More than one in three failed the most recent Order of Nurses of Quebec (OIIQ) exam, which took place last September. The Order is also shelving its desire to replace the current exam with the NCLEX-RN, which is used in other Canadian provinces and the United States.
Published at 3:53 p.m. Updated at 4:11 p.m
The pass rate for candidates for the September exam was 63%, an increase over the last two exams. Graduates outside Canada fared less well, with a pass rate of 43%. In total, just over 3,000 people took part in the exam.
Candidates who have not passed the examination may retain their right to practice as Candidates for the Practice of the Nursing Profession (CEPI), which allows them to carry out certain professional activities reserved for nurses, reminds the OIIQ.
“ [L’OIIQ] is committed to improving the process of admission to the profession as quickly and efficiently as possible so that the population of Quebec can benefit from the greatest possible number of nursing professionals capable of providing a safe, high-quality and humane service on site To offer care soil,” explained the president of the OIIQ, Luc Mathieu, in a press release.
The Order’s last two exams had resulted in an unusually high failure rate. Success rates for first-year candidates were 53% in March 2023 and 51% in September 2022.
The Commissioner for Admission to Professions, Me André Gariépy, was tasked with investigating the reasons for this high failure rate. He revealed that the Order’s exam had flaws, questioned the quality of the questions and increased the minimum score without sufficient justification.
“The work is not yet finished”
“The results obtained for the September 2023 audit represent a step in the right direction and show that we appear to be returning to the Order’s previous results,” explained Treasury President Sonia LeBel.
However, she states that “the work is not yet finished.” “This improvement was only possible thanks to the supervision of exam correction. The office will continue to support the order as the exam itself needs to be revised,” she added.
In October, Sonia LeBel called on the professional board to appoint a governance controller to assist the OIIQ board “to ensure that the necessary adjustments are made.” Marie Rinfret, a former citizen protector, was appointed controller.
A first report and an action plan are expected by the end of November at the latest. “We must have a recovery commensurate with the urgency of the situation to avoid complete surveillance,” Ms. LeBel said on Wednesday.
NCLEX-RN paused
Additionally, the OIIQ announced Wednesday that it is suspending all testing related to the NCLEX-RN exam. In May, the order announced that it would replace its entrance exam with the American exam starting in 2024. This test is already in use in several Canadian provinces.
The order now says it wants to complete its work to modernize the college nursing program run by the Ministry of Higher Education before a decision is made on the new exam.
The Commissioner for Professions Admission had warned the OIIQ against the idea of using the American exam. “The use of a third-party examination, particularly outside Quebec or Canada, means losing part of the control over the professional standard itself and over the vision of the profession,” he explained in his investigative report.
THE STORY SO FAR
September 2022
Almost half of nursing students who take the nursing exam for the first time fail.
November 2022
The Commissioner for Admission to Professions, Me André Gariépy, is launching an investigation into the causes of this unusually high failure rate.
May 9, 2023
The Commissioner notes several shortcomings in the examination, particularly affecting the quality of the questions, according to the conclusions of his report presented on Tuesday.
May 11, 2023
The Order of Nurses of Quebec (OIIQ) announces that it will replace its examination with the NCLEX-RN in 2024.
October 17, 2023
Quebec is asking the Office of Professions to appoint a governance controller responsible for supporting the OIIQ.