osce ( observational structured clinical examination)

Silverdragon102, BSN · Feb 2, 2013

Moved to the Nurse registration forum as nothing to do with CRNE but more to do with an International nurse meeting provincial requirements for Canada

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Feb 3, 2013

The OSCE is a recent addition to the assessment of IENs in Ontario. Please see this for details: Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) - CNO

When an applicant's education is considered to be deficient as compared to a recent Canadian graduate but the applicant has significant nursing experience from their own or other countries, some Colleges of Nursing will take that into consideration and offer the applicant the opportunity to demonstrate how their experience has filled the gaps. The OSCE is one tool that provides a method of assessing experiential learning.

As for why you are being required to undergo further assessment while others from your college have not, that is a question for CNO to answer. Most likely is that while the others attended the same school there are aspects of their education that differ from yours. The Colleges of Nursing assess curricula, clinical experiences, educational transcripts and other documentation when assessing credentials. Nursing education is constantly being revised and tweaked. It may be that your school mades ome changes to their program either just before, during or after you completed your education and that's where the difference lies.

guppawan · Feb 3, 2013

Thanks , for reply. Also it will be appreciated what to expect in that exam. Is that only be based on the competencies that have not been met by my education / experience or will be a general exam comprised of various different topics.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Feb 3, 2013

It'll be a general exam. It'll cover randomly selected competencies from the whole spectrum of nursing.

guppawan · Feb 4, 2013

So if we have to prepare for this exam how can we prepare if we don't know specific competencies in which we are lacking ? Should I get some training for the same ? Is there any possibility that college allow me to do some short course instead of giving exam? I would really appreciate your suggestion

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Feb 5, 2013

The competencies are listed here: http://www.cno.org/Global/docs/reg/41037_EntryToPracitic_final.pdf?epslanguage=en Unless you're planning to take an entire nursing program it's unlikely you'll find any kind of course that would help you prepare. Look at the competencies, then review in a nursing text book any that seem unfamiliar or that you're uncertain about. If the College has decided that they will require OSCE under a set of defined circumstances, that is what will be required. Period. Under the various provincial health professions acts the Colleges are given specific roles and responsibilities to the Canadian public and are granted certain privileges, including the right to regulate members as determined by best practice. Therefore... if you want to be registered in Ontario, you will submit to an OSCE.

guppawan · Feb 6, 2013

I am really thankful to you for your answers and time you are giving for my questions ? Somebody told me that I can get some training for the clinical practice that they can ask me in osce exam . Like they have lab settings in which they give training . Will that be beneficial ? And is there any textbook which can help me to get idea about osce preparation ? Or I can get examples for competencies ? I will be really thankful to you

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Feb 6, 2013

I have no information about what's available in your area. I live in another province. The lab scenarios might be very beneficial to you to help you understand how the assessment is organized and what the expectations are. You should contact the schools of nursing in your area and ask them who offers preparatory classes for OSCEs in nursing and how to access them. Because the assessment is on general nursing knowledge and processes, there is no one textbook that would help you. The CNO website has the competencies listed as linked in my previous post.

casey31 · Feb 14, 2013

Hi guppawan, I'm IEN from Phil. Today I just received letter from CNO informing to go through OSCE. I guess, our scenario is the same. My dilemma is how to prepare for this exam. Are there any materials available that we can review before the test? I have to take the exam by march 27. Any IEN around who can help us or enlighten what we have to do. Or who successfully finished this exam. By the way I am from Ontario.

jasonNZ · Feb 14, 2013

I am in the same situation, I am a New Zealander educated in the US. I was just advised to take this written/practical exam as well. I have found some useful information at the CEHPEA website: Centre for the Evaluation of Health Professionals Educated Abroad (CEHPEA)

After looking for a prep class, I determined there aren't really any. It's just like an exam in nursing school: a 10 minute interaction with a patient followed by 2-3 post-simulation questions to determine you understand the nursing process, and probably to assess certain clinical skills and reasoning.

I am not crazy about taking the exam, but I think a competent and experienced nurse should be able to pass. That's my attitude towards it anyway.

Good luck.

Malaika76 · Feb 17, 2013

hi, i am internationally trained nurse from Kenya. i too applied for registration as RN in college of nurses of ontario in September 2011. Last week on Thursday I received a letter indicating that my education is Not Eqv to an RN in Ontario and I am required to underMCQ and OSCE. I'm so confused and having sleepless nights. Where do I turn to for direction.? Where do I read from??? I need help ASAP