National Nursing Assessment Centre NNAS

[vivon]

I read on another forum that some people with "somewhat comparable" were getting letters from CNO saying they changed their mind, and they didn't have to take the OSCE after all.

Which state did you get your nursing education? Congrats on "somewhat comparable", it's pretty rare so you are lucky.

Thank you! I attended nursing school in Kansas. I did Associate RN and then RN to BSN. I have discovered that the problem is with the syllabus not having enough information. The person that evaluated my education at NNAS notified me that they had to contact the college to get more information concerning clinical hours. I thought that it was nice of them instead of giving me a not-comparable in that section.

As far as CNO, i received a letter stating that i need to submit job description and last day of shift worked at that hospital. They stated that my education has met their requirements.

 

[pgs]

The Ontario government has approved changes to the registration regulation under the Nursing Act, 1991. One outcome of these changes is that Registered Nurse (RN) applicants now have no limit to the number of times they can write the entry-to-practice exam, NCLEX-RN.

Before the College can implement these changes, we must first complete the necessary adjustments to our information systems. We will finalize this work by January 9, 2017, at which time we will be able to process new applications under the revised regulations. Also by this date, we will be contacting all those who are directly impacted by the exam policy changes, including current applicants and RN applicants who recently failed the exam three times to advise them of next steps. Please allow until after January 9, 2017 before contacting the College. Further information will be posted on CNrg when it is available.

A summary of the changes can be found in the June 2016 issue of The Standard

No limits to NCLEX-RN exam writes

With this regulation change in place, RN applicants now have no limit on the number of times they can write the NCLEX-RN exam until they pass. Previously, applicants were limited to three attempts.

Passing the exam is one of a set of requirements an RN applicant must meet in order to practise nursing in Ontario. In addition to entry requirements, members are required to maintain nursing competence and adhere to nursing standards. Together these mechanisms help to ensure nurses practice safely initially and throughout their careers.

The number of writes remains unchanged for all other exams that are part of the application process for registering to practise as a nurse in Ontario. The College limits applicants to three attempts on other entry exams because, unlike the NCLEX-RN, those exams are composed of a set of questions administered to all applicants. As a result, a writer’s familiarity with the exam content increases with each attempt. The NCLEX-RN exam is developed and administered differently than the other exams that have been approved by Council. For example, each person who writes the NCLEX-RN exam has a different set of questions. Unlike some other exams, there is no risk of memorizing content – the NCLEX-RN exam system knows when someone is rewriting the exam and generates a new set of questions. Regardless of the number of writes, the only way a person will be successful on the exam is if they are able to show they have the competence to practise safely as an entry-level RN.

All relevant information will be updated on the website by January 9.

Removal of “in Ontario” from the declaration of practice

The registration regulation changes also included the removal of “in Ontario” from the declaration of practice requirements. This change has been captured in the current renewal cycle.

 

[RN_0001]

...I have discovered that the problem is with the syllabus not having enough information. The person that evaluated my education at NNAS notified me that they had to contact the college to get more information concerning clinical hours. I thought that it was nice of them instead of giving me a not-comparable in that section.

As far as CNO, i received a letter stating that i need to submit job description and last day of shift worked at that hospital. They stated that my education has met their requirements.

Thank you. Wow, that was really nice of them. I wonder if that is part of my problem. I'm not sure what information NNAS needs about clinical hours but my % comparability is so low in those areas (which doesn't make any sense given the types of clinicals I completed) that I wonder if my school didn't provide the information necessary.

I wonder if the request for you to send in your job description is part of CNO's new process of "adding an assessment of past and current practice for those applicants whose program is assessed as not equivalent by the National Service". Or maybe this has always been a part of the process, I'm not sure.

 

[kreystiyanpoll]

Yes got somewhat comparable. They just asked for my job description and that's it. Thanks.

Wow! That is really awesome. I have to say I am surprised as I and so many US-educated applicants got "non comparable" but hey, good for you! So your NNAS Advisory Report said "somewhat comparable" and then CNO sent a letter saying you met the education requirement and didn't have to do the OSCE? Or did you have to submit anything else in order to be considered meeting the education requirement?
Best of luck on NCLEX-RN.

 

[andy_J]

YOu can apply to NNAS --Takes 6 months
Apply to CNO --- They will for sure refer you to educational requirement as you are out of 3 years safe practice requirements

I am planning to send my wife for 1 year to home country for getting some experience., mean while we will get NNAS report after completion of 1year of her experience we will than again go to NNAS to add the latest wor experience to the report and than we will send that report to CNO, might she will not get some course and she will get directly Exam....

Whats your opinion in this... it will take more than 1 year for sure.. but it would be worth taking risk, instead of 18 months course in Canada.

 

[canada11]

I am confused at which stage is your application now?

