Four nurses walk along a hall)

Overseas Aptitude Test – General Nurse


Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery

Test preparation

The test is designed to reflect the nature of the syllabus and knowledge required for a pre-registration programme in the Republic of Ireland as per the NMBI standards and requirements.

The test addresses the NMBI domains of competency for the pre-registration programme in an attempt to ensure patient safety and public protection. The domains of competency and indicative content of the NMBI requirements and standards must be fully and carefully considered in order to help guide your revision for the test. 

In your revision, based on the NMBI standards and requirements, multiple sources should be considered including your notes and textbooks from your own training but be sure to use the most up-to-date research-based sources. Essential minimum background reading is detailed below. All of the references below will be included throughout the OSCE stations. Before presenting for the test, an applicant must know how to complete and interpret/analyse each piece of documentation as included below. 

Please note: RCSI does not approve or acknowledge any preparation or review sessions/courses/programmes for the test.

In preparation for the RCSI FNM Aptitude Test, it is essential that you base your revision on the NMBI publication: NMBI Standards and Requirements for Nurse Registration Education Programmes 5th edition.

You are encouraged to check this webpage on a regular basis for additions and updates regarding revision and preparation.

Minimum Background Reading: This section is frequently updated.

1. Cardiac-vascular
2. Communication
3. Deconditioning
4. Dementia
5. Diabetes
6. End-of-life/Palliative care
7. Falls
8. Fundamentals of nursing care
9. Gastrointestinal (GI)
10. Get Up, Get Dressed, Get Moving
11. Health improvement
12. Infection prevention and control, and waste management 
13. Medical preparations
14. Neurological
15. Nursing process, example references
16. Nutrition/Malnutrition
17. Observations
18. Osteoporosis 
19. Pain
20. Peripheral Venous Catheter (PVC) and associated procedures
21. Professional issues
22. Reflection
23. Renal
24. Respiratory
25. Safeguarding
26. Sepsis
27. Skin
28. Social prescribing
29. Stoma care
30. General Reading

Cardiac-vascular

Communication

Deconditioning

Dementia

Diabetes

End-of-life/Palliative care

Falls

Fundamentals of nursing care

Current examples for this OSCE station (may be added to):

Gastrointestinal (GI)

Get Up, Get Dressed, Get Moving

Health improvement

Infection prevention and control, and waste management 

Medical preparations

Neurological

Nursing process, example references

Nutrition/Malnutrition

Observations

Osteoporosis 

Pain

Peripheral Venous Catheter (PVC) and associated procedures

Professional issues

Reflection

Renal

Respiratory

Safeguarding

Sepsis

Skin

Social prescribing

Stoma care

    General reading

    • Hinkle JL. Ceever KH (2014) Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical - Surgical Nursing (13th ed) Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Wolkers Kluwer Health
    • Lister, S., Hofland, J., Grafton, H. (2022) The Royal Marsden Manual of Clinical Nursing Procedures. (Tenth Ed). Chichester: Wiley Blackwell
    • Peat, I.(ed.) (2020) Alexander's Nursing Practice: Hospital and Home. (Fifth Edition) London: Elsevier

    Each station has specific equipment, which must be used as part of the care at that station. If something is not at the station, then it does not need to be used as part of the care at that station.

    Sample equipment and photographs of OSCE stations are available below.

    Test venue

    Theory test room

    Sample practical test room

    Hand soap and hand gel

    Elbow tap

    Sharps bins: open and closed lids

    Observations

    Observations

    Contactless thermometer

    Contactless Thermometer

    Dressing

    IV

    Respiratory

    Watch video 1

    Watch video 2

    Urinalysis

    Urinalysis

    Tabard medication round

    A tabard bearing the words 'Do not disturb. Drug round in progress.'