To counter a failure rate approaching 60% on the first attempt, the CHU de Québec – Université Laval set up a pilot project by creating a study group to help licensed practical nurses pass the exam of their order. professional.
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According to the Order of Nurses and Auxiliary Nurses of Quebec (OIIAQ), the failure rate in the province for the March 2022 exam was 57% for candidates who were on their first attempt.
On average, 20% of candidates are forced to reorient their careers after three consecutive failures, while the health sector is sorely understaffed.
Over the past year, 1,850 people have had a first try.
Personalized support
In a context of labor scarcity, the CHU saw fit to set up an adapted and personalized support service to increase the chances of candidates obtaining their permit.
“The candidates expressed to us the need to have study groups. We’ve been offering it to our nurses for years, but not to our auxiliaries,” said Annia Steben-Roy, nurse and nursing advisor who got involved in the project.
Isabelle Royer, auxiliary nurse at the Hôpital du Saint-Sacrement, who is one of the instigators of the project, leads the study groups. The latter perfectly understands the feeling that lives in nursing assistants who fail the exam.
“I had an excellent academic background. So I felt confident. […] I failed the first try. I was in shock, but I realized that no one is safe from failing this exam, ”shares the one who passed with an enviable mark on the second round.
About 25 candidates have taken advantage of this service offered free of charge at the CHU since the group was created last September.
Better preparation
“I would like to say that 100% of the students who took part in the study group passed the exam, including three candidates who were on their last chance,” adds Ms. Royer.
“During the health crisis, some training centers had to stop groups, review their way of teaching, whether remotely or by shortening courses due to lack of availability. Also, the candidates were solicited by the network and consequently had less time to devote to studies”, affirms Carole Grant, president of the Order.
Ms. Grant adds that institutions, both in the health and education networks, are currently considering initiatives to better support the next generation.