If you have not applied for NNAS yet, then I think you need to apply. I think, & i repeat I guess, NNAS has no concern with experience gaps. They evaluate your education. They will assess you application regardless of practice status. Please confirm with NNAS

This is what there FAQ section says
*************
How many hours of nursing practice are required for registration?
It varies according to each nursing group and province. The regulatory body determines the number of hours you require.
**********

This is what NNAS says in their manual "NNAS will review all nursing practise/employment forms received from employers. This information will
be forwarded to the regulatory body in the Canadian province where you intend to work, once your NNAS Advisory Report is completed."


In my opinion, Missing experience is registration body concern & not NNAS headache .

I am planning to send my wife for 1 year to home country for getting some experience., mean while we will get NNAS report after completion of 1year of her experience we will than again go to NNAS to add the latest wor experience to the report and than we will send that report to CNO, might she will not get some course and she will get directly Exam....

Whats your opinion in this... it will take more than 1 year for sure.. but it would be worth taking risk, instead of 18 months course in Canada.

 

[RN_0001]

I am planning to send my wife for 1 year to home country for getting some experience., mean while we will get NNAS report after completion of 1year of her experience we will than again go to NNAS to add the latest wor experience to the report and than we will send that report to CNO, might she will not get some course and she will get directly Exam....

Whats your opinion in this... it will take more than 1 year for sure.. but it would be worth taking risk, instead of 18 months course in Canada.

It is very important that your wife not go through the NNAS process unless she has nursing work experience where she is currently licensed. She can only apply to NNAS once, so it is best to apply when she has everything that the provincial licensing body requires. Provincial licensing bodies don't generally allow an applicant to become licensed without a nursing degree from a Canadian university if they do not have nursing work experience in the past 3 years. It is true that NNAS only assesses nursing education. However, once you get beyond the nursing education assessment and the paperwork goes to the licensing body, their response is likely that because she has no nursing work experience, she has to take a nursing program in Canada anyway. This will be her only choice because she will not be able to re-apply to NNAS. So basically, if I were in her situation, I would just take an entire BScN here in Canada. I don't think she will be able to get into a 1.5 year nursing bridging program because she does not have current (last 3 years) nursing work experience and the wait list is so long with people who do have experience. Please save yourself the stress and get a BScN in Canada where, if she successfully completes the degree, she will be guaranteed an opportunity to write NCLEX-RN.

(If I am wrong, please, others participating, chime in)

Good luck to you and your wife.

 

[RN_0001]

...
If you have not applied for NNAS yet, then I think you need to apply. I think, & i repeat I guess, NNAS has no concern with experience gaps. They evaluate your education. They will assess you application regardless of practice status. Please confirm with NNAS
...
This is what NNAS says in their manual "NNAS will review all nursing practise/employment forms received from employers. This information will
be forwarded to the regulatory body in the Canadian province where you intend to work, once your NNAS Advisory Report is completed."

In my opinion, Missing experience is registration body concern & not NNAS headache .

You are correct that NNAS only assesses nursing education obtained outside of Canada. However, most licensing bodies won't even consider Internationally Educated Nurses' applications if they do not have work experience in the past 3 years. And, an applicant can only apply to NNAS once. So it's best to have the nursing work experience before applying. It is very confusing though and the websites of NNAS and the licensing bodies are so vague and strategically worded that it is near impossible to figure out exactly what is required.

 

[andy_J]

You are correct that NNAS only assesses nursing education obtained outside of Canada. However, most licensing bodies won't even consider Internationally Educated Nurses' applications if they do not have work experience in the past 3 years. And, an applicant can only apply to NNAS once. So it's best to have the nursing work experience before applying. It is very confusing though and the websites of NNAS and the licensing bodies are so vague and strategically worded that it is near impossible to figure out exactly what is required.

We have asked NNAS that what if my wife goes to her home country and start working and already NNAS has completed their assessment what is the further step.. they said that she has to pay the fees and add new experience to the report, there is no need to re submit all the docs again what she had already submitted to NNAS,

CNO requires atleast 1 Year of work experience in last 3 years, if she doesn't have the experience thay will give her refresher course in Canada and once finish she can re apply to CNO and then they will allow her for the examination...

And if she has 1 year experience in last 3 Years, it is possible that they will give her direct examination....But that is totally upto CNO.

 

[canada11]

I totally agree with RN_0001 that its quite vague and what I have written is basically inference.

If I would be in Andy_J place , I would go again for BSCN in Canada .. There are 2 - 4 years education duration is available. Nevertheless, choice is theres.

 

[RN_0001]

We have asked NNAS that what if my wife goes to her home country and start working and already NNAS has completed their assessment what is the further step.. they said that she has to pay the fees and add new experience to the report, there is no need to re submit all the docs again what she had already submitted to NNAS,

CNO requires atleast 1 Year of work experience in last 3 years, if she doesn't have the experience thay will give her refresher course in Canada and once finish she can re apply to CNO and then they will allow her for the examination...

