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.

Free 1 hour NCLEX-RN 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)
Register today: Free NCLEX Test Taking Session

Registration is free, but limited.

PRIMED NCLEX-RN Review coming to Thunder Bay!

PRIMED is excited to be offering our very first NCLEX-RN workshop in Thunder Bay, ON. After many years of successfully preparing students for the CRNE PRIMED has been working hard to ensure we can provide you with the preparation and tools students need to pass the NCLEX-RN.

The course will run December 6-7 at Lakehead University. Two experienced nurses will facilitate the course content which is based on the latest NCLEX-RN blueprint as per the NSCBN.

Don't rely register online now by clicking on the link below or visiting our website
www.eply.com/2014ThunderBayNCLEXReview1079715

Why choose PRIMED….

What makes PRIMED Education different from other NCLEX review courses?

PRIMED Education offers a conceptual review, covering nursing theory and process as well as question practice.

We are a Canadian nursing review company taught by Canadian nursing educators and we are familiar with the Canadian nursing curriculum, policy and culture.

PRIMED is proud to say that all our educators are masters or doctorally prepared Nurses & Nurse Practitioners, with active, recent, clinical practice and experience as educators.  Our team are  involved in front line nursing as well as education- and our clinical experience gives us an ability to relate to our students in a way that makes PRIMED unique.

At PRIMED, we can emphasize particular points that nurses need to know to write the NCLEX and can provide a unique lens on the NCLEX content from a Canadian perspective.

New info session added

Due to popular demand PRIMED is pleased to announce another free 1 hour CRNE info session has been added.
It will run Thursday May 1at 4pm PST/7pm EST.
You can click on the direct link below or visit our website at www.primededucation.ca to sign up.
Sign up today to get your free spot!

www.eply.com/2014PRIMEDCRNEAprilInfoSession988523

Upcoming PRIMED CRNE prep course-Toronto, Vancouver etc.

It's getting to that time of the year when students are starting to look ahead at the 2014 June CRNE and realize that it's not that far away. In fact, it's only about 7 weeks away! That means it's time to start getting serious about studying.

For those of you that are finishing school in the upcoming few weeks it's time for you too. Remember obtaining your Bachelor's degree is a huge accomplishment but you still have to pass the CRNE if you hope to practice as an RN in Canada! No matter how strong of a student you were in undergrad you still have to study for the CNRE. You may have great nursing knowledge but if you aren't familiar with the way the exam is laid out, how the questions are worded and what kind of pace you need to have then you may find the exam very challenging and not be successful. It's true the majority of students are successful, however here at PRIMED we've heard from many students who obtained honours standing or straight A's in their nursing programs only to be unsuccessful in the CRNE because they were unprepared.

To help you be successful we suggest developing a study plan, writing it down and sticking to it. Try not to worry too much about obtaining your provisional license and working for the next few weeks. Spending the time now studying and being successful on the exam is going to ensure you can be a RN for along period of time rather than just a few months if you are not successful on the exam.

And if you would like to sign up for a prep course that can be very helpful. PRIMED is offering several courses in May and we still have seats open, especially in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Edmonton.
Please visit our website to find out more about the course. Here you can look at the course outline, read about the PRIMED facilitators and test your knowledge in our online study centre.

New location-Sudbury CRNE PREP

PRIMED is pleased to announce that we will be holding our first ever CRNE prep course in Sudbury, Ontario!

Due to student demand PRIMED will hold their 2 day CRNE bootcamp weekend course March 29-30, 2014. If you are interested please register ASAP to ensure you secure your seat in the course.
There will be two experienced nurses/facilitators to help PRIMED you for the June 2014 CRNE!

You can register on our website www.primededucation.ca or by clicking on this link:
www.eply.com/2014SudburyMarch954926

Good luck with your studies!

