FLOURISH

The College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA) is accountable to our mission: To lead and regulate the profession in a manner that protects and serves the public through excellence in Practical Nursing.

The year 2013 was a year of continued growth in the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) profession across the province and throughout the country. Many opportunities continue to emerge in traditional and non-traditional settings for LPNs in practice. Change and evolution within organizations and professions is vital to meet the healthcare needs of Albertans. It is with this focus I am proud to present the 2013 Annual Report for the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA), which has been approved by Council and reports on the solid foundation of regulatory service our College provides.

The CLPNA Council works conscientiously on your behalf, bringing new challenges forward, reinforcing the essence of what defines an LPN, and representing this profession with the highest degree of responsibility and integrity. With this in mind, in 2013 we successfully adopted a pure policy governance model, which creates freedom for innovative thinking, concrete roles, enhanced teamwork, and strengthened accountabilities for Council and management. Implementation of this governance model was a great achievement for the Council and it empowers us to be increasingly future focused and reinforces our leadership of the profession.

Following on this, the CLPNA Council engaged in a visionary exercise for the profession. Planning for the future took a strategic and collaborative approach gaining insight from focus groups with Albertans, and a Think Tank with industry experts, stakeholders and LPNs. The invaluable knowledge gleaned through these dialogues helped Council shape and focus our vision. A final membership consultation will be followed by a public release of a new Strategic Plan in 2014. Council is confident the Strategic Plan will effectively guide the CLPNA in preparing LPNs for continued excellence in meeting the emerging healthcare needs of Albertans.

We are privileged to have Linda Stanger as our CLPNA Executive Director/Registrar and our full time champion. With the prudent leadership of Linda and her staff, CLPNA is consistently monitoring the environment for opportunity and diligently paving an innovative and inclusive path for us to get there.

To excel in self-regulation, it is vital to have the support and commitment of you - the LPN. Your engagement in our profession, your ability to be present in every aspect of nursing care, and your eagerness to serve the healthcare needs of Albertans is commendable. Thank you for continuing to conduct yourself professionally and excelling in securing public confidence in our practice.

I am very proud and honoured to be the President of the CLPNA Council. They are a dedicated and innovative group of professionals. Our province is constantly changing and there will always be change in healthcare. With increased provincial focus on senior’s care, primary care, community care, addictions and mental health services, one fact is certain – people will always need professional nurses with compassion, respect, and a high degree of competence. Alberta’s Licensed Practical Nurses are a practical and valuable resource option for quality care delivery today and into the future.

Sincerely,
Jo-Anne Macdonald-Watson