NCAS Cancelled - To Study or Not to Study
I was SO ready to get this NCAS assessment over and done with, but of course, Life wasn't quite as ready as me...
Since March, 2020 the NCAS exams (SLA, OA and CBA) were all cancelled due to COVID-19.
I felt so let down by this - hadn't I waited enough to get this ball rolling?!
ALSO, isn't nursing a needed profession?! Come on Canada, I can help!
All frustrations aside, I completely get it, we are in such unprecedented times. I'll be really glad when they are able arrange proper cleaning protocols to make the assessments centers safe for everyone.
B U T studying without an end date is so difficult for me.
At least when I had my specific dates booked, I knew how long I had to cover all the material. I was so hyped up! I even had a super strict, jam-packed schedule to get it all done as I work way better under pressure.
Now it's all up in the air.
I am of course grateful for this time to slow down and take a breather, but I literally have ZERO motivation right now!
I'm sure my studies will back pick up again when I have an assessment date. But as of right now, not very much (nothing at all really) is being studied.
How I am (was) Studying
To study for this, I have been super lucky, as I work alongside a lot of people who have been through this process. They donated so many different books to me! But, I also have a lot of other 'tricks up my sleeve' shall we say...?
Textbooks
I have about 9 different textbooks (all HUGE in size). Some of them are from the list of resources on the NCAS website, which I found on Craigslist for a super decent price! Others, are text books such as Saunders NCLEX review. There was no way that I can read every book cover to cover, so instead I've been skimming and scanning some of the books, taking notes and answering end of chapter questions.
NCAS Website
I have also been working off the NCAS blueprint. The blueprint has invaluable information about what they are looking for in terms of competencies for each profession, and gives essential elements covered in the assessment. The NCAS website also has orientation videos. The videos explain the rules and procedures and the physical room set ups, including the materials / equipment you may see.
I was trying to create study guides (short summary) for each topic mentioned on the NCAS blueprint... This didn't get very far, but I think this is the tactic I will use when I get back to studying.
Skills
In addition, I am trying to get the fundamentals down. I have looked into the 'Canadian Way' of doing things, e.g. piggybacking an IV... I had no idea what this was previously! There are plenty more psychomotor skills that I have looked in to as some are seemingly slightly different to way things are carried out in hospitals in England (or maybe just the places I worked).
Websites I have used to view skills are;
- YouTube
- Elsevier - this has been invaluable as you can download online versions of books and use book resources (videos / summaries / animations)
- NurseLabs.com - although this site is US based, it gives good insight to study notes, assessments and care plans (which I consider a skill in itself)
Apps
Another resource I briefly used was the Canadian NCLEX RN Mastery app. I downloaded this because I know at some point I will have to take the NCLEX exam and I thought, 'hey lets kill 2 birds with one stone' and study for both! I paid for 3 months of the app which unlocks over 3000 questions, plus other information (mnemonics, lab values etc). Initially, I used this in line with the NCAS Blueprint by going off the topics outlined in the blueprint. I really loved this app - it was super user friendly and had great rationales and practice tests. But, for now, I have stopped using the app as it's geared towards NCLEX, and not the NCAS assessments. BUT I will definitely be re-downloading it once I am preparing for the NCLEX.
Will I do Well in the NCAS Assessment?
Only time can tell!
Every person I have spoken to has had to complete some kind of transitional education (ranging from a 1 year course to a few individual courses). With this in mind, have completely(ish) accepted that I will have to complete some courses before I get my license.
Hopefully the NCAS exams will open up again soon. I will be booking my assessments ASAP to get this show on the road.
I really can't wait till I can be back out there looking after people!