Internationally Trained Degree Nurse - unable to pass CRNE

[tld1904]

Is there another, competent, safe and ethically practising nurse out there who has also failed to pass the CRNE exam 3 times.

I came over from the UK, trained with a nursing degree, and have been working as a GN for the past year whilst sitting and resitting my CRNE missing it each time by meer points. I am angry as there was no preparation (that I can find) to help those sitting the exam in NB. I bought books including the CRNE prep guide but once you've done the questions so many time you remember the answer - and no that doesn't help in passing the actually exam. If I had lived in BC or Ontario and various other places around Canada, I would have been able to attend some type of classes for help.

Now because I have been unable to pass the exam I am classed as unsafe to work as a nurse. I love the hospital, staff and the job I have worked for the past year and that all stopped the day I got my 'failed' letter. I was written off, unsuccessful, unsafe to practice and you could say that hurt my feelings. I have worked hard for the last year and yes I studied hard all for what . . to have to leave with my tail between my legs as I'm unwanted, by the government - even with the nursing shortage, and I feel as if nobody cares.

All I can say is if anyone else is about to sit their exam for the third time - take as long as you need before sitting it! I didn't have that luxury as needed to have permanent work in order to arrange my familys' residency status.

Has anyone else had this problem? I have heard rumours that other internationally trained nurses are hitting the same 'brick wall'.

Thanks for listening to me rant and rave just had to get it out of my system.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

I'm very sorry to hear your story. I'm also very sorry that you weren't able to utilize the huge volume of information and advice available to those with your concerns here at allnurses.com. Had you found us sooner you might have been successful this time. For example, you might have learned that rather than memorizing the answers to the questions, understanding the rationale behind why the answers were correct would help with the questions you didn't/couldn't memorize. Others have said that insight into the CNA's attitudes and approaches helped more than all the clinical knowledge in the world. Someone would probably have made a comment about repeating something that didn't work and expecting a different outcome. You might also have been advised to contact the closest university nursing program to ask if you could audit their sessions designed to prepare their students for the CRNE. But sadly that train has left the station.

One thing that contributed to your problem is your location. New Brunswick, unlike Ontario and British Columbia, hasn't done a lot of off-shore recruiting historically so they had no notion that IENs would need any special supports. And in fact, the classes you mentioned in those other provinces are a relatively new development.

What options have been offered to you?

Your stated goal in your post is that your experience serve as a lesson for others floowing in your footsteps.

[canadiangradschoolrn]

Im sorry to hear about your experience.

[DEMS]

hi tld1904,

I'm very sorry to hear your news....I too am a trained nurse in the UK to degree level and am currently studying for my first CRNE exam that I'm flying to toronto to six in 6 weeks!!!!!

I too fear failing the exam due to being unable to access the apprropriate resouces here in the UK, and I agree that the study guide is useful....but it's the "unknown" of the exam thats really scary.

I wish you every luck for your future!!!!

[travellingsuitcase]

Is there another, competent, safe and ethically practising nurse out there who has also failed to pass the CRNE exam 3 times.

I came over from the UK, trained with a nursing degree, and have been working as a GN for the past year whilst sitting and resitting my CRNE missing it each time by meer points. I am angry as there was no preparation (that I can find) to help those sitting the exam in NB. I bought books including the CRNE prep guide but once you've done the questions so many time you remember the answer - and no that doesn't help in passing the actually exam. If I had lived in BC or Ontario and various other places around Canada, I would have been able to attend some type of classes for help.

Now because I have been unable to pass the exam I am classed as unsafe to work as a nurse. I love the hospital, staff and the job I have worked for the past year and that all stopped the day I got my 'failed' letter. I was written off, unsuccessful, unsafe to practice and you could say that hurt my feelings. I have worked hard for the last year and yes I studied hard all for what . . to have to leave with my tail between my legs as I'm unwanted, by the government - even with the nursing shortage, and I feel as if nobody cares.

All I can say is if anyone else is about to sit their exam for the third time - take as long as you need before sitting it! I didn't have that luxury as needed to have permanent work in order to arrange my familys' residency status.

Has anyone else had this problem? I have heard rumours that other internationally trained nurses are hitting the same 'brick wall'.

Thanks for listening to me rant and rave just had to get it out of my system.

Sorry to hear about your experiences. I guess the pressure also of having to organise your families paperwork for residency status did not help.

Nothing I can say will help lessen the disappointment of failing the exam however take solace that if you are a British trained nurse then you are most probably vocational and a good caring nurse. Canada loss not yours. Good luck with your future plans.

[RGN1]

Passing CRNE is as much about learning the skills for multiple choice as it is about nursing. In the UK we don't (or didn't - I can't speak for now) really do very much multiple choice exams & therefore, don't learn those little tricks that can guide you to the correct answers.

Most of the exam books & prep guides available do have the various strategies in them & learning these are as important (if not more so) as learning the material itself.

I'm not a degree trained nurse, in fact, when I trained there wasn't even a diploma in nursing but I passed CRNE 1st time (& N-CLEX as it happens) & so did my equally old-fashioned trained colleague! So if we can do it so can you!! :-)

To the OP: I hope you find some help & guidance & manage to get yourself back on track.