How We Govern
The College of Registered Nurses of Saskatchewan (CRNS) is the profession-led regulatory body for all Registered Nurses (RNs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) in Saskatchewan with nearly 15,000 members. Established in 1917 by the provincial legislature, the CRNS is accountable for public protection by ensuring members are competent in providing the services that society has entrusted to them.
Our Council
The CRNS Council:
- oversees CRNS business and is accountable to the public to establish procedures for good corporate governance and to achieve CRNS’s mission, vision and mandate.
- provides an effective means of accountability for the CRNS in matters of moral conduct, legal operation, financial controls and annual reporting.
- is made up of 11-members consisting of five CRNS registrants, five public representatives and the CRNS’s Executive Director & Registrar (a non-voting position).
2024 Meeting Dates
- February 7 (rescheduled to February 23)
- June 5 & 6
- September 17 & 18
- November 6
2025 Meeting Dates
- February 5
- June 3 & 4
- September 16 & 17
- November 25
Act & Bylaws
The CRNS is governed by the Registered Nurses Act, 1988, as well as bylaws approved by Saskatchewan’s Minister of Health.
The Registered Nurses Act, 1988 sets out the requirements for the CRNS’s regulatory mandate including regulatory requirements for nursing program approval, investigations and discipline, licensure requirements, and more. The CRNS Council translates the authority of the Act into bylaws, which must be approved by the Minister of Health. These bylaws then appear in the Saskatchewan Gazette and become law.
Public Representation and Participation
Participation by the public ensures the CRNS remains responsive and accountable to the people of Saskatchewan and is a necessary part of the work done by the CRNS.
There are various avenues for public participation with the CRNS, which may include obtaining feedback through regular consultation with a variety of social and cultural groups; surveying Saskatchewan citizens for their feedback on regulation and RN practice; maintaining a public representative on all statutory and advisory committees; and publishing information on its roles and responsibilities in CRNS publications including our Annual Report.
The public’s input is used to: improve regulation, the registered nursing profession, develop policy and programs, and enhance public relations.
Learn more about our CRNS Committees.
Learn more about Public Representation and Participation with the CRNS.
Education Program Approval
Entry-level nursing programs in Saskatchewan must receive program approval from CRNS for graduates to be eligible to proceed with registration.
The Registered Nurses Act, 1988 authorizes the CRNS Council to approve nursing education programs in Saskatchewan. The authority for approving entry-level nursing programs in Saskatchewan has been delegated from the CRNS Council to the CRNS Nursing Education Program Approval Committee (NEPAC). NEPAC has the authority to grant a program’s approval status, as well as make other decisions related to program approval. CRNS Council has the authority to hear an appeal of NEPAC’s decisions.
The objectives of the education program approval process are to:
- Fulfill CRNS’s legislative duty to approve entry-level nursing education programs;
- Promote the safe practice of nursing through a standardized nursing education approval process for all categories of nursing education;
- Grant jurisdictional recognition to nursing education programs;
- Provide stakeholders with a transparent account of program approval; and,
- Support continuous evaluation and improvement of nursing education programs in the province.