Nursing graduates among first in Canada to take American licensing exam

In the first half of 2015, Alberta nursing schools, including the University of Calgary, have seen a significant reduction in the number of graduates pass the American-based National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Since January 2015, Canadian nursing students have been required to write the American licensing examination (NCLEX-RN) in order to be registered to practise in Canada.

“We have every confidence in the competency of our Bachelor of Nursing graduates based on our own evaluation methods, including written exams, lab exams and practice evaluations,” says Dianne Tapp, dean, Faculty of Nursing. “But we are concerned in Alberta, and indeed, across Canada, about the decision to adopt the NCLEX because it was made without consultation with nursing educators and other nursing leaders.

"Now we have our early results from the test and have heard from some students that there are a number of questions on the exam — that are not applicable to Canadian entry-to-practice requirements.”

Passing test scores in Alberta fall below average under previous test

University of Calgary graduates from the Faculty of Nursing are among the first group across Canada that took the NCLEX-RN between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2015. The overall number of Alberta nursing graduates who passed the new test over the first six months of 2015 was 68.7 per cent, below the national average of 70.6 per cent. This is also well below recent Alberta pass rates which have ranged, on average, around 90 per cent, under the previous Canadian test.

Read the full story in the Sept. 10 issue of UToday.