UD Nursing Students Achieve 100 Percent Pass Rate
Aug 31, 2017 | Stacey Ortman, director of public information
DUBUQUE, Iowa – For the second year in a row, the University of Dubuque’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduates achieved a 100 percent pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
The 17 graduates of UD’s May 2017 BSN program passed the comprehensive examination on their first attempt. Graduates from UD’s May 2016 BSN program also achieved a 100 percent pass rate.
“It’s an incredible accomplishment that many schools never attain,” said Peg Kerr, head of the Nursing Department and professor of nursing. “We were thrilled that our BSN Class of 2016 achieved a 100 percent pass rate, and for the Class of 2017 to do it as well is amazing! We are very proud of them.”
Statewide, the first-time pass rate for BSN programs was 81.98 percent in 2016. Nationwide, the first-time pass rate was 84.56 percent. The first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate is an indicator of the quality of pre-licensure nursing education programs. The examination measures whether a graduate has the basic knowledge necessary to practice safely and effectively as a new nurse entering practice.
“It is only a starting point at the basic competency level,” Kerr said. “New nurses have a lifetime of learning ahead of them as they progress to advanced competency and become expert nurses, and we take seriously the part of UD’s Mission about preparing our students to become lifelong learners.”
The UD nursing faculty is committed to helping students succeed. Faculty embraced the program’s efforts to increase the NCLEX-RN pass rate of 85 percent in 2015.
“When we embarked on the process of improving our NCLEX pass rates, the faculty embraced the continuing education they needed to develop and enhance their teaching skills including instructional methodology, test construction and analysis, curriculum and course development and evaluation, and assessment of learning. It has been a group effort,” Kerr said. “One of the biggest challenges has been to actively involve the nursing students in the learning process. Faculty do this by employing case studies and patient care situations and simulations as well as emphasizing critical thinking.”
For more information on University of Dubuque’s nursing program, visit http://www.dbq.edu/Academics/OfficeofAcademicAffairs/AcademicDepartments/Nursing/BSNNursing/
