NCLEX Replaces the CRNE For Canadian RN Assessment

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing began accepting Canadian registration for the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse on November 3, 2014. The first examination in Canada will take place on January 5, 2015. This will be the first time the NCLEX-RN is used for licensing in a country outside of the United States. The NCLEX-RN replaces the Canadian Registered Nursing Exam, which was last offered on October 1, 2014.

The new licensing program is the result of Canadian RN regulators selecting the NCLEX-RN for proper assessment of registered nurses in Canada. The new test offers increased security, accessibility and provides timely results for prospective RNs.

The test will include both metric and imperial measurement options and will be reviewed by a team of Canadian experts that will ensure the appropriateness of terms used in the exam. Nurses from across Canada will also be included in the writing and review panels for the current NCLEX-RN.

The entry-level assessment can be a daunting examination for nurses who have completed their required nursing program. Finding appropriate study material is often one of the challenges in preparation for national assessment.

PRIMED Educational Associates is ahead of the curve when it comes to offering courses and study material for exam training. The info and review sessions prepare Canadian applicants for the NCLEX-RN with online and personal instruction. Test taking strategies, safe and effective care environment, health promotion & maintenance, psychosocial integrity, pharmacology, risk-education, pediatric nursing, cardiac, respiratory, genitourinary, oncology obstetrics, neurology, endocrinology, gastrointestinal and MSK & integumentary areas are all covered by the PRIMED educationalpackage.

PRIMED is committed to building confidence for exam success.

For more information on the PRIMED NCLEX-RN education package visit: www.primededucation.ca.

Free One Hour session: NCLEX Test Taking Strategies

Are you struggling to know where to start your studying for the NCLEX?

Wondering about specific strategies to help you succeed?

We are offering a free 1 hour NCLEX-RN test-taking session.
Topics will include:
-Layout of the NCLEX
-Computer adapted testing
-NCLEX Myths
-Test taking strategies
-Question and Answer period

This session will be offered live through our online classroom.
Registration is not required. 

Date: Sunday November 30th
Time: 1pm PST (Pacific Standard Time).  (4pm EST- Eastern Standard Time)
Registration: Free NCLEX Test Taking Session

Registration is limited, so sign up today.

The NCLEX-RN for Canadians… sorting out the misinformation

We are receiving many many many questions from Canadian students who are going to be writing the upcoming NCLEX-RN exam.

Most concerning are the myths that students are coming to us with.

For our first post on our new blog, we wanted to address 2 of the most common myths we hear from our Canadian students.

MYTH #1
The NCLEX-RN is a Canadian version of the American exam

TRUTH = Students are writing the American NCLEX-RN

The NCLEX-RN is a computer adapted test.  This means the tests "adapts" itself to the individual writer, depending on how they respond to the questions.  If you get a question incorrect, you are asked an easier question, if you get it correctly, you are asked a harder question.
For this reason, every student writes what is essentially a different exam, although the program does take into account the competency categories and passing standard in determining pass/ fail rates.

Because it is computer adapted, the test-bank (the program houses the NCLEX-questions) is required to have hundreds of thousands of questions.
These questions have NOT all been adapted or tested on Canadian students.

Instead, there will be ongoing examination and reflection on the questions and questions which Canadian students consistently get wrong will be evaluated and possibly removed from the test bank.
In addition, Canadians can now become involved in the development of NCLEX-RN questions.

For students who are writing the NCLEX-RN exam, we cannot predict if you will or will not receive American focused questions.  Examples of these include questions about healthcare delivery in the USA, healthcare law and healthcare ethics which may be different from Canadian perspectives.

So students need to prepare for the NCLEX-RN exam as though they will encounter American content.

Myth #2
Because the NCLEX-RN exam is designed for BSN & RN diploma prepared nurses, Canadian students (degree educated) will automatically be prepared for this exam.

Truth = Canadian nurses are educated and socialized into the nursing profession very differently from American nurses.  BSN preparation does not automatically prepare you for the NCLEX-RN.

The NCLEX-RN exam is heavily focused on pharmacology and pathophysiology.  Less emphasis is placed on community health, social determinants of health, culture and other nursing theories that are often heavily emphasized in Canadian nursing programs.
Some Canadian programs do not have specific pharmacology or physiology classes, and other programs do not focus on maternity or paediatrics as these are considered speciality areas of nursing practice. However on the NCLEX-RN exam, students need to be able to answer in-depth questions about these areas (an example is understanding various congenital cardiac conditions).

Additionally, many of the ethical approaches to nursing care in Canada and the USA are different.  For example, disclosure of mistakes.  In Canada this is considered and essential and important step.  In the USA, this is something that is recommended nurses NOT do.
These contradictions between the way in which American nurses and Canadian nurses practice can be problematic for the exam.

At PRIMED, we can help.
We offer NCLEX-RN courses for Canadians, designed by Canadian nursing educators.
Our instructors have active clinical practice and masters degrees in nursing (or education).  Our courses translate what you need you need to know as Canadian students, for the American NCLEX-RN.

Register today at: www.primededucation.ca