Controls on psychiatric nursing practice

Part 1: The basis for scope of practice

There are four levels of controls on RPN practice:

Health Professions Act and Nurses (Registered Psychiatric) Regulation, which set out the broad scope of practice (this applies to all RPNs).
BCCNM RPN standards, limits and conditions, which complement and further define and limit the RPN scope of practice set out in the Regulation (this applies to all RPNs).
Employer/Organization policies,¹ which may further restrict what activities an RPN may do in the workplace (this applies only to RPNs at that workplace).
Individual RPN competence to carry out a particular activity, which reflects an RPN's level of education, knowledge, skills, experience and currency (this applies to an individual RPN).

The government, BCCNM, employers, and RPNs work together to ensure that members of the public receive safe, competent, and ethical care.

Footnotes

1 RPNs in independent practice assume the responsibilities of employers.