And if she has 1 year experience in last 3 Years, it is possible that they will give her direct examination....But that is totally upto CNO.

It is true there is no need to resubmit all documents again to NNAS. But, her nursing experience does not contribute to her NNAS Advisory Report. It will not change the outcome of the report (which is likely to be "non comparable". NNAS only assesses nursing education, not experience. If she returns to her country and gains nursing work experience, she can submit this to NNAS but they will do nothing with it, other than pass it along with all her other information to the provincial licensing board.

Without nursing work experience, CNO will not ask your wife to take a refresher course. They will ask her to complete a BScN in Canada. It is only those who have nursing experience that are eligible for the refresher course. However, there are very few spots in the refresher courses and your wife is unlikely to get a spot within a few years. And then the refresher course is 20 months. So even if she got into the refresher course (bridging program) within two years, she still has another two years before she is finished the course. That would be a MINIMUM of four years which is how long it takes to do the BScN degree in a Canadian university.

CNO does not give applicants a list of specific courses that they need to take. CNO just gives a list of Canadian universities that have nursing programs and tells you to call around. CNO also does not guarantee that courses fulfill competency gaps. So for example, if CNO says a nurse is missing something related to ethics, they do not tell them which course would be acceptable. The applicant is expected to go take a course, then submit the course syllabi to CNO and hope they approve it after it is already completed.

I don't want to be negative, but it is very unlikely that your wife will be permitted to go directly to take the examination. There are very few people in this situation and most were educated in the United States. There are also many others who were educated in the United States who received "non comparable" on their NNAS Advisory Report.

Please don't take this in a negative way, I am just hoping to prevent your wife from undergoing more stress than necessary or prevent her from wasting her time. NNAS and CNO are not very clear about what their expectations are and I understand why it would be difficult to figure out exactly how licensing works. For starters, CNO is not exactly clear on their website that applying for a nursing license in Ontario without a Canadian nursing education is only possible if the applicant has nursing work experience.

 

[thrissur]

Is there any OSCE Exam center in india?. Can i take OSCE exam in india?

 

[RN_0001]

Is there any OSCE Exam center in india?. Can i take OSCE exam in india?

No, the OSCE (if you are wanting to be a nurse in Ontario) is only available in Toronto, Canada at the Touchstone Institute. You have to receive an invitation from CNO in order to take the exam. I don't believe any of the other provinces allow the OSCE to be done outside of Canada either.

 

[canada11]

OSCE/IENCAP by Touchstone is an invitation only exam sent by CNO held only in Touchstone Institute in toronto

No, the OSCE (if you are wanting to be a nurse in Ontario) is only available in Toronto, Canada at the Touchstone Institute. You have to receive an invitation from CNO in order to take the exam. I don't believe any of the other provinces allow the OSCE to be done outside of Canada either.

 

[sasasearles]

It is true there is no need to resubmit all documents again to NNAS. But, her nursing experience does not contribute to her NNAS Advisory Report. It will not change the outcome of the report (which is likely to be "non comparable". NNAS only assesses nursing education, not experience. If she returns to her country and gains nursing work experience, she can submit this to NNAS but they will do nothing with it, other than pass it along with all her other information to the provincial licensing board.

Without nursing work experience, CNO will not ask your wife to take a refresher course. They will ask her to complete a BScN in Canada. It is only those who have nursing experience that are eligible for the refresher course. However, there are very few spots in the refresher courses and your wife is unlikely to get a spot within a few years. And then the refresher course is 20 months. So even if she got into the refresher course (bridging program) within two years, she still has another two years before she is finished the course. That would be a MINIMUM of four years which is how long it takes to do the BScN degree in a Canadian university.

CNO does not give applicants a list of specific courses that they need to take. CNO just gives a list of Canadian universities that have nursing programs and tells you to call around. CNO also does not guarantee that courses fulfill competency gaps. So for example, if CNO says a nurse is missing something related to ethics, they do not tell them which course would be acceptable. The applicant is expected to go take a course, then submit the course syllabi to CNO and hope they approve it after it is already completed.

I don't want to be negative, but it is very unlikely that your wife will be permitted to go directly to take the examination. There are very few people in this situation and most were educated in the United States. There are also many others who were educated in the United States who received "non comparable" on their NNAS Advisory Report.

Please don't take this in a negative way, I am just hoping to prevent your wife from undergoing more stress than necessary or prevent her from wasting her time. NNAS and CNO are not very clear about what their expectations are and I understand why it would be difficult to figure out exactly how licensing works. For starters, CNO is not exactly clear on their website that applying for a nursing license in Ontario without a Canadian nursing education is only possible if the applicant has nursing work experience.

Question I'm I my final year at nursing school. I don't have any experience outside of clinical. I want to apply for NNAS . U stated that she would have to do a bsc n . I have a bsc n in Jamaica.... what would I need to do?