What to do after SEC assessment?

Maezando · Jan 16, 2009

Here's what others are talking , i'm not sure , but i'm researching on it as well........ .

Q: What do you think about 1 to 5 day free SEC assessment by third party ? .

A: They will check if you can study or not , if you can, then you'll end up paying for their expensive courses after that ;-). A very classic marketing strategy. .

Q: Why do we have to pay $200 ++ hard cash in advanced ? .

A: So that they can send you letter of eligibility to go for SEC assessment. .

Q: Who are eligible for CRNE ? .

A: As for the IEN , usually person with no experience. If you have some experience , be prepare to go for SEC. Other words, you must not have any experience if you want to be eligible for CRNE in 3 monts time. .

Check out " How to become an RN in British Columbia" thread . .

AVKON · Jan 16, 2009

Yeah, I read that thread. Breech is **** lucky!

So *****' what if the SEC is free? I'd rather pay $200 to Kwantlen U. if CRNBC shoulders my roundtrip airfare as well as my board and food expenses for the duration of my SEC assessment. I gotta wake up now.

RN_Canada · Jan 16, 2009

Kwantlen U. said it will take them 3-8 weeks to release my results,

Tell Kwantlen that is not acceptable. I work there and I cannot imagine WHY it would take this long....

Just so that everyone knows WHY the SEC was put in place. The employers were hiring Internationally educated nurses who had passed the CRNE but were not successful in the workplace.

This has a lot to do with the context of nursing in Canada not just "how to care for a patient with...." Can you imagine how difficult it is to have passed the exam and think you can work as a nurse in Canada and then be told by your employer that you are not "working out" .

What nightmare!

The SEC is in place to make sure that IEN's receive the help and support they need to be successful. It is an individual assessment that helps to point out your areas that need to be improved so that you can be successful as a nurse in Canada.

Canada needs nurses. But we need nurses who can do the work in the role that is required. When new nurses in the system require more support than the system can provide it is a bad situation for everyone.....patient safety notwithstanding.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jan 16, 2009

Yeah, I read that thread. Breech is **** lucky!
So *****' what if the SEC is free? I'd rather pay $200 to Kwantlen U. if CRNBC shoulders my roundtrip airfare as well as my board and food expenses for the duration of my SEC assessment. I gotta wake up now.

Why should the registered nurses of BC, who pay huge annual fees to CRNBC for their practice permits and provide CRNBC with their operating capital, pay for you to follow YOUR dream? Because that's what you're suggesting here.

AVKON · Jan 17, 2009

Do you mean to tell me Kwantlen can process my results in 1-2 weeks "just on my saying it's not acceptable"?

I do not have any problems with WHY the SEC was put into place. I have problems WHERE (in the application process) it was put into place. Now I've been reading on the forums that some IENs who are ALREADY in BC have to take the SEC to see if they need "polishing" on their skills. Why can't that be the case for me as well? Why not certify me eligible BOTH to take the SEC and the CRNE?

That way, I can get a job permit, come to Canada as a Temporary worker, get some experience, and THEN use that to build on my additional learning so that it will aid me as I take the CRNE and the SEC! I fully understand that "caring for a person" is different depending on country, race, even different depending on what institution you are working at, as a reflection of that particular institution's mission/vision statement. That being said, how can I know how to care for a person in the "Canadian setting" if I am asked to perform and I am being rated against a system I have no idea about?

If I remember correctly, once a nurse fails the first take of the CRNE, his temporary license is revoked and he cannot work until he passes the CRNE (someone please correct me if I'm wrong!), but he is given a set amount of time (2 or 3 years?) with which to comply with the CRNE. Why not do that with the SEC as well? Or since a nurse cannot get his license until he gets 250 hours of supervised work from a Canadian hospital, why not make it so that he cannot get his license unless he gets the hours AND does the SEC?

The idea here is just to make the IEN go to Canada ONCE, and at least assure him/her even a temporary job until he/she proves competency, with clear options and timeframes with regards to "X" happening if he/she gets "Y."

Now I keep hearing that SEC is given only to some IENs and not to all, and that each is assessed individually. Okay, I'll grant you that. But surely, all assessments are done against some standard? One does not pass/fail the assessment purely on the assessor's whim? Well then, what are the standards of having to take the SEC? Is it the number of hours of clinical practice? The grades? The board exam results? So far, I have not seen any of these. Personally, I am told I need to take the SEC because I had less than 12 years of education before university. I don't mean to be rude, but does that mean that even if I aced my subjects and exams but had less than 12 years in school befor university, my capabilities as an RN is in question? So an individual with barely-passing grades and maybe took the exams 2 or even 3 times, but with 12 or more years of education will not have his competencies questioned?

