Why Become a Nurse?

Most of you reading this have already made the life-changing decision to enter the field of nursing. As students preparing forthe NCLEX-RN, you may feel a little overwhelmed at the prospect of taking a test that evaluates your entire educational experience thus far. Don't be discouraged. Focus on the reasons you chose this profession and use that as your motivation to study. If you need more, PRIMED Educational Associates has prepared a short list:

-Nurses are in high demand

The CNA predicts that by 2022, Canada will be in need of over 60,000 new nurses. Graduates from a professional nursing program are some of the most sought after grads leaving postsecondary institutions. Finding a fulfilling job posting has never been easier for registered nurses.

-Nursing is a stable career choice

The IT world can change overnight, whole industries can collapse, governments can pull out funding, but there will always be a need for nurses, especially as our population ages. Many professionals try a variety of careers before they land in the nursing profession. Downsizing or short-term contract work often leads to these individuals to seek out careers with increased stability. Nursing offers a 'recession proof' field that can weather the storm of any financial downdraft. 

-Nursing provides ongoing education opportunities

Once you become a registered nurse, your education begins in earnest. Apart from the everyday learning that goes on, nurses are constantly upgrading their knowledge and improving their skill set. No other job encourages continued education like nursing does.

-Nurses have endless opportunities to increase their earnings

From educational advancements, to overtime, to specialization, the opportunities to increase your annual income are boundless. In Canada, nurses who choose to relocate to remote areas can see their wage grow dramatically. There are also plenty of opportunities for nurses with Masters of Science degrees to supplement their income with work in the field of education.

-Nursing offers unparalleled flexibility

Once you become an RN and establish your seniority, you will find that the nursing field is extremely accommodating for individuals who want to take long periods of work off. This is an excellent career attribute for those who love to travel or for parents who want to spend more time with their families.

-Nursing offers constant gratification

Your work puts you face-to-face with the people's lives you are caring for. Assisting their recovery and ensuring their well being, provides daily satisfaction.

-Nurses are constantly challenged

You definitely won't be bored. Each patient and medical situation is unique, so is the way you care for him or her. As new research provides new insights, the challenges increase. The dynamic nature of nursing forces you to think independently. This is not a job for followers; this is a job for leaders.

But before all that, you still need to pass your NCLEX. Well, we can help. PRIMED is an educational collective determined to helping nursing students find success on their exam. We offer the tools and support necessary to supplement your studying so you can tackle the NCLEX with confidence. Nursing is one of the most rewarding careers possible. That's why we became nurses and that's also why we want you to be a part of it.

All About the NCLEX- RN Exam in Canada

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 educational package.

PRIMED is committed to building confidence for exam success.

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

CRNE Prep

Are you enjoying the nice warm summer weather. Does it feel like the CRNE is a long ways away? Well it's not that far around the corner. In fact, it is just over 60 days away. So it's definitely time to start thinking about how you are going to study for the CRNE whether you are winding up school or perhaps recently moved to Canada.

I'm sure many of you are dreading writing the four hour licensing exam and are not sure how to start studying, because after all there is a lot of information you're expected know. However, it is possible and necessary to study for this exam in order to be successful.

It is recommended that you have some sort of plan of attack. Take out a calendar and write in some dates that you want to have certain things reviewed by. Also slot in some study sessions, and write in the days that you are working or have other commitments so you can see what time left you really have left to study.

Next, suggestion is to maybe have a study timeline of topics that you need to get through. Remember to start with the areas you are weakest with first then move on to the topics that you are more familiar with. The sooner you start the better prepared you'll be. But also remember, not to pull all day marathon study sessions, especially this much before the exam or you'll burn out. Start with 2-3 hours and then you can increase it as time draws nearer.

Consider attending the PRIMED CRNE review workshops taking place in September in Vancouver, Calgary or Edmonton. This is a perfect way to review core nursing content while having the opportunity to practice over 200 CRNE style questions.

If you want to practice while your on the go, download the PRIMED CRNE iphone app available at http://www.appstorehq.com/crneprepquiz-iphone-241622/app

For more study tips, check out earlier blog entries and visit www.primededucation.ca

What is CRNBC?

Many nurses that are registering in Canada for the first time, whether they are Canadian graduates or international nurses may be a bit confused by the regulatory system in Canada.

In British Columbia (BC), nursing has been a self-governing profession since 1918. This means that nursing governs or exercises control over itself. This is accomplished by a provincial regulatory body. Every province has its’ own regulatory body. In BC the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia (CRNBC) regulates over 39, 000 registered nurses, nurse practitioners and licensed graduate nurses. Under provincial law, called the Health Professions Act, it is the duty of the CRNBC to protect the public by regulating its members.

CRNBC’s mission: Protecting the public through the regulation of registered nurses by registered nurses, setting standards, supporting registered nurses to meet standards, acting if standards are not met (CRNBC website, 2009).

More specifically, the CRNBC makes these commitments to fulfilling its mandate and mission:

• Public Interest - To protect the public through the regulation of registered nurses
  
• Self-regulation - To manifest the College's commitment to the privilege and responsibility of self-regulation.
  
• Education Standards - To establish entry-level competencies that reflect practice requirements and to recognize entry and re-entry nursing education programs in B.C. where graduates meet these competencies and the College's Standards of Practice.
  
• Registration Standards - To ensure that all registrants meet the standards for entry and re-entry into the profession and that these standards reflect British Columbia practice requirements.
  
• Standards of Practice - To establish and communicate Standards of Practice that define the level of practice that registered nurses are required to meet.
  
• Continuing Competence - To support registered nurses to understand and fulfill their obligation to uphold the Standards of Practice by maintaining their professional ethics and competence.
  
