We acknowledge that Manitoba is on the original lands of the Dakota, Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, Dené, Inuit and Métis Nation. We acknowledge that the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba is located on Treaty One territory. We respect the Treaties that were made on these territories, and we acknowledge the harms and mistakes of the past. We dedicate ourselves to moving forward in partnership with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities in a spirit of reconciliation and collaboration.
Practice Resources
Practice Directions
Practice directions set out requirements related to specific aspects of registered psychiatric nursing practice and provide more detailed information related to the Act, the Regulations, other relevant legislation, the Standards of Psychiatric Nursing Practice and the CRPNM Code of Ethics.
Practice Direction Agency Practice
This Practice Direction is intended to support Registered Psychiatric Nurses in understanding their regulatory obligations and professional responsibilities who in or considering agency practice. It outlines key considerations to promote safe, competent, and ethical practice within the unique context of agency work.
See the practice direction here.
Is my Practice Considered Psychiatric Nursing Practice?
Our profession’s Scope of Practice Statement is broad by design to ensure it fully applies to the wide range of client populations, roles and settings an RPN may serve or work in. It articulates the education that RPNs receive at entry level, and the experience and education RPNs receive as their practice grows. In determining whether a particular practice may be the practice of registered psychiatric nursing, part of the assessment includes evaluating whether the practice aligns with the above definition of psychiatric nursing practice. It must also take into account whether the practice is grounded in the competencies gained in basic psychiatric nursing education programs.
See the practice direction here.
Fitness to Practice
Fitness to practice refers to the professional capability and suitability of a psychiatric nurse to perform their duties effectively, safely, and ethically within their scope of practice. The CRPNM council has approved a new practice direction entitled Fitness to Practice.
See the practice direction here.
RPN Scope of Practice Manitoba
Scope of practice refers to the full range of activities that Registered Psychiatric Nurses are both educated and authorized to perform. The legal authority for Manitoba RPN scope of practice resides in the regulations under the Regulated Health Professions Act. The RPN profession’s scope of practice outlines boundaries of practice for the RPN profession.
The RPN Scope of Practice documents have been updated to include a definition for an “approved practice setting” as well as the parameters for RPN administration of antibiotics for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis.
See the practice direction here.
Performing a Psycho-social Intervention
The intent of this practice direction is to define the expectations for Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs) as they relate to the Regulated Health Professions Act of Manitoba (RHPA), 2009 Reserved Act #20 — performing a “psycho-social intervention with an expectation of modifying a substantial disorder of thought, mood, perception, orientation or memory that grossly impairs judgment, behaviour, the capacity to recognize reality, or the ability to meet the ordinary demands of life.”
See the practice direction here.
Reserved Acts that Require Additional Education
The focus of the additional education is to support safe, competent, client-centered practice. This practice direction communicates the criteria required of the additional education. This practice direction also focuses on the criteria for the reserved acts requiring additional education and provides a more standardized education process for RPNs performing the reserved acts identified in the practice direction.
The RPN Scope of Practice documents have been updated to include a definition for an “approved practice setting” as well as the parameters for RPN administration of antibiotics for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis.
See the practice direction here.
What is a Clinical Decision Tool?
A Clinical Decision Tool (or CDT) is a document whose purpose is to guide the assessment, diagnosis or treatment of a client specific clinical problem. Clinical Decision Tools are developed in collaboration with other authorized health care providers who have the authority to order laboratory or diagnostic screening tests and to prescribe medications or treatments.
Virtual Practice
The intent of this practice direction is to define the expectations for Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs) who are providing virtual services to clients in other locations outside their own practice setting. Virtual practice is the use of technology to deliver health care services at a distance that are located outside of the setting in which they practice.
This replaces the former Telepractice document.
Duty to Provide Care
The purpose of this tri-nursing college document is to help nurses and their employers understand nurses’ professional and legal responsibilities related to the duty to provide care. This document is also intended to describe factors that contribute to, and impact on a nurse’s ability to meet their duty to provide care.
Professional nursing practice standards, practice directions, and codes of ethics, all of which establish practice expectations for each of the three nursing professions in Manitoba, underpin the guidance provided within this document.
Access to Prescribed Medications
We recognize the importance and necessity of interprofessional collaboration to support safe client care in situations where supplying medications is necessary. When these expectations cannot be met, all health-care professionals are responsible for resolving the practice issue as a team.
Assignment & Delegation
The College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba (CRPNM) is pleased to release an updated practice direction titled Assignment and Delegation to Unregulated Care Providers. This Practice Direction was created in collaboration with the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Manitoba (CLPNM) and the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba (CRNM). The practice expectations outlined in this practice direction are consistent with the practice directions of the same title published by the other two nursing Colleges.
Boundaries
The CRPNM has updated the previous practice direction on Professional Boundaries in Psychiatric Nursing to add a section on sexual boundary violations. The core of psychiatric nursing practice is the therapeutic relationship between the client and the RPN. Establishing and maintaining this professional relationship is the responsibility of the RPN, not of the client, and every act or behaviour of the RPN must benefit the client (CRPNM, 1999).”
