NNAS experience?

RN_Pro · Nov 25, 2016

@Tabss Thank you, wow, I am just surprised that some people are last minute getting notified that the CNO will assess education and potentially exempt the from IENCAP. I have difficulty with the lack of information/transparency. I guess / hope CNO is realizing what a mess NNAS is and that their assessments yield essentially nothing by way of actual course content. I hope they make public soon the criteria for getting one of these letters and the reasoning...I'm really interested!

@dishes Thank you so much for the background information. I wasn't sure how it all took place back then. So it seemed like everyone had a fair chance to not get caught up mid-education and wind up with an education deemed insufficient to practice. And no need to grandfather since there was a decade in between the announcement and the actual change. Cool. Thanks again!

dishes, BSN, RN · Nov 25, 2016

@RN_PRO, yes there was definitely fair warning in the 1990's that baccalaureate as entry to practice was set for 2005, the warning prompted me and many other diploma educated RNs to return to school for our baccalaureate degrees . If you are interested in learning more about the history of Ontario nursing education, there is a video made by the St Lawrence College alumni in Kingston Ontario entitled "Nursing Education...A New Beginning. The Move From Hospital To College". The grads from the various programs ie hospital based, diploma and baccalaureate, discuss their experiences as students and new grads. It is available on the Museum of Healthcare ca website.

dishes, BSN, RN · Nov 25, 2016

I have taken the IENCAP today ! It's my worst day I have ever had.
It's really a torture day! I don't think those with entry level can have no mistakes when they need to go through about 6 hours exams.
The food they provided were cold.. no hot drink.. only cool water.. no tissue paper allowed to bring into the venue.. only one box of tissues for 50 candidates.. not enough washrooms and not enough washroom break ! are they not considering humanity ? they only concern communication skills ......
Any university students need to take 6 hours exam in one day and not allow to leave the venue by the time, can't talk, forced to eat the disgusting lunch, cold drink in Canada winter time, the room temperature is cool.. can't fix the heat over 4 hours and made lots of candidates got cold.. and needed to ask for several times then allow few of us to get back the coat.. everyone of us were wearing nurse attire.. short sleeves and thin cloth..
How can we get a good results..
after 95 MCQ questions.. i have already exhausted due to the chills, then feeling nausea after having the disgusting sandwiches. Afterthat, the 12 stations OSCE has already made me pass out..
If anyone can pass the exam, I can only say the questions stem has already been spread out...
If they really want to earn money, they'd better allow all the applicants to take a 1 - 1.5 years courses to make a win-win situation. They can open up more lecturer/ professor position in all universities, can train all the IEN to become their model like Canadian Nurse, ... >.
Ikm812 each time I read about IENs' experiences with the IENCAP, I become more convinced that most Canadian educated nurses would have difficulty passing the OSCE. I don't believe the OSCE is a true assessment of Canadian nursing practice. I think the IENCAP should be abolished and replaced with a less onerous assessment.

RN_Pro · Nov 30, 2016

@lkm812

Wow, this whole process is very difficult and not very transparent, but that that is just appalling! There is no reason for that. On an examination day which is so important to determining life trajectories, and in many cases the outcome of which can determine whether a person stays in Canada or goes elsewhere, one would hope that nursing candidates would at least be fed enough to have the caloric intake required to think through the test. That would never fly when testing Canadian educated nurses.

A colleague of mine who is originally from India said that there was an announcement made at lunch by staff saying that people were not allowed to speak their own languages over the lunch break! Did you hear this announcement? Just, wow.

I will make sure when I go to the IENCAP (when I finally get a date!) that I eat a huge breakfast, although, I usually need a snack every few hours so not sure the big breakfast will help.

Tabss · Nov 30, 2016

New dates has been announced for OSCE exam that are in March and 7th April 2017 , open for booking from 5th Dec.

I plan for 7th April. Are there any one else who plan for April 7? . I have found many are providin OSCE exam preparation for station. Any testimonial in this regard?

