When should I register with the [National Nursing Assessment Services]?

Updated 2023

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Dear Kim,

Thank you for letting us know about the national nurse assessment services. I want to be a nurse in Canada. When should I register with the NNAS?

Dear M,

This is a great question, one I have not been asked as yet. Let me ask another one:

Should everyone, IENs, rush out to register with NNAS?

Back in 2021 when I first wrote this article, the answer depended on a couple of things:

Do you have an acceptable score on an English Proficiency Exam?
Do you have a seat for the CELBAN in the next six months?
Are you protected from falling into the CELBAN Trap being an Unsuspecting Newcomer, a Disillusioned Dreamer or a Busy Person?
Is money a limited resource?

Why did I ask these questions?

Basically, the process of becoming an LPN/RPN/RN in Canada prior to October 2022 had not changed. In the first stage of steam lining the assessment process, was having NNAS create an Advisory Report for the provincial colleges of nursing to determine what your next steps were to becoming a nurse in Canada.

What that means is NNAS is the first step to becoming licenced in Canada.

NOTE: Your application with NNAS will expire after one year! You may be required to pay a fee to extend your application.

When your application has been reviewed, and the assessment completed, an NNAS Report is created. That report will be sent to the provincial college of nursing to which you are applying.

So, M, I come back to the question, “When should you register with NNAS?” As of October 2022, the answer to that question has changed!

WHEN SHOULD YOU REGISTER WITH NNAS?

When you have the ability to pay the registration fees.
When you have the contact information of your employers and licensure boards where you have been licensed previously.

When should you take the CELBAN ?

The second stage of streamlining the licensure process happened in October, 2022, when it was determined that the NNAS will no longer be collecting English scores. Instead the decision making has been deferred to the licensing bodies at a later stage in the process.

While taking an English exam may appear to be optional, consider your career and patient safety when it comes to working in a hospital in Canada. As yourself,

“Are you confident in your skills, abilities, and competencies when it comes to reading, writing, listening and speaking in English in a high risk medical situation?”

If the answer is, “No,” then it is up to you to make a WISE decision about your career NOW!

Continuing in your English studies, through the CELBAN, will assist you in gaining both confidence and competence in communicating in English as a healthcare provider.

Because, while the decision to delay or even eliminate the English requirements from the process may seem like a stress reliever for some, this outcome can also result in demotivation to continue on the path of excellence in patient care and safety through advanced professional communication skills.

So, when should you take the CELBAN?

When you want to know your standings.
When you are ready to act on the feedback you receive when it comes to improvements you can make when it comes to speaking and writing.
When you have the ability to pay the registration fees.

Why should you take the CELBAN? Because you know within your being that this is the best decision for your self, your family, your patients, and your community!