A year ago I moved from Australia to Canada (I'm a neonatal nurse for the past 10 years). Its taken 12 months for NNAS to assess my qualifications & paperwork and now the nurses board for the province I live in have determined that I need to complete a Competency Based Assessment before I can sit the N-Clex.
Its been about 8 years since I have sat any test and I'm getting rather anxious. Has anybody had to do a CBA? how did you find the process? Is there anything you could recommend for me to do?
I started my NNAS application in April. Today I received an email from NNAS that my curriculum from my uni was quite brief. According to a tutorial on the NNAS website in FAQ section they state that they prefer 1-5pgs per course. So, I have emailed my university now and am awaiting for their reply.
I am just not sure what to do in the meantime. Reading various blogs online where RNs have registered on NNAS as LPNs too. Should I do that or not. Or should I just maybe start preparing for the SEC exam.
Today I am reading a blog on ‘nadseverafter.com'. Here, an IEN talks about her personal experience in obtaining registration in Canada as an IEN.
@RupiRN don't worry about the SEC for now, just focus on getting your university to send a nursing education syllabus that includes an outline and summary of the topics covered in each course including the objectives, learning outcomes hours of study like the example they gave in the NNAS video. For more examples of the type of syllabus NNAS wants, look at various Canadian BSN course outlines. If you look at British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) nursing course outlines you will see detailed course descriptions, course learning outcomes/competencies, evaluation criteria.
Also ask your university to provide any information that gives details about RN entry to practice competencies. Does the a nursing student handbook, preceptor guide, student policy and procedure guide, contain information that gives the philosophy of the program, expected outcomes etc?
Yes Dishes. I emailed my university regarding same yesterday. They said they will post the Student Handbook + each course descriptions in much detail as you stated above. My university was of the impression that they didn't need to bulk up with all the information as it is easily available online on the uni website. But NNAS just wants everything made available to them as it would slow their process while evaluating.
Yes, I am trying to stay calm and positive in the time being but expecting all sort of outcomes. Just a big life transition going on at the moment.
Haha. You won't believe, I literally just emailed them. Thanks for reminding though.You seem very knowledgeable in dealing with NNAS. Thanks for helping me and many others by imparting your valued input. Keep it up:geek:
I'm actually not knowledgeable about NNAS, but I do want new IENs to be successful in Canada, I work with many IEN colleagues and couldn't imagine my career without them. Do you know that CRNBC holds information sessions for IENs? Attending a session may be a good way find answers to questions and meet other IENs who are in the same situation as you. Look on CRNBC for the schedule and topics.
@sarah, It's frustrating to have to deal with ambiguity and a lack of detailed information about the competency assessment process. Many IENs have expressed culture shock, financial insecurity and irritability while undergoing licensing assessments in Canada.
Yes, I am trying to stay calm and positive in the time being but expecting all sort of outcomes. Just a big life transition going on at the moment.
This is the best thing you can do. I hope your school provides enough information to show NNAS that the Australian entry to practice education is similar and somewhat comparable to a Canadian BSN. Australian nurses and Canadian nurses have many similarities. Both countries have health care systems that are based on universal access to healthcare. Both countries have nursing programs that are based on national nursing competencies. Both have populations that are predominantly located in metropolitan regions of the country, Australia along the coastal regions and Canada in the southern regions. Both face difficulties providing healthcare to rural populations due to distance and isolation. Both have higher rates of poor health among indigenous peoples.
After reading a couple of articles and watching the NNAS video, my understanding is NNAS is not just comparing the theory, clinical and lab content and hours alone, they are comparing the national competencies. Australian and Canadian nursing education programs are both based on national entry to practice competencies. If you look at the National Competency Standards for Registered Nurses on the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and compare them to the Competencies in the Context of Entry Level Registered Nurse Practice Practice on the Canadian Council of Nurse Regulators, you can see there are similarities in the two countries competency standards. In order for NNAS to do an accurate assessment of your education they need documents from your school showing that your education is based on the competencies. Suggest you read the two countries entry to practice competencies and clarify with your school that they are sending all documents that show how the education meets the Australian competencies. Also, after reading the competencies, you may want to read the two additional articles below;
A New Model for Assessing Entry-Level Education of Internationally Educated Nurses: A Retrospective Perspective, Journal of Nursing Regulation, by F. A. Shaffer 2016.
Nursing Around the World: Australia, Online journal of Issues in Nursing, by Stein-Parbury, J 2000.
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!),
Does this mean your provincial regulatory body does not provide information to IENs in regards to; who does the assessment, what type of assessments (multiple choice questions, short answer, oral, OSCE), where and when they are done? If not, is it because they are in the process of updating their competency assessment?
Wow, I never compared the statistics for both the countries. The general public assumes since the health care is of similar standards so would be the education of health professionals in these countries.
My only concern is that if Canadian nurses can get registered in Australia in a matter of months, So should we. But I and many other Australian nurses chose to come here, so we just have to deal with the consequences. I am not complaining but just very disappointed. From working in a busy hospital ward as an RN, I am struggling to even get a health care aid job at the moment. Just a big slap on my self-esteem. My first dream in Canada I woke up hearing IV pumps beeping. I just burst out crying because I knew I won't be hearing them for a while.
RupiRN
17 Posts
Hi Sarah
I started my NNAS application in April. Today I received an email from NNAS that my curriculum from my uni was quite brief. According to a tutorial on the NNAS website in FAQ section they state that they prefer 1-5pgs per course. So, I have emailed my university now and am awaiting for their reply.
I am just not sure what to do in the meantime. Reading various blogs online where RNs have registered on NNAS as LPNs too. Should I do that or not. Or should I just maybe start preparing for the SEC exam.
Today I am reading a blog on ‘nadseverafter.com'. Here, an IEN talks about her personal experience in obtaining registration in Canada as an IEN.