HISTORY OF APNS
The Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association (SRNA) Council, now called the College of Registered Nurses of Saskatchewan (CRNS), recognized a shift in the regulatory landscape and the trend in regulatory reform across Canada. The CRNS Council put forward a resolution to its membership to move from a dual mandate organization of regulation and advocacy to a single mandate focused on regulation. This shift to a single mandate would alleviate the potential conflict between the competing roles of public protection and advocacy for the nursing profession.
In January 2020 the CRNS Council announced,
“... the unanimous decision to strengthen the pillars of nursing by moving towards a single mandate and support the establishment of an independent association for registered nursing in Saskatchewan. This move to a separate association is a proactive approach in recognition of the need for a strong advocacy voice for the profession. Having a clearly defined third pillar in registered nursing will help ensure regulatory excellence, bring clarity to the work of an independent association, and strengthen the profession of registered nursing overall.”
To support the development of a nursing advocacy organization, CRNS invited registered nurses with a keen interest in championing the development of the advocacy pillar of nursing to a discussion. The result of the discussion was to invite the entire family of nursing, Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practice Nurses (LPNs), Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) to become part of a new advocacy organization.
Invitations were sent to all nursing professional membership groups, and through expression of interest, approximately 90 nurses agreed to participate in the development of an organization dedicated to the advocacy of the nursing professions. From this group, a smaller Steering Committee was formed with equal representation from each nursing profession.
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Each of the provincial regulatory bodies, the CRNS, Saskatchewan Association of Licensed Practical Nurses (SALPN), and Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Saskatchewan (RPNAS) support the development of the Saskatchewan Nurses’ Association.
In November 2021 an interim board of directors was established, with two representatives from each of the nursing professions. Since that time, the interim board has been establishing relationships with stakeholders, identifying the advocacy and support work required, and creating a value-add association that benefits members.
