Aussie trying to work in Eastern Canada

dishes, BSN, RN · Aug 3, 2016

Have you checked your provincial college of nurses website for an overview of what the competency based assessment entails? Different provinces have different IEN assessments. Ontario has IENCAP, a two part exam that entails a 97 question multiple choice exam and a 12 station observational structured clinical exam (OSCE). At each station, the exam candidate receives a brief written statement that introduces the presenting clinical problem and states the task the candidate needs to perform.

Is the competency based assessment similar to OSCE?

SarahMaramara · Aug 3, 2016

Thanks Dishes, the website for the regulatory nursing association only states there may be an exam if my Australian Bach. of Science is not comparable, it does not clarify any further.

I have to pay $2000 to sit this 3 day exam so that may explain my reason for being slightly stressed! I have been told that each province has different exams.

dishes, BSN, RN · Aug 4, 2016

Yes, the provinces have different IEN exams, although I think BC, Alberta, Sask, Manitoba and Nova Scotia use the same SEC assessment and theirs also includes OSCE. You're not the only IEN who is stressed about taking the exam, there have been IENs who posted about their concerns in the past. There is currently a recent poster with the user name pawara, who is preparing to take the OSCE in Ontario. Maybe you can look for pawara's post and the two of you can share study tips as you come up with them? The exam is based on national competencies in the context of entry-level registered nurse practice, so the expected knowledge, skill and ability is the same for each of the competencies no matter which province you are in.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Aug 4, 2016

I'm often curious what the process looks like for Canadian-educated nurses who want to work in another country, like the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India or Israel. (I don't wonder about the Philippines, because IENs from outside the country are NEVER going to be permitted to work there.) I would imagine there are many requirements, assessments and hoops to jump through, as well as a significant cash outlay.

SarahMaramara · Aug 4, 2016

I can tell you one first hand incident! When I was nursing in Perth an RN from Nova Scotia had just started working in my unit, she told me that it took her 3 months from date of application to first week of work as a fully licenced RN. This was a process through AHPRA (the Aussie nursing body) with all checks, references, a $160 fee and criminal screening etc.

It will always be different for each country. I dont mind having to complete exams and undergo tests etc, I just didnt expect the costs & timeframe to be what I have come across. I'll continue my path, as I am passionate about my job and dont feel the added tests & exams are going to make me loose anything.

Thank you NotReady4PrimeTime & Dishes, i appreciate the time you took to reply to my question :)

dishes, BSN, RN · Aug 4, 2016

sarah did you do the self assessment readiness tool (SART)? It's an online tool with questionaires that help internationally educated health care professionals compare their own knowledge, skills and abilities against those required to practice in Canada. It's available on atlanticcanadahealthcare com. The SART for registered nurses, has six parts, part five is clinical scenarios and part six is a competency questionaire. I wonder if doing the questionaires is a good place for you to start to assess your current knowledge and weaknesses and give focus to what competencies you should study?

dishes, BSN, RN · Aug 4, 2016

Since your provincal regulatory association website doesn't clarify what the competency based assessment entails and it is a three day exam, it sounds similar to assessments done in some of the other provinces. If you want some idea of what a SEC entails, I suggest you watch the SEC video on the College of Registered Nurses of BC. I also suggest you read the Clinical Competence Assessment document on the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba.

If you look at the information on the various provincial nursing regulatory websites, you will not only get some idea about the exams, but also see the provinces recommend using the same three resources which are;

The Entry-Level Competencies for Registered Nurses

The Standards of Practice for Registered Nurses

The CNA Code of Ethics

Some regulators also recommend reviewing medical surgical nursing textbooks. I would add watch youtube videos of nursing physical assessments and nursing simulation scenarios and practice doing physical assessments, taking histories and scenarios, on any family member/friend who is willing to act the patient role for you.

SarahMaramara · Aug 4, 2016

Dishes this information is fantastic! thank you! I'll be accessing all the above info you have provided.

Cheers mate!

dishes, BSN, RN · Aug 5, 2016

I don't which Atlantic province you are located in, but if you are in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or PEI, it seems that Registered Nurses Professional Development Centre (RNPDC) does the competency assessments for the three regulatory bodies. For more information see RNPDC nshealth ca /international learners.

RupiRN · Aug 15, 2016

Hi Sarah

I was also trained inAustralia as an RN and have now applied to NNAS for registration in Canada BC. Studied 3 yrs for my Bachelors and worked for 6 yrs in an acute medical ward. How didyour course from uni come up as? Comparable, somewhat comparable or notcomparable?

From reading on the allnurses forum IEN nurses has had a problemwith course work as they didn't do paeds + maternity at uni. Were you also a midwife in Australia to work in the neonatal ward that covered you for those areas of specialties for the NNAS report?

Do you now just have to give the Competency based assessment and thenNCLEX? No need to go to uni to study anymore?

SarahMaramara · Aug 15, 2016

Hi RupiRN,

NNAS rated my coorifice as 'Not comparable' I did 3.5yrs, Bachelor of Science in Perth. NNAS continually asked me to contact my university for more course information, but the university was unsure of what NNAS meant.

There was no discussion from either NNAS or Canada in regards to my pads and maternity course work, having said that I completed a 12 week clinical rotation in Paeds ED, so this may have covered it? While I did not do a midwifery program I did work in maternity in rural New Zealand 3 years ago, as they didn't require midwifery studies to be compulsory to work there.

Based on the NNAS report the majority of Canadian nurses boards will ask you to complete some kind of a competency based exam, I called Toronto and Vancouver to enquire about their CBE and it seemed quite straight forward (not the case for my current location!), if you have worked in an acute medical ward you will be more than fine to confidently sit the CBE. As you haven't been out of uni for long I imagine you would be somewhat used to exams/testing requirements.

Once you have passed the CBE you have around 6-12 months to complete the N-Clex (is my understanding). You can work on a certain limited registration until you sit the N-Clex, it would be good for you to speak with graduates who have recently passed their exams to get an understanding of the N-Clex.

I'm happy for you to e-mail me for more details if needed. Its quite a long process, something I didn't expect! NNAS weren't overly helpful either. How long have you had your application lodged with them?