TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Indiana State University’s nursing program is touting an incredible batting average when it comes to graduating nurses passing their registration exam.
The school says 34 out of 34, 2023 traditional track graduates of the ISU School of Nursing have passed their National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses on their first attempt. A 100% pass rate hasn’t been seen at the school since 1997.
“It’s significant. We were thrilled. We knew it would be close, but when the last one passed, it was a huge deal,” Executive Director and Professor of the School of Nursing Dr. Jill Moore said. “It is important because we know as a school, we’re preparing our students well to take the exam and be safe, competent nurses. The School of Nursing has worked hard to increase our pass rate; this is a huge accomplishment.”
In addition to that feat, the school’s Licenses Practical Nurses to BSN May 2023 graduates had a pass rate of 96%. The national average and ISU’s previous year’s pass rate for the exam is 79%.
“ISU SON faculty strive each semester to meet the 90% benchmark, but consistency, preparation, and effort put forward by faculty and students surpassed that goal,” an ISU news release reads.
Passing the NCLEX allows a nurse the right to practice, so the exam is important for the careers of outgoing graduates. The school credits its staff and employees for the constant effort required to ensure their students are prepared to care for their future patients.
Efforts include coaching these students post-graduation up until taking the NCLEX, merging the School of Nursing and Union Hospital to hire a nursing student specialist, constant NCLEX prep course changes based on trends, platforms, and the recent changing of the NCLEX, which started April 1st, 2023,
Indiana State University news release
“We try to prevent disengagement. After graduation, you do not just ‘take the test’; there’s a process you must go through, that takes about three to four weeks, ideally, before students can take the NCLEX,” Director of Students and Professor in the School of Nursing Dr. Linda Walters said. “There is a group of three instructors that check on these students weekly, reviewing their progress toward NCLEX on two NCLEX prep platforms, looking at assessments and scores, verifying if they indeed, are ready to test. This is the first semester all the students stayed engaged post-graduation.”
