Canadian RN exam

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Oct 10, 2008

Search this forum for CRNE and see what you get... there are dozens of posts about this very thing.

RGN1 · Oct 11, 2008

The CNA book is the closest but there's not a lot of good stuff out there to be honest. If you have trouble getting hold of a copy try the on-line store at Queens University Ontario.

Nothing out there is really that close to the exam though, it's way more tricky than any of the study matierial I had. I used Mosby & the CNA book but don't feel confident about my chance of passing ( I just took the paper.) I hear that from a lot of recent takers, there's not much you can do, just do the CNA book, on-line test & keep your fingers crossed!

It's frustrating because if you were doing N-CLEX there'd be tons of options open to you but for CRNE your choices are limited.

bscn_rn_10_years · Oct 29, 2008

It has been a few years since I wrote the Canadian nursing exam, but I only looked over diabetes, some of the most common meds, ph levels, and the ethics of RN's.....otherwise they were all situational questions, but it could be different now. Good luck.

RGN1 · Oct 29, 2008

It has been a few years since I wrote the Canadian nursing exam, but I only looked over diabetes, some of the most common meds, ph levels, and the ethics of RN's.....otherwise they were all situational questions, but it could be different now. Good luck.

Very different now. Much more psyche social, very varied & not all situational. The CNA book & on-line test is the closest but the questions were way trickier than anything they dished up!

In Oct there were hardly any med questions at all, bar a couple of calculations (no calculators allowed by the way) & nothing that needed you to really know your labs. Everything was geared to the psych-social side of nursing or the standards of care/code of ethics etc.

For nearly every question all the answers could have been correct, just one was more correct than the others & finding that one was a nightmare - very few stood out like sore thumbs. I'm not sure I found enough of those right answers to pass. neither does anyone I know who took it, it's how you feel when you're done!

It's also a gruelling day, which starts early & is a real trial in itself! I'm still beating myself up about the questions I know I stupidly got wrong & much of the reason that happened was sheer fatigue!

Having said that, it's what every Canadian nurse has to do so you have to knuckle down & do your best. The Ontario College has some very good reading material on the codes of practice, which you should read.

lchrist2 · Nov 4, 2008

Use the Canadian Nurses Association Study Guide. Also complete the practice exam online. I passed my exam this June. I studied using Mosby and other tools, not helpful. The exam is very different from NCLEX, you don't need to know lots of patho type questions. Just figure out how to answer questions.

Ex. lots of questions like "what would you initally do, the best thing to do, most therapeutic response" need to look at the question carefully

coola · Nov 4, 2008

Does anyone know of any good study material that I can purchase to help in studying to take the Canadian RN exam?

Here's a tip from "CRNE FAQs", College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba

Nugent, P.& Vitale, B. (2003) Test Success: Test-Taking Techniques for Beginning Nursing Students, 4th Edition.Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.

Test taking skills texts, such as this one, are a useful resource in developing skills in writing multiple choice exams,developing study skills and managing test-related anxiety.

My nursing program used this text. It is one of the few that helps learn how to choose between the often counter-intuitive, counter-experience multiple choices. Most importantly, our teachers when writing exam questions adhered to these guidelines. As a result of this development, we had an almost perfect pass rate for (NCLEX) board exams!

However, after writing the CRNE, I'm not sure their question writers agree with the "rules" set forth by Nugent & Vitale. It would be wonderful to get on the same page! :twocents:

RGN1 · Nov 5, 2008

N-CLEX has definite "rules" which, if you follow them, can really help you get to the right answer. CRNE most definitely doesn't - there are no real strategies you can employ, you just have to trust your instincts & pray you're right!!

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Apr 26, 2009

canadian nurses association - crne prep tools

lippincott's crne prep guide

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Apr 26, 2009

Old old thread. There's a sticky for the CRNE that I'm keeping up-to-date.