Spring 2014 CRNE Prep Courses Announced

PRIMED is pleased to announce registration in preparation for the June 2014 exam is now open and we are running several courses across Canada.
You can register online by visiting www.primededuaiton.ca or on the links below:

April 5-6, 2014 North Bay   www.eply.com/NorthBaySpring2014PRIMEDCRNEReviewWorkshop887510  

April12-13, 2014 Grande Prairie  www.eply.com/GrandPrairieApril2014PRIMEDCRNEReviewWorkshop887410

May 3-4, 2014 Ottawa     www.eply.com/OttawaSpring2014PRIMEDCRNEReviewWorkshop887310

May 3-4, 2014 Edmonton    www.eply.com/EdmontonSpring2014CRNEReviewSession887008

May 3-4, 2014 Live Online Workshop     www.eply.com/LiveOnlineCRNEReviewWorkshopMay2014887610

May 10-11, 2014 Calgary: www.eply.com/CalgarySpring2014CRNEReviewSession886908

May 10-11, 2014 Toronto  www.eply.com/TorontoSpring2014PRIMEDCRNEReview887210

May 23-24, 2014 Live Online  www.eply.com/LiveOnlineSpring2014PRIMEDCRNEReviewSession887710

May 2014 (exact date TBA) Halifax www.eply.com/HalifaxApril2014PRIMEDCRNEReviewWorkshop884205

Toronto CRNE Prep

PRIMED is happy to announce we are running a CRNE prep  course in Toronto January 18-18, 2014. It will be held at the University of Toronto-Bahen Centre Room 1240.

We hear from many new grads and internationally educated nurses that they feel overwhelmed with the amount of information to study and that the PRIMED Workshop helped them to condense and focus their studying. Furthermore, the mock CNRE questions were vital to them achieving success on the CNRE. 
If you are looking for a course that has content review in it as well as CRNE simulation questions then this course is for you.

The course is two full days and led by two experienced RN's with active clinical and academic positions. Sign up today to take advantage of the early registration rate. Visit our website at www.primededucation.ca to sign up online today!

Last minute spots still available for Thunder Bay

PRIMED is excited to be travelling to Thunder Bay this weekend (December 14-15, 2013). If you live in the Thunder Bay area and will be writing the CRNE in February 2014 then don't miss this workshop!

Two Masters's prepared facilitators will be leading the session. They will review fundamental concepts including tips and tricks on the exams as well as nursing content and give you the opportunity to practice lots of mock CRNE questions.
The session will run on Saturday and Sunday from 9-5:30 at Confederation College.

If you would like to sign up please visit our website www.primededucation.ca to register online.

Free one hour online CRNE info session

Are you writing the CRNE in February 2014? Do you know want to learn more information about the exam including how it is structured and what kinds of questions you might see on it?
Then why don't you sign up for our free 1 hour info session and best of all you can take it from the comfort of your own home as it is online!

Join two PRIMED facilitators as they lead you through what to expect on the big day. Register online at www.primededucation.ca or online at www.eply.com/VancouverJanuary2012CRNEReviewWorkshop851617

New website

PRIMED is pleased to announce our new website!

After weeks of professional design by our webmaster and advertiser we believe we have a new website that is clean, crisp and more user friendly. We've incorporated new images and student testimonials to the site.
We've also added our spring 2014 CRNE workshop to our Courses and Registration page.
Check it out at www.primededucation.ca

Please note you may need to clear your cache to see the new site if you have visited our old site in the past.

Upstream Thinking

As a nursing student I’m sure you’ve at least HEARD of the Social Determinants of Health. Even if it was WAY back in semester 1 like it was for me. Recently, a physician in Saskatoon reminded me of the importance of these social determinants in a presentation. His name is Dr. Ryan Meili and he even wrote a book about them! This was an amazing talk to listen to, and it really got me thinking about what we can and should be doing as nurses for our patients both in and out of acute care. Obviously the idea with upstream thinking is to catch people before they end up in acute care, however there are still health promotion and disease prevention strategies that we can be using for those acute care patients. Even if in clinical you feel like you don’t have the time, TRY to remember even one teaching item that could help this person once they leave. At the very least ensure you give them some resources to access once they are back in community. Nurses are one of the most trusted professions! Imagine the impact your words have on patients and how your two minutes of teaching on lower glycemic food choices can affect this person’s ability to manage their disease and thereby live a longer and healthier life! For more information about upstream thinking check out  www.thinkupstream.net.

