IEN Frequently Asked Questions

The first step to apply for registration and licensure is to contact the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS) to begin the application process. The NNAS will complete a document assessment for all applicants. The NNAS will then notify applicants that they can apply for nursing registration and licensure in the province of their choice, except Quebec.

Once the applicant applies to their province of choice, the regulatory body will indicate the assessment required to complete their eligibility.  For most applicants, this includes a Substantially Equivalent Competency (SEC) assessment.

The SEC assessments involve multiple choice and short answer diagnostic assessment exams. They also include interview type clinical judgement scenarios, where the candidate reads a clinical situation and then shares with the assessor what they would do in this type of situation. In addition, SEC assessments include triple jump scenarios and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs). Triple jump scenarios include having an assessor reading a client situation to the candidate and then having the candidate develop a problem list, collect information about the client, revise his/her problem list, and suggest appropriate nursing interventions. OSCEs assess the application of knowledge and nursing practice skills in a lab setting.

You may call or write the Saskatchewan Polytechnic IEN Assessment Centre. When you contact the centre, appropriate documents will be requested (from the candidate) such as a copy of your language test results (if applicable) and evidence of travel permission visa (if applicable)

You may call or write the Saskatchewan Polytechnic IEN Assessment Centre as fees vary depending on your assessment.  There are other costs to you such as travel, food and/or accommodation.

After you have contacted the IEN Assessment Centre and all necessary documents have been provided, the centre will schedule your SEC assessment based on the particular type of SEC for which you are referred and availability of times on the SEC calendar.

The letter the regulatory body sends to the IEN Assessment Centre will only indicate that a candidate has met the regulatory body language requirements. If you have questions regarding your language test before the time that you are scheduled to do your SEC, please contact them directly.

If you require a travel permission visa to come to Saskatchewan, Canada to attend a SEC assessment, you will be required to contact your Canadian Embassy within your country for application procedures. 

The IEN Assessment Centre does not involve themselves directly in a SEC candidate's visa application. We can offer a letter of invitation to do a SEC assessment once all the documents (regulatory body letter and language requirements) are in place. 

We cannot book an assessment before your visa is in place as we hold this placement for you on the calendar and, therefore, if your visa application is unsuccessful, other candidates would not be able to book a SEC on this time slot.

Your SEC assessment may be booked on any week of the month based on availability of times. We do not do assessments on statutory holidays or weekends.

The regulatory body looks at each IEN application on an individual basis. Nursing education, direct work experience in nursing specialties, length of service, and currency of nursing practice are some of the factors taken into account for what type of SEC assessment regulatory body refers the candidate.

You do not fail your SEC assessment. If knowledge gaps in areas of nursing are identified through the SEC assessments, then the regulatory body may require that you take further theory and/or clinical nursing courses to meet your nursing knowledge and/or skill gaps.

We strongly recommend that you prepare yourself for the SEC assessment by:

• accessing the IEN Assessment Centre website. The information on the website includes examples of the different components of the SEC Assessment similar to what you will experience. saskpolytech.ca/about/school-of-nursing/ien
• referring to your provincial regulatory body’s website to review the Standards and Foundation Competencies.
• referring to the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) website to review the “CNA Code of Ethics document”.
• reviewing the current Canadian nursing review resources such as:Saunders Canadian Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination
• Lippincott QA Review for NCLEX–RN
• These types of resources review theory in assessment, medical surgical nursing, child health nursing, maternal/newborn nursing, mental health and fundamentals materials as well as provide examination questions. These books can purchased online as well as at the campus store.
• Saskatchewan Polytechnic has a limited number of Canadian Fundamentals of Nursing by Potter and Perry which is a good resource related to nursing in Canada. Contact the IEN Assessment Centre to borrow this resource book if they are available.

Once we book your SEC assessment, a place in the schedule is held for you and IEN assessors are booked to perform your assessment. However, as an application for a visa is sometimes declined or delayed and you then have to cancel your booking at the last minute, these dates (previously held for you) are not available for another person to book that time.

The IEN Assessment Centre is not involved in the visa application process. All that we can provide for your Canadian Embassy is a letter of invitation to do a SEC assessment.

After your assessment is completed, it will take approximately two weeks to complete the assessment report at the IEN Assessment Centre. The report is then mailed to the regulatory body. Once the regulatory body has received the report, it will take about three to five weeks to hear back from them in writing.

At this time, we do not have plans to do SEC assessments outside of Canada.

Yes, if you have been designated as the contact person for a relative or friend who is required to have a SEC assessment, you may act as the contact person in Canada. Please provide your e-mail address and phone number so we may correspond to you on behalf of the SEC candidate. You may coordinate the booking for the SEC on behalf of the contact person, but we will need to have confirmation of this booking coming directly (by e-mail) from your relative or friend.

You will need to bring your lunch, snacks, water, or drinks. There is also a cafeteria and pop/snack machines on campus for your convenience. Pencils, erasers, calculator, and paper will be provided. You need to wear a proper uniform (such as surgical scrubs) for the scheduled OSCE days.

No.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic does not have campus accommodations.

Only candidates with current permanent resident status or Canadian citizenship are admitted in the program. This program is not open to international students or those with student or work visas.