Overview
What is a Registered Psychiatric Nurse?
Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs) are health care professionals who provide holistic, client-centered care for clients with complex psychosocial, mental health and addictions, and physical needs. RPNs coordinate care for individuals, families, groups, and communities in a variety of health care settings with a variety of health care professionals.
The Core & Practice of Psychiatric Nursing
The practice of psychiatric nursing occurs within the domains of direct practice, education, administration and research. RPNs focus on mental and developmental health, mental illness and addictions while integrating physical health care and utilizing bio-psycho-social and spiritual models for a holistic approach to the care of individuals, groups, families, communities and populations.
The core of psychiatric nursing practice is the therapeutic relationship and therapeutic communication. A holistic approach to care, a recovery orientation, work towards stigma reduction, and advocacy for system change are additional values, beliefs, and attitudes of the RPN. Psychiatric nursing is committed to the prevention of illness and to the promotion and maintenance of optimal health, rehabilitation and recovery.
The History
While the profession has its origins earlier in the 20th century, psychiatric Nurses were first regulated in Saskatchewan in 1948, in part as a response to the nurse shortage resulting from World War II. British Columbia followed in 1951, Alberta in 1955, Manitoba in 1960, the Yukon Territory in 1990 and recently, in 2024 the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Psychiatric nursing education began in 1921 with Manitoba establishing the first psychiatric nursing program in Canada. British Columbia followed offering its first program in 1930 and Alberta shortly thereafter, in 1931. A psychiatric nursing program was introduced in Saskatchewan in 1937.
For more information about psychiatric nursing practice in your jurisdiction, please visit the website of your local RPN regulatory authority: