2

The second phase of the Saskatchewan Biosimilars Initiative launches on February 1, 2026. Under the Biosimilars Initiative, patients receive Saskatchewan Drug Plan coverage for a biosimilar when one is available and listed on the Saskatchewan Formulary. Biosimilars offer safe, effective treatment options and support significant cost savings and long term health system sustainability. Expanding the initiative helps maintain patient access to publicly funded drug coverage.

The second phase of the Biosimilars Initiative includes four drugs listed on the Saskatchewan Formulary:

  • denosumab (Prolia®);
  • omalizumab (Xolair®);
  • tocilizumab (Actemra®); and,
  • ustekinumab (Stelara®).

For more information, visit:

Joint Statement CPSS and CRNS: Physicians & NPs authorizing RNs to provide injections of Botox and other bioactive agent

Health Canada has contacted the College of Physicians and Surgeons and the CRNS (the “Colleges”) and expressed concern that some Saskatchewan physicians, NPs and RNs are contravening the Food and Drugs Act. It has advised the Colleges that in order to comply with the Food and Drugs Act, a physician or NP must provide a patient specific order (prescription) for each patient to whom an RN will provide an injection of Botox or other bioactive agent.

Click here for the full joint statement.

The CRNS acknowledges this may result in a change in practice. To support RNs and NPs in understanding practice expectations a Q&A session will be held on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 from 7 to 8 pm. The meeting link and password was sent to CRNS registrants by email on December 4, 2025 and can additionally be obtained by emailing info@crns.ca or calling (306) 359-4200.

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.

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