Re: anyone registering for SRNA or in Saskatchewan? CAPACITY BUILDING FOR INTERNATIONALLY EDUCATED
NURSES ASSESSMENT PROJECT
Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association - February- March 2009 Bulletin
by Cheryl Hamilton, RN, Nursing Advisor, Deputy Registrar
The Capacity Building for Internationally Educated Nurses Assessment (CBIA) project is a three year
project, funded by Health Canada that will run from October 2007 to March 2010. It is designed to buildcapacity within each of the participating jurisdictions to conduct standardized assessments of internationally educated nurses (IENs) using the
Substantially Equivalent Competency (SEC)
Assessment Model developed by Mount Royal College and the College and Association of
Registered Nurses of Alberta.
Project partners include the Ministries of Health and Advanced Education, regulatory bodies, selected post-secondary nursing institutions, and representatives from health authorities/regions from each jurisdiction that are represented within the Western and Northern Health Human Resources Planning Forum which include British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, and Northwest Territories/Nunavut.
CBIA is a competency assessment that will help identify what (if any) supplementary education an IEN will require to enable them to meet the entry-to practice registered nurse competencies. It is also a means to assess and consider the prior learning of IENs. Prior learning assessment and recognition
(PLAR) is a widely-acknowledged and valued educational innovation. This linkage between assessment service and delivery of appropriate supplementary education will optimize the successful integration of IENs into the workforce.
T
he provincial government has provided funding for the implementation of the Substantially Equivalent Competency (SEC) Assessment Model to run from
September 2008 through to June 2009. IENs who meet the selection criteria established by the pilot project will be referred by the
SRNA to SIAST,
Wascana Campus, to have their competencies assessed against entry to practice competencies expected of RNs in Canada. An assessment may be
conducted in one, all, or any combination of the areas of medical/surgical, pediatrics, obstetrics, and mental health. The SEC assessment process includes
a diagnostic exam, critical thinking and nursing judgment scenarios, and an OSCE. Dependent upon results of the SEC assessment, an IEN may be
eligible for licensure or may require successful completion of supplementary education prior to being eligible for licensure.
Throughout the CBIA project, there has been tremendous inter-jurisdictional collaboration. Numerous working committees have been established
to oversee the formation of a consistent approach to utilizing the SEC Assessment Model. In addition, a formal evaluation process will be conducted. It is
hoped that the CBIA project will extend beyond the pilot phase and will continue to work towards a pan- Canadian approach to IEN assessment.
Nursing News