chelleycole

Hello Fellow registered nurses in the UK and BC.

I am in hope that someone will be able to help. I will be sitting my SEC assessment in Kwantlen Polytechnic university in septemeber 2014. I have been asked to sit the 2 day general assessment.
I am currently working my way through the information on the crnbc website for registered nurses. Nursing standards and professional standards.
I have been reading on other forums that most people fail the 2 day assessment and have to do some form of training whether that be online or placement in BC.
Am I right in thinking that mostly the reasons for failure are Canadian terminology or there other areas that uk nurses are likely to fail on. I am a adult trained nurse with over 10 years experience in various areas currently in elderly rehabilitation and community setting.
I was trained as a senior nurse advisor for NHS direct and have had various training on children, mental health and learning disabilities and maternity- does any of these areas come up in the general nursing 2 day assessment or is it purely adult.
any help would be greatly appreciated as I am getting very stressed that I am going to have to return to do a 1 year re entry programme and I have a 19 month daughter, husband and job to which I wouldn't be able to do this. Obviously I want to be as prepared as I can to stop that happening as we want to relocate to BC as soon as possible.
Many thanks Michelle

AlmostThere12

If you can find any NCLEX test things online, it will help with terminology etc. Very little is online about Canadian ones, which makes it very difficult. Good luck.

snowhugs

Hi ,
I sat the SEC exam, and felt really "set up" ...I know I did really well in 3 of the four parts of the test and did not do so well in the role play part. this was mainly because they expected you to set up drips, piggyback them etc with pumps and Iv sets never seen before , they also expect you to do a dressing, you are not shown where the dressing packs are , what's inside them etc... In the real world you would have many buddy shifts before you were left on your own so unsure how they think they can determine if you are able to to sit the CRNE doing this.

The whole immigration process is set up to make money , and Kanata university is one way..they med/surg conversion course they suggested I do was $4000 3 years ago !

I worked for NHS direct too, in Essex before we moved. In the end I gave up in BC and applied to Ontario instead, they required same paperwork and endless backwards and forwards but eventually allowed me to sit CRNE.

I have been living in Ontario for almost 2 years and it is worth the hard work to get here..just be prepared whatever route you take you will be spending thousands (literally) of dollars before you will be where you are today in nursing in UK.

The only other thing I found difficult to adjust to, is that it is (as far as nursing is concerned) a little behind to the UK, and there is very little holiday time...

Like I said...Canada is a wonderful place and I have no regrets..its just a lot harder work/play/finances than I thought..

Good luck

chelleycole

Hi Almostthere12,

Thanks for your reply, I will certainly look for this information. Thankyou. The CRNE is changing to NClex in November 2014 so it will come in useful too for this when I eventually sit the exam which I appreciate could be a while yet. When did you sit the SEC assessment? I understand that they have taken the 250 hrs placement off as compulsory. Did u have to do any courses and how long did it take you to get to apply for a job? Thanks
Michelle

chelleycole

Hi snow hugs,
Thanks for your reply. I guess I'm a little disheartened now :-/. I'm interested to know if this is how most people have experienced the process for BC. If people have had any positive experiences. I don't mind having to do online distant courses but I would struggle to go over to BC to do placements. I have a 19 month old and this would never be an option so I'm wanting to be prepared as much as I can. Did you have to do shorthand and longhand drug calculations, and can you give me any information on the Triple Jump assessment.
What are job opportunities like in Ontario and surrounding areas like?
Thanks
Michelle

Silverdragon102

It is Jan 2015 that CRNE changes over to NCLEX but you can start registering for the exam in November 2014.

caleo

Things in Ontario have changed now and they have the OSCE which is similar to SEC but only over one day - 12 stations and a multi choice exam. As far as I know NOONE has managed to get through this without having to do extra courses, and because it is a new thing in Ontario, people are struggling to find courses that will help them to meet the required competencies. I had an email from my CARE for Nurses case manager last week about the OSCEs and a meeting has been arranged with the fairness commission next week about how unfair the OSCE is. There do seem to be a fair number of jobs for RNs but I suppose it depends on where you are planning on living.

It is not an easy process nowadays - which is unfortunate because I think Canada is losing out on some excellent nurses with great international experience.

chelleycole

Can anyone advise on what to wear for the SEC assessments in kwantlen polytechnic please

S_elliott52

Clothes!!!!!
Seriously I just turned up in jeans and a sweatshirt, which was the same as the other 2 candidates.

S_elliott52

You're getting yourself in a complete mess before you've even sat the SEC. There's not really any prep you can do for it, I found the more I was reading forums the more confused I got.
Go with the flow of the 2 days, take your time answering the questions and give the most comprehensive answers to the questions you can.
NO YOU DONT HAVE TO DO A COMPULSORY 250 HRS. What I think you've heard about is the hours you have to complete on your provisional licence before you can apply to sit the CRNE (NCLEX after nov). These are the hours you work with your employer in Canada AFTER you've met the recommendation made from your SEC. Which is just part of your normal contracted paid working hours.
I came to BC in July last year on a temporary working permit, after completing my SEC in sept 2012. I now work as an ICU nurse in Vancouver.

chelleycole

Thanks for your reply.
This has put my mind at ease. I think I may have spoke to you before in another forum in february this year. Expatforum.com, Then I was asking about your 12 month route to Canada and how you managed it. Well, I took your advice, shortly after started the process with CRNBC. My transcript from university was the last document that CRNBC received and I had the email to say they required a SEC a week later. I booked it a week later and in 5 weeks I sit a 2 day general assessment. tbh I thought I would have to do a children and mental health one and like you I qualified in 2004. I will be hoping to start and apply for jobs in the new year all being well I only have to some online courses, but if we have to come over for another week sometime then so be it.
I remember you saying that you applied directly through the hospital's. I started this too with interior health but they are requiring my provisional registration first. I am hoping to work for interior health around the Okanagan valley, Kelowna, Vernon etc. I know that the jobs aren't as readily available and that there is more opportunity in Vancouver.
Did you work as an ITU nurse in the uk?