Immunizations

Immunizations are still a hot topic. People just don’t seem to fully trust them and because of this there are many myths. Immunize BC is a great resource for learning about vaccines and has some great ideas for talking to the public.

Some myths that are dispelled on the site are:

Vaccines cause autism – The study that led people to believe this has been discredited

Even if the risk from a vaccine is tiny, why take it when a child's health is at stake? – The risk of contracting one of these diseases is much greater; some of them can even cause death in children.

Why immunize my kids against diseases that aren't around any more? – It may seem like these diseases aren’t around because vaccines have kept them at bay but there is actually a measles outbreak in the Fraser Valley right now.

For more myths and for more information about immunizations check out http://immunizebc.ca/facts-on-immunity/answering-myths

Flu Vaccines are out!

New to the vaccine scene this year is the nasal flu vaccine (Flumist) covered for children ages 2-17. It has actually been shown to provide better protection in kids aged 2-8. One big difference with the Flumist and regular injected vaccines is that Flumist is a live attenuated influenza vaccine. Precautions need to be taken to ensure that Flumist is never injected with a needle. For instructions on administering Flumist, visit the link below:

http://www.bccdc.ca/imm-vac/ForHealthProfessionals/flumistvideo.htm

A few special considerations for the live attenuated influenza vaccine:

It is contraindicated for immunocompromised people, people with severe asthma, those who are pregnant or may soon become pregnant, those with an egg allergy, and those receiving Aspirin therapy currently or within the last 4 weeks.

Special precautions must be made for those who are in contact with severely immunocompromised people. Since the vaccine contains weakened but live virus, in rare occasions, it can be transmitted through respiratory secretions.

Taking antiviral medication at the same time as receiving Flumist has potential to interfere with the immune response.

TB skin tests given in the 4 weeks after receiving Flumist can result in a false negative.

For more information regarding Flu vaccines, check out www.immunizebc.ca

Flu Season is here

It's Flu Season again.  

And when studying for your CRNE it's important to review implications of influenza as well as national and provincial recommendations regarding flu vaccinations.

It's also important to go and get vaccinated, to protect yourselves and your patients.

Here is some exciting information from the BC flu program this year.

New to the publicly funded vaccine scene in BC this year is the nasal flu vaccine (Flumist) covered for children ages 2-17. 

This vaccine has actually been shown to provide better protection in kids aged 2-8. 

One big difference with the Flumist and regular injected vaccines is that Flumist is a live attenuated influenza vaccine. Precautions need to be taken to ensure that Flumist is never injected with a needle. 

For instructions on administering Flumist you can visit the link below:

http://www.bccdc.ca/imm-vac/ForHealthProfessionals/flumistvideo.htm

A few special considerations for the live attenuated influenza vaccine:

It is contraindicated for individuals who are immunocompromised, for people with severe asthma, those who are pregnant or may soon become pregnant, or those with an egg allergy, and those receiving Aspirin therapy within the last 4 weeks.

Special precautions must be made for those who are in contact with severely immunocompromised people. Since the vaccine contains weakened but live virus, in rare occasions, it can be transmitted through respiratory secretions.

Taking antiviral medication at the same time as receiving Flumist has potential to interfere with their immune response, since with the live attenuated type of vaccine, the vaccine must replicate in the body to produce and immune response.  

TB skin tests given in the 4 weeks after receiving Flumist can result in a false negative, so if you are planning on having a TB skin test make sure you inform your nurse if you have received the flu mist.

Here is a great resource for reviewing immunizations and learning more regarding Flu vaccines, check out www.immunizebc.ca 

Thunder Bay Workshop!