I'm currently out of canada and plan to be there 2 weeks prior to exam date around 26 March

dishes, BSN, RN · Nov 30, 2016

@lkm812
A colleague of mine who is originally from India said that there was an announcement made at lunch by staff saying that people were not allowed to speak their own languages over the lunch break! Did you hear this announcement? Just, wow.

I imagine the warning was to help deter candidates from discussing the content of the clinical stations. It is just one more reason that confirms there is a need to reassess the current OSCE.

RN_Pro · Dec 1, 2016

I imagine the warning was to help deter candidates from discussing the content of the clinical stations. It is just one more reason that confirms there is a need to reassess the current OSCE.

Yes that is what I wondered but when I mentioned that she said that there was no possible way to cheat as the OSCE portion of the exam was finished for the group and they didn't see the multiple choice exam until after lunch (or slime sandwich as she called it).

I agree, time to reassess and make big changes.

dishes, BSN, RN · Dec 1, 2016

@RN_Pro, it doesn't matter that they were finished the OSCE, the candidates signed a document attesting they would not discuss or disclose exam content with others at any time, in any way even after the exam is over (IENCAP Participant Guide)

The CNO will be strict about enforcing this rule, as there was a past CNO disciplinary hearing, about a nurse who compromised the integrity of the CRNE national licensing exam when they created a study booklet that contained 118 real questions from the exam and distributed it to students who attended their private exam prep course.

I encourage you to read the disciplinary decision on CNO's website it will give you a better understanding of why the CNO and Touchstone need to protect the integrity of the IENCAP.

MASTERFLEX · Dec 1, 2016

i just got my advisory report from NNAS and it's "Non Comparable" and a RPN practicing in Ghana, any idea on what to do next?

Tabss · Dec 2, 2016

Apply to respective provisional nursing body

RN_Pro · Dec 2, 2016

@RN_Pro, it doesn't matter that they were finished the OSCE, the candidates signed a document attesting they would not discuss or disclose exam content with others at any time, in any way even after the exam is over (IENCAP Participant Guide)
The CNO will be strict about enforcing this rule, as there was a past CNO disciplinary hearing, about a nurse who compromised the integrity of the CRNE national licensing exam when they created a study booklet that contained 118 real questions from the exam and distributed it to students who attended their private exam prep course.
I encourage you to read the disciplinary decision on CNO's website it will give you a better understanding of why the CNO and Touchstone need to protect the integrity of the IENCAP.

Oh yes I totally understand the need to protect the integrity of the IENCAP. For so many reasons, one being safety because if people share the exam questions then it opens the possibility that those who don't have enough nursing knowledge to practice safely could pass the test and be given a nursing license. Second is, I wouldn't want anyone to be doing anything that damages the integrity and validity of the exam because if I am going to do this IENCAP exam, I am confident in my skills, and I don't want anyone questioning whether or not I passed the test because I have knowledge and skill. I've worked way too hard for that! Thirdly, for purely selfish reasons, I do not want to work with someone who may have passed the test due to cheating. Bad for patients and also for the other nurses working with them (which will be me some day and I don't want to work with a nurse who doesn't have the knowledge needed!).

I guess what my issue is with the talking at lunch thing is that if IENCAP participants are going to make a huge mistake and break the rules, they are going to do it anyway. If not during lunch, after the exam, there is no way to control it. And as nurses, if they can't uphold a confidentiality agreement that they signed for an exam, what could that mean about upholding confidentiality of patient information? I think they should allow people to speak in their own language at lunch since speaking a foreign language doesn't preclude guilt or prevent cheating in the long run. I did't read the case, but from what i know, I also think the person who published a bunch of questions from CRNE deserved to be disciplined. Breaking those kinds of rules just isn't worth it.

dishes, BSN, RN · Dec 2, 2016

I understand that it is nice for many people to speak in their first language during their lunch break, but it is not necessary during the IENCAP. If an applicant believes that it is essential that they express them self in their first language, they should strengthen their English skills before taking the exam, because weak language skills will negatively impact their results. Touchstone makes it clear that applicants are being judged on their English language proficiency and cultural sensitivity throughout the day, so applicants should not find the rule surprising or offensive.