Half of Quebec nursing students fail September exam, survey launched

Quebec nursing student Jennifer Gunville has been left in shock after finding out she failed her licensing exam.

Gunville is among about 50 per cent of nursing students across the province who failed their written exam in September.

The regulatory body for professional orders in Quebec — the Office des professions du Québec — launched an investigation into the matter after receiving 27 complaints.

The Professional Order of Nurses of Quebec — Ordre professionnel des nurses du Québec — blames the COVID-19 pandemic for the dismal results and said the exam has remained unchanged for the past two years.

The previous exam, in March 2022, had a 71% pass rate, while the September 2021 exam had an 81% pass rate.

Isabelle Dumaine, president of a union representing nurses in Quebec, says she doesn’t know why September’s failure rate is so high, but says she doesn’t think it’s related to the pandemic.