We are pleased to announce due to popular demand PRIMED has added a 2 day CRNE prep workshop in Thunder Bay, ON!!
 It is PRIMED's first time holding a course in Thunder Bay, though we have had many students travel from Thunder Bay to our courses in Toronto or take the online course in the past. The course will run the weekend of December 14-15, 2013.
PRIMED facilitators are looking forward to meeting the students there in December.

You can register through our website our by clicking on the link below:
www.eply.com/ThunderBayDecember2013871516

Workshops announced for February 2014 CRNE

PRIMED is happy to announce registration has opened for the January 2014 CRNE prep workshops to get you PRIMED for the February 2014 exam.

Please click on the link below to register online or visit our website at www.primededucation.ca

Live Online Course January 11-12, 2014

www.eply.com/LiveOnlineCRNEReveiwWorkshopJanuary2014851417

Calgary January 11-12, 2014

www.eply.com/CalgaryJanuary2014PRIMEDCRNEReviewWorkshop851317

Edmonton January 18-19, 2014

www.eply.com/EdmontonJanuary2014CRNEReviewWorkshop851517

Vancouver January 18-19, 2014

www.eply.com/VancouverJanuary2012CRNEReviewWorkshop851617

Toronto January 18-19, 2014

www.eply.com/TorontoJanuary2014CRNEReviewWorkshop851717

Ottawa January 25-26, 2014

www.eply.com/OttawaJanuary2014PRIMEDCRNEReviewWorkshop851817

Live Online Course January 25-26, 2014

www.eply.com/LiveOnlineCRNEre4viewWorkshopWinter201859228

Resources and strategies for reducing stress

Most universities have counseling resources available for students and these are great options for people who are having difficulty managing stress. However, if your university is anything like mine, it can take a few weeks to get in…

So, here are some ideas of activities that you can do to reduce stress in the mean time:

Meditation: There are many types of meditation. Relaxation types of meditation may help, but what I had in mind was mindfulness meditation. One method is the RAIN acronym. “R- recognize what is happening in the present moment, A- allow your inner life to unfold just as it is, I – investigate you experiences (sensations, emotions and thoughts), N – non-identify with whatever is there.”  Over the next few days, strive to recognize when a strong emotion is present and simply allow it to be present. Much of our stress and anxiety comes about from resisting the emotions we are experiencing. In order to investigate, it may be helpful to use questions such as: What sensations am I experiencing around this challenge? Where am I experiencing tension? What is the quality of this tension? One important point to remember with investigation is to be gentle with oneself… Lastly, non-identification means that one's sense of self is not tied to the strong emotions one may be experiencing. This allows for much greater flexibility and psychological resilience.”

Johnstone, D. (2012). How to Work with Stress and Challenging Emotions. Pelican News, 68(4), 4.

Yoga: There have been numerous studies on yoga’s ability to reduce stress and although it is to be mentioned that it doesn’t appear to replace other intervention. When used concurrently, yoga has many positive effects on those who practice it, including a reduction in perceived stress and anxiety and increased feelings of well-being. Best results are shown with sessions 2-3 times per week and 60-90 minutes per session.

Jackson, E. M. (2013). STRESS RELIEF: The Role of Exercise in Stress Management. ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal, 17(3), 14-19

Exercise: Exercise of all kinds has a calming effect on the body over time because you release endorphins and because your body is better able to respond to stress. Aerobic exercise appears to have the greatest and most notable affect on stress but studies on resistance training and mind-body focused exercise also reveal benefits. Aerobic exercise broken into frequent 10-15 minute sessions throughout the day proved convenient and effective.

Jackson, E. M. (2013). STRESS RELIEF: The Role of Exercise in Stress Management. ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal, 17(3), 14-19

Drink tea: Now, even though I didn’t really find any studies on tea drinking, I think many would agree that the things in your tea can have a great affect on your body. I suggest a peppermint or chamomile tea and to sip it slowly while doing nothing else for 10 minutes and see how you feel after. It works for me at night and I always fall asleep more easily on the tea drinking nights.

Well hopefully at least one of these gets you into a more zen-like state and you can take a break from the stress and if not, definitely think about seeking some professional help because left too long, stress can have some long standing side effects.