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Nursing knowledge for Canada
Immigration consultant Christopher Willis responds to a reader's question about nursing regulations in Canada
To practice nursing in Canada, you must be licensed or registered in the province or territory in which you will work. To obtain a licence, you will need to contact the relevant provincial Registering and Licensing Authority. They may also be able to provide information about employment opportunities and may have a referral service or be able to direct you to appropriate journals to find advertised positions or employer contacts.
Canadian provinces and territories, with the exception of Quebec, require that you write the Canadian Registered Nurses Examination (CRNE) as part of the registration or licensing process. At present, this examination can only be written in Canada on the recommendation of a provincial or territorial nurses association. The Canadian Nurses Association publishes 'The Canadian RN Exam Prep Guide', which you will find useful in preparing for the exam. Quebec nurses have their own exam.
The level of competence of registered nurses in all provinces and territories except Quebec is measured, in part, by the CRNE. The provincial and territorial nursing regulatory authorities administer the exam and determine eligibility to write it. For further information, contact CRNE in the province you wish to settle in. For PEI, please visit http://www.arnpei.ca
The CRNE exam is based on a competency framework as its purpose is to protect the public by ensuring that the entry-level registered nurse possesses the competencies required to practice safely and effectively.
This is broken down below.
Competency Framework
A framework was developed to identify and organise the competencies the CRNE should assess. The resulting framework reflects a primary healthcare nursing model. The framework and definitions of the four framework categories are presented below. The number of competencies in each category is indicated in parentheses following the category name. The number of competencies in each category does not necessarily reflect the importance each area of competency has in the practice of nursing.
Professional Practice (44 competencies)
Each nurse is accountable for safe, competent and ethical nursing practice. Professional practice occurs within the context of the CNA Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses (2002), provincial or territorial standards of practice and legislation. Nurses are expected to demonstrate professional conduct as reflected by attitudes, beliefs and values espoused in the Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses.
Professional practice in nursing involves the demonstration of teamwork, leadership attributes, basic management skills, advocacy and political awareness. Leadership attributes such as vision, knowledge, initiative, integrity, confidence, communication and innovation are necessary for the advancement of nursing practice, the nursing profession and health care delivery systems. Entry-level management skills involve the ability to work within an organisation, using appropriate resources to achieve the organisation's mission and vision.
Professional practice includes awareness of the need for, and the ability to ensure, continued professional development. Professional development involves the capacity to perform self-assessments, seek feedback and plan self-directed learning activities that foster professional growth. Nurses are expected to know how to locate and use results of research findings to inform and build an evidence-based practice.
Nurse-Person Relationship (21 competencies)
The nurse-person relationship is a therapeutic partnership established to promote the health of the person. This relationship is based on trust, respect and sensitivity to diversity. An essential element involves gathering information that reflects the uniqueness of the person. It involves therapeutic use of self, communication skills, nursing knowledge, and the facilitation of empowerment to achieve collaboratively identified health goals.
Nursing Practice: Health and Wellness (46 competencies)
Nursing competencies in this category are focused on recognising and valuing health and wellness as a resource. The category encompasses health promotion, illness and injury prevention and the implementation of community or societal approaches. Practice is guided by the principles of primary health care. Nurses work in partnership with communities to influence the determinants of health, with the goal of enabling people to increase control over, and improve, their health. Nurses partner with the person to: develop personal skills, create supportive environments for health, strengthen community action, reorient health services and build healthy public policy. Practice reflects changes in cultural composition, demographics, health trends and economic factors (for example, aging population and globalisation).
Nursing Practice: Alterations in Health (83 competencies)
Nursing competencies in this category involve care across the lifespan for the person experiencing alterations in health that require acute, chronic, rehabilitative or palliative care. Such care may be delivered across a range of institutional and community settings. Essential aspects of nursing involve critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making in providing care. Using current knowledge, nurses collaborate with the person and other health professionals to identify health priorities. In responding to and managing health issues, the aim of nursing is to promote maximal independence and to maintain optimal quality of life or ensure that individuals at the end of life experience a peaceful death.
There are options for a temporary licence while you are waiting to challenge the exam; however, this can only be obtained once the province has confirmed you are eligible to challenge the CRNE exam.
Christopher N. Willis, Willis Brazolot & Co
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