NATCHITOCHES – Two Northwestern State University nursing degree programs report nearly 100 percent pass rate of the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), the exam that determines if recently graduated nursing students are safe to practice.
The Fall 2023 pass rate for graduates of NSU’s Associate of Science in Nursing graduates is 100 percent with 57 of 57 graduates passing the first attempt at the NCLEX. The ASN spring 2023 first time pass rate was 97.5 percent with 40 of 41 students passing. For the 2023 calendar year, the ASN program’s NCLEX exam first time pass rate was 98.9 percent, 97 of 98 graduates. For graduates of NSU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing, first-time passage rate for Fall 2023 graduates is 96.7 percent, 84 out of 86 graduates. The summer 2023 BSN first time NCLEX exam pass rate was 99.1 percent, 114 of 115 that tested.
“This speaks volumes to the quality of our programs. We have been consistently above national and state averages and our stakeholders see that our graduates are well prepared,” said Lisa Wilhite, coordinator of NSU’s Associate of Science in Nursing program.
Aspiring nurses are required to pass the NCLEX to earn licensure to legally practice nursing in the United States. NCLEX measures the competencies required of entry-level nurses in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape and ensures that graduates make quality nursing judgements and provide safe patient care. NCLEX candidates must be graduates of an accredited institution.
Myla Landry, coordinator of NSU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, said faculty begin preparing students for the NCLEX at the first level by including questions on exams that are similar to those on the actual test. They also use case studies similar to those on the NCLEX in class and in clinicals.
NSU Nursing faculty said they encourage graduates to continue towards more advanced degrees. Northwestern State offers nursing degrees at the associate, bachelor’s, masters’ and doctoral levels.
Landry and Wilhite both said that nursing – and teaching future nurses – is rewarding for individuals who are compassionate, hard-working and resilient.
“The nursing profession is highly regarded and has remained the most trusted profession for many years,” Wilhite said. “The majority of our graduates work in Louisiana primarily in hospital settings and the majority have jobs prior to graduation.”
Information on degree programs offered through NSUs College of Nursing and School of Allied Health is available at https://www.nsula.edu/nursing/nursing-programs/.
