joeturtle

The 160 hours clinical placement is the assessment in itself.

Yes, there was a time when the actor patient asked me about the drug I will give, even asked what an mL is, kinda funny really

The assessor looks out for mistakes and he tells you if you commit one. You are only allowed 6 minor mistakes and zero fatal mistakes. Always think before doing, they are in no hurry anyway. As to pharma, focus on side effects and nursing considerations, basic drugs like antihypertensives, cardiac meds, diuretics, analgesics etc. Thank you for pointing this legislation, but as I have said, they require ideal practice.

Hi, Nurses without experience can pass the part B but its a matter of being confident. The exam was all BASIC nursing skills, which all new grads are supposed to know already. As to interventions, you do all of it on the actor-patient except for invasive ones like IV or SC meds which is done on dummies. You also need to talk with your patient to establish rapport and give reassurance.

Hi everyone, I passed Part B clinical challenge!!! Praise God for granting me this one. First of all, Brisbane is a beautiful city; clean, sunny and well organized. I wouldn't mind living here . As to the test, it was difficult, but doable. My assessor was a soft spoken gentleman and was easy to talk to. (Very far from some of the clinical instructors back home ) He told me that I would be allowed 6 minor mistakes and if at any time I "kill" my patient, the test is over. An actor played the patient and we worked through 5 scenarios. I was really nervous all throughout but the assessor kept on reassuring me so it really helped. (My hands were ice cold) The scenarios included asystole, ectopic preganancy, pressure ulcers, diabetes and cancer. You will have to do assessment, planning, intervention and evaluation. he asked on pharmacology and rationale for doing procedures. The test examines basic knowledge and they are very particular on patient SAFETY. He also made me do CBG, IV med and patient education. I had a very good actor who played the patient, you can really gather assessment data from him. All in all I had 3 mistakes: I recapped the needle (stupid mistake really) I failed to address the patient's pain immediately and I administered morphine without a second nurse present (according to law, 2nurses must sign the medication record if using regulated drugs) My advise, go for the clinical challenge if you are allowed to do so. But only if you are confident with your basic nursing knowledge and skills ( Do everything by the book). BTW, they have ideal practice here so always do hand washing and gloving before any procedure. It took 3 hours and at the end, he informed me that I passed. At last after 9 months, I will soon be registered in Queensland. I still have 85 days to stay in Australia. The next step would be to wait for my license and hopefully find an employer who will sponsor for a working visa. In the mean time, I'll enjoy Brisbane. :)

Hi there, It's OK to send your application considering that QNC processing time is getting longer and you only lack 0.5 in the writing test. I'm sure you will achieve the required scores this April. Good luck!

I was also looking for sample questions before I took the exam but was unable to find any. I still say the exam is very similar to NCLEX (multiple choice with four options), except that it is in Australian setting. There are many questions that would require one to know specific information for you to answer them (professional issues and legal issues). There are also questions that require clinical judgement and can be answered analytically (transcultural issues and clinical nursing). With regards to short answer type questions, you just have to write your answers on the space allotted for that question. There are some items with a single line and there are some with 5 lines allotted for the answer. What I can remeber are several questions on ethics and it was easy: veracity, confidentiality, etc.

Medicals included physical exam, chest x-ray, and lab tests. You can visit the Australian Embassy website for all the information. It contains the list of their accredited panel doctors in the Philippines. I allotted AU$1000 per month for expenses. I got this amount from another forum.

Payments can be made through credit card for convenience. If you prefer, ANZ Bank could issue bank drafts in AU$.

I wrote in the application that my reason for visiting Australia is to take the CAS exam. In my opinion, they have few reasons not to grant you the visa because the Part B of CAS, whether it is the one day exam or the 1 month placement, is ONLY available in Queensland. Thank you to everyone in the forums for the encouragement. I will really need a lot of those.:redbeathe I know all of us here will succeed and complete the Competency Assessment and be registered soon.

I just received my visa from the Australian Embassy :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D Its a single entry tourist visa (class 676) valid for three months. So all is set for my part B clinical test on the 30th is Brisbane. Wish me luck guys!!!

All modules, including the 1 month clinicals cost AU$902/module

There are currently a lot of challenges that we nurses must face, like the recession and the accompanying difficulty of landing a job. But the important thing is we are focused on our goals and be very persistent in our actions. Look on the bright side, healthcare will always be there and people will always require our services. We must also continue to work on our credentials to increase our chances of getting hired (e.g. experience, trainings and most of all - the license to work as a nurse in Australia)

Hey Ross, I gave you my email through the PM. I'm also looking forward to meeting all the wonderful nurses in this forum, hopefully we can have a get together in Queensland. I'm really excited even if I don't have my visa yet. I wish you well in your preparations mate

Only QNC can confirm this. I hope you can email them or maybe someone else who received a letter can confirm this.

Hi there, For the reading part of IELTS, I suggest you practice skim reading. You look at key words while reading the whole article rapidly. This will save you time when you will search for the answers later, when you find the particular part that contains the answer, that is the time you read that part carefully. Most people who score low on the reading part do so because they run out of time in searching for the answers from a relatively long article.

He is right, I emailed one of the hospitals in Brisbane and they asked me to send a CV. I did and also told them that I'm still in the Philippines and would still need to pass the Part B exam. To my surprise, the HR replied that they definitely have a position waiting for me once I receive the license. So to those who have not signed with an agency, don't bother, you can do it on your own using information readily available on the web. QNC has changed the passing marks for IELTS, I think this is just the beginning of stricter requirements to come so the earlier we finish this process of getting our registration with them, the better.

I did part A challenge test in IDP Makati, near greenbelt. Part B test of the CAS can only be done in Queensland.

Its on pages one and two of this forum, posted by me and ciao. :wink2:

Yes, there are some applicants who received approval from QNC even without work experience and second coursers may also be approved by the council. I too am a second courser. However, remember that applications are always assessed individually and on a case to case basis.

Carlos, Thank you so much for all the tips. I really can't thank you enough for sharing all the tips on the clinical challenge test. I feel less anxious now with all the information you have provided in this forum. I still have 3 more weeks to prepare. I will give it my best shot. What you have shared about Filipino preceptors is really sad. I mean they are supposed to help their countrymen. I hope more nurses will be like you and help other nurses realize their dreams instead of making it difficult for them. We can only pray for those types of people. Again, thank you for the tips and if you remember some more, please post them here. You made it as a registered nurse in Queensland and that is a source of inspiration for all nurses taking the same path.

Carlos, Thank you very much for sharing this information. I am confident with my clinical skills since I worked in the ICU for quite some time. However, I would not be prepared for the Australian set-up. Well, I have to face the test head on and prepare even harder. I don't know if it would be much different since what I will have will be a simulated setting and not the actual clinical setting. Again, thank you for the info, now I know what to expect.

Hi there, I prepared for 5 months, but the study time varies since I have a full time job and a small business to run. Since you have passed NCLEX, devote more time to legal issues and transcultural nursing. These two components are based on Australian setting. I did not memorize but I was able to read the books cover to cover several times. Just use the same study techniques you used for NCLEX, Im sure you'll do just fine. :wink2:

I waited for three months before receiving the letter from QNC that my qualifications have been assessed. That letter states the required IELTS score and the application form for CAS. Just be patient and use the time to review:wink2:

Hi honeepie, I wish you well in your preparations for the exam. I'm quite anxious with my part B clinical challenge this coming March 30. Do you know someone who underwent this exam? please share their info if you do. Also, could you recommend an affordable place to stay in Brisbane? Thanks a lot. :wink2: