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Medication Management Guideline

The CRNS is currently reviewing the Medication Management Guideline and is seeking feedback on the content. Medication management is one of the most important responsibilities Registered Nurses (RN) have. This document is applicable to all designations and outlines the responsibilities of both the RN and the employer, as well as the importance of providing safe and competent client care.

The CRNS is seeking feedback on this document from members and stakeholders, including the public, as part of the external consultation process. This process is in place to ensure relevant information is clearly presented. Feedback can be provided by accessing the document here and the survey here. Feedback will be accepted until Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 4:30 pm.

Final approval of the document is through the CRNS Executive Director and CRNS Council. The document will take effect on the day of CRNS Council approval.

Questions or comments are welcome and can be directed to creece@crns.ca.

Canada’s New Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) Law

On March 17, 2021 new MAID legislation came into effect. Some of the key changes include:

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Persons requesting MAiD have a grievous and irremediable medical condition remains in the legislation.
  • “Reasonable foreseeability of natural death” criterion has been repealed.
  • Eligibility for persons suffering solely from mental illness is temporarily excluded until March 17, 2023.

Safeguards & Consent:

  • Safeguards have been separated into two tracks based on whether the person’s natural death is reasonably foreseeable.
  • Safeguards have been eased for eligible persons whose death is reasonably foreseeable. This includes the possible waiver of final consent for eligible persons under certain circumstances.
  • Safeguards have been added and/or strengthened for eligible persons whose death is not reasonably foreseeable. Final consent for this group must be provided by the person immediately before administration of MAiD.

Data Collection and Monitoring:

  • All assessments (not only referrals) for MAiD are required to be reported to better capture who is requesting MAiD across the country.

The Government of Canada website includes the updated information and other resources related to the changes to the MAiD law. CRNS MAiD resources are being updated to reflect the changes and will be shared once complete.

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

Medication Management in Covid-19 Immunization Clinics

Changes to the Saskatchewan Immunization Program have been outlined in updates to the Saskatchewan Disease Control Regulations and apply to nurses across the province including those working for the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority (NITHA) and others. Many partners are involved in rolling out the Covid-19 Immunization Delivery Plan across Saskatchewan, utilizing licensed and unlicensed health care providers to meet the human resource demands while providing safe client outcomes. The team-based approach means there may be some exceptions to current medication management expectations for RNs in relation to Covid-19 vaccines only.

Exceptions to usual practice are approved at the provincial level and supported by provincial and employer documents. Some exceptions that may occur include multiple health care providers:

  • Being involved in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of the vaccine; and
  • Preparing and administering the vaccine.

In practice this means there may be different care providers completing screening, reconstituting vials of vaccine, pre-drawing and labelling syringes, administering the vaccine, documenting, observing for anaphylaxis and responding when needed. The team-based approach supports a large number of health care providers working within their competence to complete components of the immunization process in a safe and timely manner.

Guidance for RNs working in Covid-19 immunization clinics include:

  • Each health care provider competently provides care within their scope of practice or job description and is responsible for the care they provide.
  • Agency policy provides direction to RNs and other health care providers when exceptions to practice are in place.
  • Gaps or unsafe conditions may exist, and RNs are well positioned to identify, report and offer solutions to address these situations.
  • Collaboration and communication are fundamental to effective team functioning and for delivery of safe care.

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

National NP Regulation Project Update

In follow up to the December 22, 2020 Nursing Practice Update:

The CCRNR National NP Regulation Project continues to move forward with the goal of providing consistent regulation with a single category of NPs and one national examination for all NPs in Canada. The current priorities of the project are selecting an exam vendor, review of entry level competencies and establishing advisory committees.

The CRNS encourages members who are interested in staying up to date on this project to subscribe to the CCRNR NPR-FIPP newsletter to receive the Project News and to access Frequently Asked Questions.

This project will involve consultation from provincial key stakeholders. The CRNS will be setting up meetings to inform stakeholders of the project and discuss future consultation. If you are interested in attending any CRNS upcoming information sessions regarding the project, please email Donna Cooke, Nursing Advisor at dcooke@crns.ca.

