Update of Licensed Practical Nurse Competencies in Alberta

The demand for quality, cost-effective nursing care grew in Alberta, Canada, between 2005 and 2015. To meet this demand, the scope and role of Alberta's licensed practical nurses (LPNs) was expanded. In 2014, the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta, or CLPNA, began reviewing and updating the province's Competency Profile for Licensed Practical Nurses. In June 2015, the CLPNA released an updated third edition of the profile, which identifies base competencies for entry to practice, serves as a tool for LPNs interested in enriching their primary area of responsibility, provides a framework for education programs regarding curriculum components, and guides employers' understandings of LPN practice across all care settings. This article describes the development of the competency profile in 1998, the need for updates in 2005, and the most recent process to update the 2015 edition of the competency profile. The revised edition demonstrates the process that included community engagement, knowledge translation, implementation, and evaluation, and discusses how the profile will be continuously evaluated to facilitate future updates.