The Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Saskatchewan (RPNAS) sent a letter to the City Mayor’s Caucus, asking for their help in raising awareness about the shortage of Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPN) at a time when addictions and mental health issues are rising in the province.

“The mandate of the RPNAS is protection of the public and we recognize that lack of RPNs is a significant public safety threat,” the letter reads.

“Over the last 5 years RPNAS has been monitoring the declining membership and working with government officials and key partners to increase psychiatric nursing education seats in (Saskatchewan). Currently, there continues to be more RPNs retiring and leaving the profession than entering.”

The organization decided to launch an awareness campaign last week with two main goals: to inform the public of the RPN designation and identify what RPNs do, and to raise awareness that there are not enough RPNs and that more psychiatric nursing education seats are urgently needed.

Their campaign includes billboards set up around Saskatchewan, including in Yorkton, social media posts, advertisements, and information on the RPNAS website.

Melville Mayor Walter Streelasky says he shared the information with City Council, telling them it’ll be discussed at the upcoming City Mayor’s Caucus meeting in Melville.

“It’s a grave problem, it’s an issue that we’re trying to deal with and the City Mayors Caucus set up a special committee to deal with that,” Streelasky said of mental health and addictions and how the Caucus is addressing it.

“I think they will be very supportive,” Streelasky said of the City Mayor’s Caucus likely supporting RPNAS in getting the message out there to communities in the province.

The meetings are scheduled for June 7th and 8th. In addition to mental health and addictions, Streelasky said infrastructure and rising costs will be other issues discussed in the meetings.