Background
The (CRPNM) schedules a review of the Standards of Psychiatric Nursing Practice (the “Standards”) approximately every five (5) years. This is done to ensure the document remains current and relevant, and reflective of the current and emerging trends in health and mental health delivery systems. The Standards were last updated and approved in 2015 when the CRPNM adopted the Registered Psychiatric Nurse Regulators of Canada (RPNRC) Standards of Psychiatric Nursing Practice as their own. In 2018, the CRPNM, together with Psychiatric Nursing regulators in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan launched a joint project to revise and update our Standards of Psychiatric Nursing Practice.
A consulting firm was retained to facilitate the project. An expert Working Group of representatives from each of the provinces participated in a series of meetings to review and consider trends in the profession, various psychiatric nursing practice scenarios, and the literature to recommend revisions to the current Standards of Psychiatric Nursing Practice. Participants on the Working Group included practising registered psychiatric nurses, regulators and psychiatric nursing educators.
The 2010 approved Standards of Psychiatric Nursing Practice were extensively reviewed and, following consultations with the working group and a jurisdictional review, the four colleges recommended a continuing commitment to the 2010 document with some revisions. With permission from RPNRC, the original publication was modified and prepared for consultation.
Consultation
In October 2018, over a 3-week period, all Practising RPNs in Canada in each of the western provinces were invited to participate in an electronic survey on the proposed revisions to the Standards. Manitoba was well represented in the responses. All the feedback was reviewed and considered, even feedback that was not incorporated into the final proposed document. When considering how the feedback might be incorporated, the steering committee ensured that any revisions were consistent with the Colleges’ mandate.
Approval
The Standards of Psychiatric Nursing Practice were approved by the CRPNM Board of Directors on October 17, 2019.
