Quebec’s Order of Nurses exam has been hit again

The Commissioner for Professions Admission reprimanded the Order of Nurses of Quebec (OIIQ) in a new report on the September 2022 exam, which reached 51.4% of candidates passing. Performed for the first time. The OIIQ “must get to work,” he said, and “fix the flaws in its testing” while waiting for the implementation of the American test (NCLEX-RN) “in a few years.”

Commissioner André Garripy on Tuesday made public his third and final progress report on the September 2022 review. He criticized the OIIQ for not providing “clear, valid and complete follow-up” to the recommendations of its second report. and reliability of its testing.”

He wrote, “Contrary to some claims by the order, it did not apply the Phase 2 report’s recommendations to correct its testing, or did so selectively or incorrectly”. “The system of order refers to an approach aimed at determining the test’s position relative to maintaining a generally high passing score,” he continues.

In their view^e Gariépy, the impact of the pandemic “is not a generalizable, sufficient and conclusive explanation for the unusually low success rate in the September 2022 test”. So he doesn’t want to risk more students not succeeding because they’re undertrained. “The defects and weaknesses of the Order’s examination, particularly in relation to its validity, its reliability and the establishment of its passing score, remain the main explanation,” he ruled.

The shortcomings and weaknesses of the ORD test, particularly its validity, its reliability, and the establishment of its passing score, remain the main explanation.

Unequal educational institutions

As part of his investigation, Commissioner Gariépy distributed a questionnaire to 55 colleges and universities offering a college diploma in nursing or a bachelor’s degree in nursing sciences. Interviews were conducted with some of their representatives. His conclusion? The effects of the pandemic have been disproportionate across educational institutions.

It reported that 41.7% of CEGEPs and 42.9% of universities suspended theoretical courses during the pandemic. This indicates that 62.5% of CEGEPs and 71.4% of universities experienced laboratory “suspension times”. As for internships, “suspension periods” were identified in 93.8% of CEGEPs, compared to 85.7% of universities.

However, he notes that many organizations have adopted it. Together, this will make it possible to “minimize the impact of the pandemic on the training and apprenticeship continuum”. Although this is “obvious and intuitive logic”, it does not confirm that there is a direct link between the impact of the pandemic and the low success rate in the test.

American test

Commissioner Gariépy also pointed out in his report that the first implementation of the American NCLEX-RN exam by OIIQ in 2024 is “unrealistic”.

He explained that the “comparison and adaptation work” of this test to the Quebec reality will be carried out by the professional order and its partners, which according to him “will probably take a few years”.

To participate in this work, he continues, “the basic documents describing the profession in Quebec must be updated in the hands of the Order.” But, “as of now, these are non-existent, incomplete or obsolete,” the commissioner wrote.

Reaction of OIIQ

In a press release issued on Tuesday afternoon, the OIIQ said it had “taken note of the commissioner’s recommendations” for entry into the professions in its latest report. He added that he believes in the “need to review one’s entrance exam” and ensures to “work in this direction”.

“Since early September, the OIIQ has been accompanied on its journey by a measurement and evaluation expert appointed by the Office des Professions du Québec,” it wrote in a press release. “It will be used exclusively to pass the September 2023 exam.”

According to the OIIQ, around 3,145 candidates have registered for the September 2023 examination to practice nursing. But around 950 opted to postpone their test until March 2024, at which point the OIIQ originally intended to follow the American test.

For its part, the Fédération des Sèzeps asks the Order to follow the Commissioner’s recommendations. “The Federation calls for action from the Order so that it complies with it and requests the intervention of government officials to guide reflection, establish deadlines and establish collaborative projects,” President and CEO, Bernard Tremblay, announced in a press release. In the meantime, the OIIQ shall revise its examination based on the recommendations of the Commissioner.”

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