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Alberta Supports Contact Centre

Toll Free 1-877-644-9992

Health and Social Services

Nurse Practitioner

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who have advanced training in health assessment, health promotion and illness prevention. They diagnose and treat health problems, order and interpret tests, and prescribe drugs.

Contact

College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA)
11120 - 178 St.
Edmonton, Alberta T5S 1P2
Canada

Call: 780-451-0043
Toll-free: 1-800-252-9392
Fax: 780-452-3276
Email: carna@nurses.ab.ca
Website: www.nurses.ab.ca

Legislation

Under Alberta’s Health Professions Act [pdf] and Registered Nurses Profession Regulation [pdf], only members of the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA) on the nurse practitioner register may call themselves or practise as Nurse Practitioners or NPs. Only members of the College can provide restricted activities specified in the Regulation, and only if they have the competencies to do so.

What You Need

A nurse practitioner must:

  • Be a registered nurse in Alberta
  • Have completed a bachelor’s degree in nursing
  • Have completed a recognized nurse practitioner program
  • Have 4,500 hours of experience as a registered nurse
  • Pass the nurse practitioner (NP) exam for the chosen stream of practice

Other criteria may apply for applicants who come from other jurisdictions in Canada or who are internationally educated. For detailed official information about registration requirements, visit CARNA.

Working in Alberta

Nurse practitioners who are registered and in good standing with a regulatory body elsewhere in Canada (except Quebec) may be eligible for registration in Alberta if their scope of practice and competencies are similar. For more information, see What if I am already certified in another province or territory in Canada? and the CARNA website. Applications from Quebec will be assessed individually.

The certification information in this profile may change at any time and without notice. Before making any career decisions, we advise you to contact the regulatory organization or visit their website for the most updated information.

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