Has anyone done the Competency Assessment & Enhancement for Nurses (CAEN)??
If you dont complete a certain amount of practice hours within the 5 years after you graduate, regardless of when you passed your NCLEX/CRNE, you cannot register in BC until you complete certain requirements... this is an option as part of your practice hours.
Im in this predicament because I have not found a job, now I feel like I have to prepare for another exam again.
The CAEN has 3 components; a self-assessment, an individualized simulation assessment and multiple choice exam.
Has anyone out there done this before? and give me some insight on how to prepare for this.
Also,in the meantime what kind of jobs can I apply for, while waiting to be 'registered'?
Has anyone found any websites to do practice exams for this assessment. I find NCLEX exams but they seem very, very hard. Also, is there anyone doing this in February as I would like to connect with them.
It's much more like the crne exam you did when you first got your rn. It's not like the nclex. That said, it can't hurt to practice those to remember how mc questions work... always your BEST answer and read it very carefully. But realistically the idea is that they assess where you're at and what you know now. If you take your time and read it carefully you should be fine. You can't possibly rememorize everything you learned in 4 years anyway.
Not sure if you have done the CAEN already but I found NCLEX Practice Questions For Free • Nurseslabs was a somewhat good review for me. I did some of the practice exams. Its much more in depth but it got my critical thinking going which helped me with answering questions and my reasoning during the simulation. As CarolineJane said, it's entry level nursing. Take your time and practice your assessment skills. Goodluck! :)
The thought of the test was nerve wrecking for me at first too, but after doing it, it wasn't that bad. Just take note of basic nursing skills.. your ABC's and preparations to those skills. I would recommend going to the labs. It helped a lot to familiarize yourself with the equipment and to practice the skills. You are the only one in the room but the instructor can see and hear what you say from a different room. Just take your time, it'll help you remember each step when doing a task. Check out the labs, it's great! And everyone is so helpful! Good luck!
What helped me the most was practicing NCLEX questions and reviewing my old med/surg book. I'm sure everyone has their own way of tackling this but it helped me to get in the mindset and connect things together. It was helpful for the written part. In terms of the nursing skills, keep note of entry level knowledge like airway, breathing and circulation, safety checks and it would be helpful to practice some math questions in case you need to give medications.
I suggest in calling them, if you live close by check out the open labs. Its on your own time to practice your skills and someone is always there to help you if you have any questions pertaining to the skills. It may help ease any stress or anxiety because you're in the setting and practicing, they're a great help!
Just remember, this assessment is just to determine where you are.. its not pass or fail.. worse case is taking an extra course or 2.. even so it will be helpful to increase confidence and a good practice. You got this!
julia03
18 Posts
Ok thanks @carolinejane for the feedback!! I appreciate it! :)