Module 12: Key Concepts and Study Notes


Key Concepts


This Unit will focus on the following important topics:
  1. The Health Professions Act:
    • What is it?
    • Why was it enacted?
    • Who does it cover?
    • Who does it not cover?
  2. Restricted Activities:
    • What are restricted activities?
    • Who can perform restricted activities?
    • What preparation and knowledge must be in place before performing restricted activities
    • What does it mean to be a client advocate
    • What is the role of the LPN leader (formal or informal) in advocating for a client
  3. Supervision of Health Care Aides:
    • Who is a health Care aid?
    • What is an activity of daily living?
    • How do you determine what tasks are restricted activities?
  4. The LPN as Leader and the Health Professions Act:
    • What are the leader's responsibilities in the delegation of tasks?
    • What are the leader's responsibilities for all team members?

Study Notes

As you are carrying out the learning activities for this module, please keep in mind the Key Concepts summarized above and these supplementary notes.

  1. The Health Professions Act (Bill 22) of Alberta is similar to other such health care legislation models in Canada . It provides a single legislation to bring together 28 regulated health care professions.

  2. Some key features of the HPA are as follows: (LPN News & Views: Winter 2003: 17(1).)
    • Mandatory registration of all health care professionals
    • Self governance of all health care professionals. The governing bodies are known as Colleges (i.e. the College of Licenced Practical Nurses of Alberta). These colleges have the authority to regulate the members of the college.
    • Protection of titles - only nurses licenced by the CLPNA or other provincial professional associations have the right to use the title Licenced Practical Nurse.
    • Practice statements which overlap between the professional groups. High risk activities are identified and restricted to regulated bodies.
    • Structures put in place to meet any ethical or incompetent professional practice concerns.
    • Continuing competency is required for all members of professional associations.

  3. Restricted activities are defined in the HPA - and each LPN must know what activities are restricted, both to stay within scope of practice guidelines, but also to delegate tasks appropriately when in a leadership role. Distinction is made between activities of daily living which a health care aid can do, and restricted activities which they cannot carry out.

    "There is a need to understand the concept of competence
    (knowledge, skills, attitudes and judgment required to provide professional services) by focusing exclusively on tasks in many employees' job descriptions "

    LPN News & Views: Winter 2003: 17(1).


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