Study says Registered Psychiatric Nurses could help address health system needs, is feasible

New pan-Canadian consultation report says adding Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs) to Maritime health teams is feasible and can provide significant benefit in addressing current psychiatric and mental health and addictions (P-MH&A) patient and system needs.

Read the full report:   https://rpnmaritimesstudy.ca/assets/rpn-maritime-feasibility-study-report.pdf

Read the Executive Summary: https://rpnmaritimesstudy.ca/assets/rpn-maritimes-feasibility-study-executive-summary.pdf

RPN Feasibility Study Report

 

 

The Registered Psychiatric Nurse Regulators of Canada (RPNRC) is the national umbrella organization for Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN) regulators in Canada. The provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Yukon Territory regulate psychiatric nursing as a distinct profession. The membership of RPNRC consists of:

RPNRC is not itself a regulator. Rather, each member has a provincial mandate to protect the public by regulating RPNs to be safe, competent and ethical. Through RPNRC, the members collaborate nationally to achieve excellence and consistency in provincial regulatory requirements and processes.

RPNRC is incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act. It is a virtual organization, existing online without an office.   

News

The RPNCE became a computer-based test in May 2022.

Posted March 3, 2022

In May 2022, the Registered Psychiatric Nurse of Canada Examination (RPNCE) will transition from the current pencil-and-paper exam to a computer-based exam.

What's new for May 2022

A two-day test window: The RPNCE will now have a two-day test window in January, May and October. Writers will be scheduled by the exam provider, Meazure Learning, into one of the two available test days.  For the May 2022 writing, the exam will be offered on May 18 or 19.

Multiple test locations: Exam writers will now be able to take the RPNCE in test centres throughout British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Applicants will be asked to choose a preferred exam writing location from a pre-determined list when they register with Meazure Learning. Venues are subject to availability and are not guaranteed. Expansion of testing across Canada will be considered at a later date.
 
Exam fee: The exam fee is now $695+applicable tax per attempt. The exam fee will now be paid directly to the exam provider, Meazure Learning.

Withdrawals: Withdrawals for any reason up to two weeks before the exam will be eligible for a full refund. If an exam writer withdraws less than 10 days before the scheduled exam date, a refund will not be provided.

What is not changing

The application process still starts with the regulatory authority:  Exam writers will continue to apply to their province’s regulatory authority for eligibility to write the RPNCE.

Exam content: The content of the exam will continue to be multiple choice and questions will follow the existing exam blueprint.

The Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Canada Examination will become a computer-based test in 2022

Posted October 4, 2021

The Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Canada Examination (RPNCE) tests entry-level competence and safety to practice of applicants seeking registered psychiatric nurse (RPN) registration in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. 

In May 2022, the RPNCE will transition from the current pencil-and-paper exam to a computer-based exam. Instead of having to travel to a single location in each of the western provinces to write the exam, candidates will be able to schedule their exam at testing centres across the country. This is an exciting step to modernize exam delivery and improve accessibility for exam writers.

While applicants will complete the exam on a computer, the content of the exam will continue to be multiple choice and questions will follow the existing test blueprint.

Please note: This change will not impact the October 2021 or January 2022 writings of the RPNCE.

For detailed information and on-going updates, please visit the provincial RPN regulator websites:

RPNRC Releases Tools to Prepare for the RPNCE

Posted April 24, 2018

The Registered Psychiatric Nurse Regulators of Canada (RPNRC), in collaboration with our exam testing partner, Yardstick Assessment Strategies (YAS), is pleased to release two new tools to assist Internationally Educated Nurse applicants and Canadian psychiatric nursing graduates to prepare to write the Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Canada Examination (RPNCE). Read more (PDF).

Canadian Nurse Regulators' Forum

The inaugural Forum of Canadian Nurse Regulators was held July 6 in historic Montreal, Quebec.

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Registered Nurses (RNs), and Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs) regulators met for the first ever gathering of nurse regulators in Canada to learn more about the Canadian Council for Practical Nurse Regulators (CCPNR), Canadian Council for Registered Nurse Regulators (CCRNR) and the Registered Psychiatric Nurse Regulators of Canada (RPNRC) and to exchange knowledge and information.

Common priorities and issues were explored as potential opportunities for nurse regulators to work together in the public's interest.

Joint Statement of RPNRC Members:  CRPNBC, CRPNA, RPNAS and CRPNM
Fraudulent Exam Prep Guide

A fraudulent exam preparation guide for the Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Canada Examination (RPNCE) is being sold online.  The following website http://www.rpncestudyguide.com/?gclid=CIPaspPyydECFQeSaQodGDwCdw purports to sell a prep guide with "questions sourced from actual previous RPNCE exams." There is no such prep guide.

The RPNCE is the property of the Registered Psychiatric Nurse Regulators of Canada (RPNRC), which is composed of the four Registered Psychiatric Nurse regulatory authorities for British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.  The RPNRC has not yet released  any online or paper prep guides or practice tests for the RPNCE, nor has RPNRC endorsed a prep guide put out by another group.

Please use extreme caution in purchasing any prep guide that promises to prepare you for the RPNCE. If you need more information, please contact the regulatory body in your jurisdiction.

The Passing of Robert Allen

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Robert (Bob) Allen, Chair of RPNRC and Executive Director of the Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Saskatchewan.

Bob's contribution to the psychiatric nursing profession will be missed. We extend our condolences to the RPNAS Board and staff and to Bob's family and friends.

Changes to the RPNCE - Effective May 2016

The Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Canada Examination (RPNCE) is a multiple-choice, paper and pencil exam that has been designed to test the entry level competence and safety to practice of new graduates and internationally educated applicants who are seeking registration as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse in Canada.

The 2015 implementation of the new Entry Level Competencies for the psychiatric nursing profession in Canada required that a new blueprint be developed for the RPNCE.  The new blueprint will be implemented in May 2016.  At the same time, the total number of questions on the RPNCE will be decreased from the former 230-250 items (over two books) to a single, 4 hour exam of approximately 200 questions. The decreased number of exam items remains in line with industry standard for testing and measurement.

The RPNCE is offered three times a year in January, May and October.

RPN Entry Level Competencies (PDF)
Exam Blueprint (PDF)

Apply for the John Alex Crawford National Scholarship

Applications for the John Alex Crawford National Scholarship can now be completed online at the Registered Psychiatric Nurses Foundation website at www.rpnf.ca.  For more information, find more details on our Awards and Scholarships page.