• Practice Environments To work with registered nurses, health organizations and other stakeholders to create and sustain practice environments that support safe, competent and ethical nursing care for the public.
  
• Complaint Process To provide an accessible and responsive complaint process to ensure that concerns about the practice of registered nurses are addressed in the public interest
  (CRNBC, 2009)
  Other activities carried out by the CRNBC include:

• Setting requirements to enter the profession of nursing

• Ensuring the standards of nursing practice are developed, monitored and enforced

• Require initial and annual registration to ensure safe, ethical and competent practice.

The CRNBC will support nurses to carry out their mission, and intervene when they feel nursing practice is questionable.

CRNE vs the NCLEX...What's the difference

Often we get asked what the difference is between the Canadian nursing exam (CRNE) and the American Nursing exam (NCLEX).  This is often quite confusing for people, especially for international nurses who may have written the NCLEX before moving to Canada and are looking at writing the CRNE.
Here are a few key differences:

Exam Delivery:
The CRNE is still a written exam.  Students write the CRNE in classrooms that are invigilated by members of the provincial colleges.  It is a pencil to paper exam (or pencil to scantron exam).
The CRNE is only offered in Canada, so students must travel to Canada to write the exam.
The CRNE is offered 3 times a year, spring, fall and winter.
Candidates must answer all questions
The CRNE: Students cannot bring a calculator to the exam

While the NCLEX is a fully automatic exam, which is delivered via computer.  Students go to a designated testing site to write.  Their information is taken at the door, they must ensure they have left all their belongings in a locker and they are monitored on video camera.  The questions are answered on the computer and the student hits submit at the end of the exam.
The computer stops the exam automatically after the minimum number of questions have been answered and the computer is >95% sure the student will pass the exam (based on a statistical analysis).
Due to the exam format, it is offered at various locations internationally.
The NCLEX is offered throughout the year.
The NCLEX: Students can bring a calculator to the exam.

Exam Questions:
The CRNE: Focuses on application of knowledge and critical thinking.  It does assume (to a point) that the candidates already have in depth clinical, physiological and pathological knowledge.  It wants to see the candidate apply the knowledge.  Many questions are psychosocial, or require the nurse to choose the best answer out of a possible 2 "correct" responses.
The CRNE is designed to test the nursing competencies
On the CRNE clients are defined as: individuals, families, groups and communities.

The NCLEX: Focuses on pathology and physiology.  There are also questions on the American health care system.
NCLEX questions are used to test nursing knowledge, and application of knowledge with the intent to meet the individual clients needs.
On the NCLEX, client is defined as individuals, groups or families.

In general, although the pass rate is higher on the CRNE than on the NCLEX, students state they find the CRNE more difficult.  This is because the CRNE is designed to test the critical thinking of the student, so when the exam is completed it is difficult for the candidate to determine if they were successful or not.

For more information about the CRNE, students can visit the CNA website.

CRNE Exam Questions..Isn't there more than 1 right answer?

One of the most common concerns we have from students is that the CRNE exam often appears to have more than 1 right answer in the list of choices.
Lets work through an example:

Question:

1.  Jonathan is a 4 year old boy who was recently diagnosed with diabetes.  His family appears to be coping well, but they tell you they feel as though they are alone, and can't speak to their friends about their experiences.  Which of the follow responses would be most appropriate?

a. "I can see you are upset, would you like to talk about it?"
b. "You seem to be coping very well, I know things are difficult now, but most families say things improve with time"
c.  "It is important to remember that although diabetes is difficult, it is not as terrible as some of the other diseases that can effect children"
d.  "Many families find it helpful to speak with other people who have experienced similar feelings or circumstances, would you like me to arrange for you to speak with one of these families?"

First, lets look at option a.


"I can see you are upset, would you like to talk about it?"


Good Points:  This is often answer students choose.  It is the first answer, and it appears to be supportive, open ended and appears that the nurse is approaching the family in a caring way.
Bad Points:  Although this answer invites more questions, it doesn't address the families concerns.  Remember, the family has stated that they feel alone, and that they can't speak to their friends about their experiences.


Ok, let's deconstruct option b.

"You seem to be coping very well, I know things are difficult now, but most families say things improve with time"


Good Points:  Good points are hard to find with this response.  You are acknowledging what you are seeing in the family, but you are not addressing the families concerns.
Bad Points:  Again, you are not addressing the families concerns.  Think about how the family would feel, they would most likely feel as though the nurse gave them the "brush off".  The CRNE exam is designed to ensure that you are responding to the patient.  So, Eliminate b as an option!


Now, lets look at option c.

"It is important to remember that although diabetes is difficult, it is not as terrible as some of the other diseases that can effect children"


Good points: I can't think of any!  This is a complete brush off, and does not address the concerns of the family at all.
Bad Points:  Option C is designed to be a dead give away.  Remember, on a multiple choice exam there is often 1 answer that you can eliminate right at the beginning.  


Finally, lets look at option d.

"Many families find it helpful to speak with other people who have experienced similar feelings or circumstances, would you like me to arrange for you to speak with one of these families?"

Good points:  This question is both supportive, as well as responsive to the families concerns.  Return to the original question...what is the family telling you?  They are telling you they feel alone.  Offering to connect them to other families is the right answer.

Connecting the dots.....
-Hopefully you would have been struggling to choose between a. and d.
If you read the question carefully, you realize that d is the response that best answers the families concerns.

This is just one example of a question that can confuse you on the CRNE Exam.
Make sure you read the question carefully and choose the response that best addresses the concerns of the patient, family, or situation.

If you would like to work through more of these types of questions, join us for our course, January 9th and 10th, 2010!