Registered Nursing Profession Now Regulated Under The Regulated Health Professions Act

Regulations bringing the registered nursing profession under The Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) are now in effect, Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Kelvin Goertzen announced today.

“The RHPA sets out consistent rules and processes for governance, registration, complaints and discipline, and regulation and bylaw making authority,” said Goertzen.  “The College of Registered Nurses has done a great deal of work to make this possible and I congratulate them for their commitment to this process and their hard work in making this possible.”

The RHPA sets out a new way of regulating who does what in the provision of health services by designating ‘reserved acts’, which are specific health procedures that pose a significant or potential risk to the public if they are not performed by competent and trained professionals.  These include activities such as ordering screening and diagnostic tests, diagnosis, and prescribing and administering drugs.  Registered nurses will be authorized to perform 14 of 21 categories of reserved acts.  All reserved acts are subject to limits and conditions set out in the regulations.

“We are excited about the work we have accomplished together with Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living to come under the RHPA.  This new legislation optimizes registered nurse scope of practice and allows RNs to continue to work in collaborative practice to support sustainable health-care delivery for Manitobans,” said Marie Edwards, president, College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba.  “The RHPA supports our regulatory mandate to serve and protect the public interest.”

The regulations also create a new designation of registered nursing – the registered nurse authorized prescriber. These nurses will be able to independently order diagnostic tests and prescribe medications for patients that require registered nursing care related to travel health, reproductive health, sexually transmitted infections, blood-borne pathogens and diabetes.

For more information on the RHPA, visit www.gov.mb.ca/health/rhpa.

For more information on the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba, visit www.crnm.mb.ca/.