NCAS SLA: Simulation Lab Assessment - COMPLETE!
****2024 UPDATE!****
The Nursing Trail: Nursing Refresher
A course to help you review for you NCAS assessments - both SLA and CBA. You will have access to the FULL TNT Question Bank with over 100 questions! Complete with interactive elements and scenarios to help you feel more prepared. Find out more by clicking the button below:
Sample: Try out NCAS CBA Style Questions!!!!
Not ready to sign up for the full thing? This is a sample of The Nursing Trail’s Question Bank. Complete with 10 questions and 3 different scenarios! Try the NCAS CBA Question Bank Sample
Update complete. Back to the original post.
Where Have I Been?
My SLA assessment update was delayed - I am so sorry. My access my blog had been blocked for sometime (for unknown reasons). I was initially frustrated about this but I have now come to realize that being unable to blog for sometime was actually a blessing. I had a lot going on in my world over the past few months. Although I am trying to update you guys as real-time as possible, it's actually quite difficult for me. Processing all the going-ons in my life is hard enough, never mind having to sit down and write about it too.
BUT, I just want to thank you all for your patience and keeping up with my journey so far. I really do hope it has been helpful!
Anyway, back to the point of this post...
I HAVE FINISHED THE NCAS ASSESSMENTS!! YAY!!!
For those of you that don't know, I recently had to complete the NCAS assessment. The NCAS assessment is a evaluation tool from the BCCNM (Previously the BCCNP). I have had to go through this assessment as I am applying for my RN license in BC (where I currently live). The NCAS assessment is a 2 part assessment. I completed the Computer Based Assessment (CBA) first, as this is what the NCAS website suggests. I wrote about the 1st part I completed here.
Part 2 - Simulation Lab Assessment (SLA)
The NCAS SLA is a simulated environment, which looks at your clinical practice. There is also an oral assessment (OA) that is completed alongside the SLA. The OA does not have to be booked separately, it is imbedded in the SLA assessment.
**Just to note, the NCAS assessment is specific to applying as a nurse in British Columbia (BC). Other provinces have different assessment systems. The SLA/OA part with NCAS is essentially an OSCE assessment**
The preparation was difficult as there's not a step-by-step guide on any specifics of what the assessors will be looking for. So, I just scrubbed up my knowledge on nursing practices that I hadn't practiced for some time. I used the NCAS Blueprint (published in 2015) to guide my revision.
The NCAS blueprint has a breakdown of the competencies they will be looking out for and details about; the format of the exam, the stations, the oral assessment and contextual variables. I found it to be pretty helpful for my preparation as it includes a lot of information.
In addition, The NCAS website has some helpful information on what to expect for both the SLA and OA. I'd also recommend watching the orientation videos on the NCAS website and familiarizing yourself with the equipment that you may come across in the assessment.
Booking my Assessment
COVID delayed me completing the NCAS, as I initially was supposed to complete it in March 2020. But, I consider myself very lucky because the 'part 2' SLA/OA element can only be taken in Vancouver at Langara college. I live in Vancouver, so as soon as they reopened for business, you best believe that I booked my assessment right away!
Confidence is Key?
After months of reading books, watching countless nursing YouTube videos, and endless therapeutic complaining to my friends, I felt like what I knew would have to be enough. My brain couldn't take any more information. So, I walked into that assessment with my head held high, and ready to take on whatever they had to throw at me.
NCAS SLA/OA - My Experience
I arrived at Langara college for my assessment, and I was taken down to the assessment area with fellow assessment takers. COVID precautions were in place at all times.
I was at the facility for a morning. Again, the 'what to expect' page on the NCAS website was useful to know what would be happening.
There were multiple different scenarios for the RN assessment. The first scenario was quite difficult for me. Not in terms of content, but more-so because I hadn't practiced nursing in over 2 years so I definitely felt quite rusty in my nursing practice. I was kicking myself a little bit after the first scenario as there were definitely things that I forgot to do, but hey, the rust wore off some-what and I felt better going into the remaining scenarios.
Before the assessment, I was really hung-up on the OA part, but this flowed quite well from the scenarios.
It was such a relief when I walked out of the last scenario. Finally, this assessment that I'd been waiting 6 months for was finally done!
My Feelings on NCAS SLA
Initally, I was disgruntled about having to complete the NCAS assessment. Especially as I got a 'comparable' NNAS report. But, in retrospect, it was helpful, as all things studied allowed me to refresh my nursing knowledge- so I'm feeling more confident taking on the 'real world' of nursing again. On the flip side, I'm still upset that the Canadian license process takes so long.
I had been out of clinical practice for over 2 years at the time of the NCAS assessment. I know this may not seem a lot, or even comparable to how many years most may have you have been out of practice, but for me personally, it made it difficult to remember nursing things I used to do daily. The thought of being thrown into the SLA portion was frankly quite daunting.
In all honesty, I was really saddened when completing this assessment. Mainly because I was a nurse back home for 4 years and this 2 year gap in my clinical practice was really noticeable. The practices / skills I used to complete were like second nature to me then. Now, not so much.
But, I am trying to cut myself some slack because of course, if you go to a new country (or even work in a different hospital), they will have different ways of doing things. So it is just a matter of getting to grips of the Canadian way of nursing.
I did the best I could!
What's Next?
Results. The NCAS website notes that results will be available up to 60 days after your assessment. So, naturally, I had prepared myself for the wait.
Can you imagine my shock when the results arrived a mere 2 weeks after my assessment!! WOW.
Stay tuned for the breakdown of my NCAS report in the next post 😊