@ janfrn, I am not suggesting that, it was merely a "wishful" comment.

AVKON · Jan 17, 2009

To put it simply, why tell IENs up front what they need to become good Canadian nurses in clear, plain english? Now if a candidate CAN DO THE JOB but needs polish so that it is done the "Canadian way," why not land that IEN, give him a job to at least sustain himself, then build up from there?

IMHO, a really interested, dedicated candidate will do whatever is reasonable to qualify.

breech · Jan 17, 2009

To put it simply, why tell IENs up front what they need to become good Canadian nurses in clear, plain english? Now if a candidate CAN DO THE JOB but needs polish so that it is done the "Canadian way," why not land that IEN, give him a job to at least sustain himself, then build up from there?
IMHO, a really interested, dedicated candidate will do whatever is reasonable to qualify.

Avkon,

does CRNBC gave you reasons why you need to take the SEC?

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jan 17, 2009

I trained in the UK back in 1986 and did a bridge to RN in 1997 and trying to get sorted for Nova Scotia and I too have been told I may have to do SEC but a lot will depend on my transcripts when they receive them and review them. If it needs doing then it needs doing, maybe I am lucky that I am already in Canada as it is dh that has the work permit but I will still have to go away for a few days and expense will mount up.

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · Jan 17, 2009

To put it simply, why tell IENs up front what they need to become good Canadian nurses in clear, plain english? Now if a candidate CAN DO THE JOB but needs polish so that it is done the "Canadian way," why not land that IEN, give him a job to at least sustain himself, then build up from there?
IMHO, a really interested, dedicated candidate will do whatever is reasonable to qualify.

Read the posts here , the Canadians have done that and patient care has suffered. The reported nurse's self assessment and education did match the IEN's actual skills. It seems there is a communication problem. Why should Canadian Patients suffer because IEN do not know how to do a self assessment and their school don't know how to produce transcripts that reflect their education.

Also could you share how your home country would process a Canadian nurse's application and how long would it take to get a license?

AVKON · Jan 18, 2009

breech, I need to do the SEC because apparently I have less than 12 years education before university. It seems that they only count starting Grade 1, so that's 6 years elementary and 4 years high school = 10 years. The funny thing is, SEC is not assessing my math or english or science skills, but my nursing competency. Now what has pre-university education have to do with THAT?

Silverdragon102, yes, if it needs doing, then it needs doing. Unfortunately, they positioned the SEC in such a manner as the expenses will REALLY mount up, and some of us just don't have that money, or getting it would impair our families significantly.

Alexk49, what I mean by that post is that they tell us EVERYTHING we need to qualify, aside from a degree. BLS? IV training? Head-to-toe assessment training? Granted that even if we have certificates on this, Canadians may do it differently, so an IEN must still be assessed... but the point is --- WE KNOW HOW TO DO IT, we just need to modify the technique to fit the Canadian healthcare setting and expectations. So based on that, why not land the IEN, and before he even touches a patient, give him a good orientation, put him on the SEC, and then polish him up, and when he passes, YOU now have a grateful IEN who knows the job and is an asset to YOUR hospital. Win-win.

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · Jan 18, 2009

What I mean, when I have to produce my credentials, I fill out a check sheet, usually it goes something like this. Proficient, Needs Supervision, no experience. Most US nurses give an honest assessment of their self assessment. Also the transcripts the school produces gives an honest evaluation of what the nurse is taught.

IENs who have come to Canada, once people who are best to judge their nursing practice, have decided that many IENs who came to Alberta were not practicing at their level for an RN but at the LPN level. This is not fair to the Canadian Health Care System.

I don't think it was done to be deceptive only to gain passage to Canada. Unfortunately or fortunately the IENs could not fake their lack of experience and education Hence the assessment.

Why not fund a few Canadian reviews to do the assessment on Philippine soil, it would be cheaper for you. Or you will have to go the expensive route but it wouldn't be a gamble for you since you appear very comfortable with your practice. Spending a few thousand dollars seems to be a cheap price for a nursing career in Canada but that is only my opinion.