The Government of Alberta has expanded the Nursing practice in Alberta as of May 1, 2019. Registered nurses registered in the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA) who meet specific requirements can become authorized to prescribe Schedule 1 drugs (except controlled drugs and substances) and order common diagnostic tests within a particular clinical practice setting.

Before registered nurses can apply for authorization, they must first:

• hold an active permit and be in good standing with CARNA;
• have at least 3,000 clinical practice hours as an RN;
• have at least 750 practice hours in the practice setting/location in which they are seeking authorization to prescribe;
• complete an approved nursing program for prescribing and ordering diagnostic tests;
• have employer support including an employer reference, employer policies, clinical support tools and collaborative practice relationships in the workplace.

A registered nurse practitioner may perform the following restricted activities:

• order or apply any form of ionizing radiation in medical radiography;
• order any form of ionizing radiation in nuclear medicine;
• order non-ionizing radiation in magnetic resonance imaging;
• order or apply non-ionizing radiation in ultrasound imaging, including any application of ultrasound to a fetus.