LPN News

The following is a summary of key decisions and initiatives from the Council of the former College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA).

The Council of the CLPNA is responsible for the oversight of the organization and for guiding our strategic direction. The Council consists of 50% regulated members and 50% public members.

On February 2, 2026, Health Care Aide (HCA) regulation came into force, and the CLPNA became the College of LPNs and HCAs of Alberta (CLHA). This article covers a period when the organization was still known as CLPNA.

End Policy

The CLPNA Council approved a new End policy in December 2024. The End policy defines the mission and intended long-term outcomes of the CLPNA’s work and who benefits from the work. The End policy serves as the strategic direction of the organization.

New End Policy

The CLPNA exists so that the public is protected and served by CLPNA registrants providing safe, competent, and ethical care.

The mission will be achieved with these outcomes:

Registrants understand and uphold professional standards.

• Registrants provide professional care.
• Registrants work within their respective scopes of practice.
• Registrants are held to account for unethical or incompetent conduct.

The public and other interested parties understand and trust that registrants are regulated.

Leadership Changes

The terms for the Council President and Vice President expired on August 31, 2025.

From September 1, Ashley Cesar, formerly the Council’s Vice President, served as Council President. Kristan Reynolds will serve a term as Vice President at the same time. The May 2025 meeting was the last for outgoing President Kurtis Kooiker.

Ownership Linkage

To inform strategic direction and decision-making, the Council engages in work to support better understanding of the populations that LPNs serve and the role of a regulator in an evolving healthcare system. In 2025, the Council focused on learning more about Alberta’s restructured healthcare system, emerging trends in patient safety, and provincial and national policy developments among other topics.

Governance Committee

The Council established a standing Governance Committee in December 2024. The purpose of the Committee is to work in advance on Council policy reviews, lessening time constraints on the Council as a whole.

Bylaws

In May, the Council approved revised Bylaws that came into effect upon regulation of HCAs. The Bylaws are available on the CLPNA website.

Regulatory Approvals

The Council has an essential role in approving fees, standards, and other documents. In 2024- 2025, key approvals included:

• Reducing the fee to review a dismissal of a complaint and for registration on the Courtesy Register.
• Establishing a fee for the Interjurisdictional Nursing Licensure application and permit.
• Approving the revised Code of Ethics for LPNs.

The CLPNA Council is also responsible for approving practical nurse education programs in Alberta. More information about education approvals can be found in the By the Numbers section of the CLPNA 2024-2025 Annual Report.