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Referral-Consultation Process for Nurse Practitioners

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CPSS) has recently released a Guideline: Referral-Consultation Process. The guideline includes guidance for physicians who are writing referrals and consultation reports. Nurse Practitioners (NP) are included as care providers within the document. Expectations for communication to/from consulting physicians are important for NPs to know, understand and implement into their practice.

NP practice standards set the expectation for NPs to understand the roles of, and collaborate with, other health care providers to support optimal client outcomes (CRNS, 2017). Section four of the guideline outlines the expectations of referring physicians. The CRNS supports the information in this section and expects NPs to follow these guidelines when referring a patient to a specialist.

If you have any questions, please contact an CRNS Practice Advisor by phone at 1.800.667.9945 or 306.359.4227 or by email practiceadvice@crns.ca.

Reference:

College of Registered Nurses of Saskatchewan (CRNS). (2017). Registered Nurse (Nurse Practitioner) Practice Standards. Retrieved from https://www.crns.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/RNNPPracticeStandards2017.pdf

Updated Requirements for NP Hours

As of December 1, 2020, Nurse Practitioners in Saskatchewan will no longer be required to complete 600 clinical hours to maintain eligibility for registration. According to CRNS Bylaw VI subsection 3(7), NPs are required to work in nurse practitioner activities approved by the association in one of the four specialties for at least 900 hundred hours in the three years immediately preceding application. However, there is no longer a requirement for clinical hours.

This modification was made in recognition of changes in NP practice acknowledging the increasing diversity with many NPs working in various domains of practice outside of a clinical setting.

For any questions regarding this change, please email Leah White, RN Nursing Advisor (lwhite@crns.ca)

Advanced Foot Care for Registered Nurses

Infection Prevention and Control Canada has released an updated document on the use, cleaning, disinfection, sterilization and storage of foot care devices. The document outlines the required equipment and devices for client treatment, as well as stipulations for the purchasing and reusing of foot care devices, and options for guaranteed sterilization of the devices if items are being reused.

It is your duty as the Registered Nurse administering care to ensure that the client is not placed at risk of infection when foot care devices are being used. The level of sterilization of foot care instruments and supplies must be at the level of a health professional. RNs should evaluate their current practices against the recommended infection prevention and control practices within the document and adjust, as necessary.

With the rise of instances of chronic diseases increasing the need for advanced foot care, this document is to ensure that all Registered Nurses with this added certification are up-to-date on the best practices for safe foot care treatment, and are educated on the options available to ensure infection does not occur.

Read the full document here.

Telehealth Nursing Practice

We have received a number of calls lately about telehealth and the ability to provide this service. Telehealth connects patients and health care providers who provide health services over the phone, computer or any other form of information and communication technologies (ICT).

Providing telehealth to a Saskatchewan resident

To provide telehealth to a Saskatchewan resident, you must be registered and hold a practicing license with the CRNS. The Registered Nurses Act, 1988 in Saskatchewan outlines the need to be registered to engage in the practice of registered nursing and to use protected titles. Information about registration can be found here.

Questions about registration can be directed to Regulatory Services by email at register@crns.ca or by calling 306.359.4200 or 1.800.667.9945 (toll free within Canada).

Providing telehealth to clients who are residents of another province or territory

Each province/territory and country is governed by differing legislation/regulations/bylaws. We encourage you to contact the nursing regulator in that jurisdiction before providing telehealth services to their residents.

A national discussion is currently underway to examine the delivery of telehealth services across the country. We will provide updates on this issues as further information becomes available.

For a confidential consultation about a practice issue, please contact a Practice Advisor by email at practiceadvice@crns.ca or call 306.359.4200 or 1.800.667.9945 (toll free within Canada).

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