Download the Practice Direction: Professional Boundaries in Psychiatric Nursing
Documentation
The intent of this practice direction is to set standards for RPNs regarding documentation principles in the context of current theory, practices and best available evidence. This document is intended to complement the Code of Ethics and the Standards of Psychiatric Nursing Practice and any legislation and other resources that help to guide professional practice.
Interprofessional Collaborative Care
Collaborative care in health care occurs when multiple providers from different professions provide comprehensive services by working with clients , their support networks, care providers and communities to deliver the highest quality of care across all settings. This practice direction was developed by ten regulatory health colleges to ensure the partnership between a client and a team of health care providers is a participatory, collaborative and coordinated approach to shared decision-making around health and social issues.
Practice Guidelines
Practice guidelines are intended to complement the Code of Ethics and Standards of Psychiatric Nursing Practice and any legislation or other resources that guide professional practice. These allow RPNs to understand their responsibilities and how to make safe and ethical decisions in their practice based on sound, professional judgment.
New Practice Resources
The Manitoba Government announced the role for the undergraduate nurse employee (UNE) in Manitoba. Click here for the announcement. The UNE initiative provides senior nursing students the opportunity to work in their chosen career prior to their graduation, under the guidance and supervision of a registered nurse (RN) or registered psychiatric nurse (RPN).
The Colleges of Registered Nurses of Manitoba (CRNM) and Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba (CRPNM) developed a practice direction to assist RNs and RPNs to understand the practice expectations when supervising students in these roles.
See the practice direction here
Amendments to the Personal Health Information Act (PHIA) came into force on January 1, 2022.
View the Questions and Answers document developed by Manitoba Health and Seniors Care here The Personal Health Information Act Amendments – Questions and Answers
The Department has also developed Guidance documents respecting new privacy breach notification requirements, and the new limited authority to disregard an access request and to determine that an access request has been abandoned.
- Guideline on Limited Authority to Make a Determination that a Request for Access Has Been Abandoned
- Guideline on Limited Authority to Disregard Certain Requests for Access
- Guideline on Privacy Breaches
While these amendments will be of particular interest to RPNs in independent practice, all RPNs should familiarize themselves with these changes.
Did you know that Manitoba Health and Seniors Care offers a free PHIA online training program?
Learn more here: https://trainingtodo.com/mbhealth/secure/index.asp
Administration of Controlled Substances
The Federal Government has made some changes to the regulations that allow nurses to administer controlled substances. The three nursing Colleges, along with the Colleges of Pharmacists and Physicians and Surgeons have collaborated to provide ongoing updates with respect to the recently implemented federal exemptions. All RPNs are encouraged to examine how this might impact their practice.
Independent Practice
This document offers updated guidance for RPNs in Manitoba who are currently engaged in, or exploring, self-employed practice. Developed through a collaborative effort among RPN regulatory bodies across Canada, the guideline incorporates collective expertise and best practices informed by an environmental scan of nursing and other regulated professions. This document replaces the 2017 Guidelines for RPNs in Independent Practice.
Please contact the CRPNM if you wish to discuss the contents of this document and how the guidelines might apply to your self-employed situation.
Registered Psychiatric Nurses who are in independent practice must be familiar with the Guidelines for Independent Practice and the requirements for documentation and record keeping. RPNs in independent practice who are planning on relocating, closing or taking a leave practice from their practice must ensure a plan to notify their clients and for the storage and/or disposal of health records.
Medical Assistance in Dying Learning Resources
The College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Manitoba (CLPNM), the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba (CRNM) and the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba (CRPNM) are pleased to update the guidelines for LPNs, RNs and RPNs for nursing care related to Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID). With the expert guidance of the Medical Assistance in Dying Nursing Advisory Committee, these comprehensive guidelines are set to replace the older documents released by the three nursing colleges on Medical Assistance in Dying.
The medical assistance in dying nursing advisory group is made up of members from all three nursing colleges in Manitoba: the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba (CRNM), the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Manitoba (CLPNM) and the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba (CRPNM). This group works together to inform and develop education supports for nursing practice related to medical assistance in dying.
Medical Cannabis
The Colleges of Licensed Practical Nurses of Manitoba (CLPNM), Registered Nurses of Manitoba (CRNM) and Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba (CRPNM) are pleased to release guidelines to help Manitoba nurses understand their professional and legal responsibilities in the administration of medical cannabis.
This document contains information that is known and available at the time of publication. As more information becomes known, the nursing regulators will communicate additional guidance to Manitoba nurses.
This document has been updated to to include directions for those working in Personal Care Homes.
Social Media
This document addresses specific issues surrounding social media, social networking and professional conduct both in your practice setting and your personal life.
In this section:
- Standards and Legislation
- Practice Resources
- Conferences & Workshops
- Renewal 2026 Opens October 1, 2025
- Continuing Competency Program
- Your Registration
- Renewing a Certificate of Practice/Background Checks
- Updating Your Information
- Practice Hours
- Member Login Instructions
- Graduates Converting to the RPN Register
- Health Professions Corporations
- Reinstatement for Former Members
- Fee schedule
- Pre-Authorized Payment Plan
- Request a Transcript
- Employment Opportunities
- Professional Liability Protection/CNPS
College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba
Centre for Professional Regulatory Collaboration
210 Commerce Drive Winnipeg, MB R3P 2W1
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