Quebec nursing students cry foul after more than half fail licensing exam

Thérèse Rizk was considered a top nursing student at her school in Montreal and she was looking forward to getting to work in the provincial health-care system, which is in dire need of staff.

All she had to do was pass her licensing exam, which she wrote at the end of September.

With 13 years of experience as a licensed midwife and three more as a school nurse back in Lebanon, Rizk had every reason to be confident. 

"I have very high [grades] …I worked hard," she said. 

So imagine her surprise — and crushing disappointment — when she failed. And Rizk wasn't alone. 

According to Quebec's professional order of nurses (known by its French acronym, the OIIQ), 54.6 per cent of students failed the licensing exam written at the end of September. For those who took the test for the first time, the failure rate was 48.6 per cent — the lowest rate recorded in four years. 

Since 2018, the success rate for first-time test takers has fallen between 71 and 96 per cent. 

"The exam was not what we are studying in school," said Rizk, who completed a 10-month professional integration program at the CÉGEP du Vieux-Montréal — specifically made for people who had nursing credentials from outside of Quebec.

"It doesn't make sense … it was ridiculous," she said. 

Joseph Oujeil teaches nursing at CÉGEP du Vieux Montréal and CÉGEP André-Laurendeau. He said Rizk was his best student.

"It was a surprise for me and many of my students, and I'm talking about brilliant students with really good marks," said Oujeil.

Marie-Soleil Robinson, another student who failed the exam in September, said only seven of her 30 classmates passed. 

Oujeil said this failure rate is not a normal situation and it comes at a terrible time as Quebec faces a nursing shortage.

"I think the average results need to be looked at," Oujeil said.