Self-Employed Practice Guideline and Documentation Guideline

The CRNS is pleased to announce the release of two updated nursing practice guidelines, the Self-Employed Practice Guideline, and the Documentation Guideline. The guidelines have been updated to reflect the current, evidence-based best practices. These guidelines apply to all categories of nursing practice.

Please review these documents and consider how they may relate to your practice. 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.

NPs Completing Medical Certificates of Death (MCOD) and Medical Certificates of Stillbirth (MCOS)

The Government of Saskatchewan amended vital statistics legislation effective January 1, 2016, giving NPs the legal authority to sign the MCOD and MCOS. Information for NP practice in this area has been contained in the CRNS Guidelines for NPs Completing Medical Certificate of Death & Medical Certificate of Stillbirth, 2016. The guideline has been discontinued and this update provides the most current information and resources.

Physicians, coroners, and NPs share responsibility for proper completion of MCOD and MCOS. NPs registered with the CRNS whom have the appropriate knowledge, skills and competencies are authorized to complete a MCOD and MCOS unless the death needs to be reported to a coroner. NPs need to be familiar with the current provincial legislation that will guide their clinical decisions including;

• The Vital Statistics Regulations;

• The Vital Statistics Act;

• The Coroners Regulations; and

 • The Coroners Act.

All Government of Saskatchewan documents are available on Queen’s Printer at the following web site http://www.qp.gov.sk.ca/

Additional resources for NPs:

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.

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

Support for Public Health Measures

Evidence shows that measures such as handwashing, masking and social distancing are effective strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19. At this time, as COVID vaccines are being administered to the residents of Saskatchewan, the CRNS wants to remind RNs and NPs about expectations related to providing advice on public health protection and prevention measures.

RNs and NPs are leaders in the community. The public’s trust may extend to the views expressed by RNs and NPs on health matters communicated on social media and other forums. As such, statements made by RNs and NPs in public forums have the potential to impact the health and safety of the public.

RNs and NPs have a professional responsibility and are accountable to:

  • use evidenced-based information to inform their professional practice;
  • support patients and the public to make informed health care decisions, including decisions about public health prevention and protection measures; and,
  • role model and follow public health directives that keep patients and the public safe.

The CRNS’s expectations of RNs and NPs regarding public statements, are outlined in the Registered Nurse Practice Standards, Registered Nurse Entry-level Competencies, Nurse Practitioner Practice Standards, Nurse Practitioner Entry-level Competencies and the Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses.

The CRNS’s standards, entry-level competencies and code of ethics do not apply to all aspects of an RN’s or NP’s private life. However, those who choose to make public comments, while identifying themselves as an RN or NP, are accountable to the CRNS and the public it protects.

RNs and NPs are expected to adhere to the standards, entry-level competencies and code of ethics when carrying out their professional responsibilities. They have a professional responsibility to provide evidence-based information and care. Making anti-vaccination, anti-masking and anti-distancing comments may result in an investigation by the CRNS, and possible disciplinary proceedings. 

Additional resources

CRNS

Social Media

Government of Saskatchewan

Government of Canada

Nurse Practitioner Regulation Framework Implementation Plan Project (NPR-FIPP)

As a member of the national steering committee, the CRNS is participating in the Nurse Practitioner Regulation Framework Implementation Plan Project (NPR-FIPP). This project is a multi-year, multi-faceted initiative commissioned by the Canadian Council of Registered Nurse Regulators (CCRNR).

The goal of NPR-FIPP is to implement the recommendations endorsed by CCRNR regarding six basic elements of a model for Nurse Practitioner regulation in Canada. These six elements include entry level education programs, the creation of one national entry-level examination for all NPs across Canada, common standards of practice, continuing competence, one NP registration category based on entry-level competencies and common principles for re-entry to practice. The first-year priority will focus on beginning work on an entry level examination and entry level education programs.

For additional information about the project, visit the CCRNR website.

If you have any questions about the project and/or the CRNS’s role, please contact Donna Cooke, Nursing Advisor, Regulatory Services at dcooke@crns.ca or phone 1-800-667-9945 (ext. 202) or 306-359-4202.

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)

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