The examination for the Order of Nurses in Quebec has been hit again

The commissioner of professional admissions rebuked the Order of Nurses of Quebec (OIIQ) in a new report on the September 2022 exam, which had a pass rate of 51.4% among candidates taking it for the first time. He says the OIIQ “should get to work, correcting the flaws in its exam” while waiting for the US test (NCLEX-RN) to be implemented “in a few years.”

Commissioner André Gariepy on Tuesday announced his third and final progress report on the September 2022 review. He criticized the Office of International Investigation and Verification for not carrying out a “concrete, correct and full follow-up” to the recommendations of its second report to “improve the validity of the report”. and reliability of its examination.

“Contrary to some assertions in the order, it did not apply the recommendations of the Phase II report to correct its examination or did so selectively or erroneously,” he wrote. “The system approach proposes an approach aimed primarily at asserting its position with regard to maintaining an overall high passing score on the examination,” he continues.

According to them^H Gariepy, the impact of the pandemic “is not a sufficient, generalizable and conclusive explanation for the unusually low pass rate in the September 2022 exam.” He therefore did not want to risk asserting that more students did not succeed because they were less trained. He believes that “the defects and weaknesses in examining the matter, especially with regard to its validity and reliability and determining the degree of success, remain the main explanation.”

Flaws and weaknesses in screening, especially with regard to its validity, reliability, and determination of the degree of success, remain the main explanation.

Inequality in educational institutions

As part of his investigation, Commissioner Gariepy distributed a questionnaire to 55 colleges and universities that offer an associate diploma in nursing or a bachelor’s degree in nursing science. He conducted interviews with some of their representatives. His conclusion? The effects of the epidemic varied between educational institutions.

Reports indicate that 41.7% of CEGEPs and 42.9% of universities suspended theory courses during the pandemic. It notes that 62.5% of CEGEPs and 71.4% of universities experienced “suspend times” for laboratories. As for training, “suspension periods” were observed in 93.8% of vocational and technical training programs, compared to 85.7% in universities.

However, it suggests that many institutions have adapted. This would make it possible, in general, to “minimize the impact of the pandemic on the continuity of training and apprenticeships.” He does not conclude that there is a direct link between the impact of the pandemic and the low success rate in the exam, even if it is “apparent and intuitive logic.”

American exam

Commissioner Gariepy also notes in his report that the potential rollout of the US NCLEX-RN exam, which OIIQ first planned for 2024, is “unrealistic.”

He explains that the “works of comparison and adaptation” of this examination to the reality of Quebec will have to be carried out by the professional system and its partners, which “will probably take a few years,” he says.

To participate in this work, he continues, “the system must have up-to-date basic documents describing the profession in Quebec.” But “currently, these elements are absent, incomplete or outdated,” the commissioner writes.

OIIQ reaction

In a press release issued Tuesday afternoon, the OIIQ said it “takes note of the recommendations” of the Professions Admissions Commissioner in his latest report. He adds that he believes “in the necessity of reviewing the entrance exam” and guarantees “work in this direction.”

“Since the beginning of September, the OIIQ has been accompanied on its trip by a measurement and evaluation expert appointed by the Quebec Professions Office,” the press release said. “It is used in particular to determine the passing score for the September 2023 examination.”

About 3,145 candidates have registered to practice the nursing profession for the September 2023 exam, according to the organization. But nearly 950 people chose instead to postpone their exam until March 2024, when the OIIQ originally planned to adopt the US test.

For its part, the Fédération des Cégeps asks the Association to follow the Commissioner’s recommendations. “The Federation demands action from the Order in order to comply with it and requests the intervention of public authorities to guide thinking, set deadlines and create collaborative projects,” President and CEO Bernard Tremblay announced in a press release. In the meantime, OIIQ must adjust its examination based on the Commissioner’s recommendations.

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