Abstract
Student success on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN®, hereafter NCLEX-RN) examination is of paramount importance to both nursing students and nursing schools. Knowing which factors may influence success is helpful to schools of nursing in making decisions about admission requirements and curriculum. This work provides an analysis of variables from a baccalaureate nursing program used to determine predictors of NCLEX-RN® success and subsequent changes to admission requirements and curriculum. NCLEX-RN® pass rates are of interest to the faculty in professional nursing programs, institutions, and the profession, as they represent a measure of faculty and program effectiveness; accreditation agencies
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Bondmass, Moonie, and Kowalski studied the relationship of scores of the Nursing Entrance Test (NETTM) and Educational Resources, Inc (ERI) examination scores with NCLEX-RN success in a baccalaureate curriculum. Results indicated that nursing students who passed the NCLEX-RN® scored significantly higher on both of the other standardized examinations.2 Laucher, Newman, and Britt determined that the Health Education Systems, Inc. (HESI) Exit Examination was significantly predictive of success on the NCLEX-RN.6 Nibert, Young, and Adamson reported the results of the fourth annual validity study using the HESI as a predictor of NCLEX-RN success and found it to be highly predictive (98.3%) for registered nurse (RN) students, as was the case in the prior three …show more content…
Logistic regression for the analysis of data was used with NCLEX-RN passing success as the dependent variable. The predictor variables were science GPA, RN Assessment Test score, and four indicator variables for passing (with a C or better) the four first-semester nursing courses. Logistic regression is nonlinear, and was utilized because it allows prediction of a discrete outcome such as passing or failing. It also can be used when the independent variables are categorical or a mix of continuous and categorical, as they are in this study. The initial model included all the main effects, and interaction effects between the passing of the separate nursing courses and the science GPA and RN Assessment test score. The backward stepwise technique was used to eliminate predictor variables and interactions that were not significant predictors of NCLEX-RN
First, we must ask who the stakeholders are when it comes to any nursing program. This is a wide universe, for the stakeholders are many. First, of course, we have instructors at the university level, most of whom have been or are practicing professionals. Then there are the administrators of the program who must continually search out money and grants to keep the program going. We then move into the public sector: patients, families, physicians, support staff at healthcare facilities, healthcare administration, HMOs, private insurers, and governmental agencies (Colvin, et.al., 2008). Each has a role to play within the evaluation process.
In 2008 the National League of Nursing (NLN) conducted a survey of students enrolled in nursing schools across the United States. Fifty three percent of students were enrolled in ADN programs, forty three percent were in BSN, while the remaining four percent were in a Diploma of Nursing program (National League of Nursing Data Review 2010). The rate of completion of the ADN nurse has exceeded that of the BSN, creating a deficit in higher educated
Despite the high demand for nurses, and all those who wants to be a nurse, there still is a high dropout rate in the nursing program. Virginia Peterson notes in 2009 that “30% of students who enter a baccalaureate of nursing education program do not graduate, and of that 30% “approximately 82.3% leave in the first semester (411).” The dropout rate led Virginia Peterson designed a study to test to see if certain variables led up to the high dropout rate. However, the study concluded that variables such as how
Through my research for this paper I have found that RNs who have an associate degree or diploma are more likely to make errors during clinical practice. Nurses who hold Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees have a stronger foundation in which to build better communication, leadership, critical thinking and problem solving skills. The high demands placed on today's nurses really challenge all of these skills on a daily basis. Nurses with Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees have a better understanding of the importance to be proficient in these skills. In a study of RN-to-BSN degree graduates from 1995 to
An ongoing debate for the requirements to become a Registered Nurse (RN) has been unsettled. Several different educational pathways lead to an RN licensure; however, the minimum educational requirements must be standardized at the baccalaureate level for several reasons. Spetz and Bates (2013) published that a growing number of hospitals prefer hiring nurses with a Bachelor Science in Nursing (BSN) as this increases the status of the nursing profession (p. 1). Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), as well as a certificate on-the-job training Diploma are two other educational pathways to become an RN, which can be disadvantageous to the nursing profession in several ways (Tollick 2013; Spetz and Bates 2013). If entry-level nurses
In my current role as a nurse educator I feel the desire to pursue my dream of obtaining a master’s degree, specializing in nursing education. It has been 27 years since I have sat in the student chair in a classroom; therefore, I anticipate a number of challenges and barriers to overcome. In this paper I will present and describe three challenges that I expect to be faced with over the next two years. I will also discuss the strategies I plan to use to address these challenges.
With an ever-increasing body of knowledge in the field of nursing, more education is being required to enter the field of nursing. Many healthcare institutions are raising the educational requirements in order to become employed or maintain employment in their facilities. Healthcare organizations are transitioning to hiring registered nurses (RN) who have a higher level of education, such as, a graduate from a Baccalaureate Degree Nursing (BSN) program. The goal of these institutions is to have nurses with a broader array of skills that can meet the growing demands of our patient population. BSN prepared nurses are recognized for their well-rounded skills in critical thinking, management, case management and health promotion versus Associate Degree nurses (ADN)/Diploma nurses that focus on direct patient care.
A required section of the Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at Ferris State University
For years now it has been well know and documented that there is a brutal disconnect between what school prepares NGRN for and the reality they find once they begin working.(Duchscher, 2009) This stark difference found between school and reality sets new graduates (NG) up for a hard fall and the disillusionment they are under when entering the professional practice can lead them to exit nursing altogether.(Duchscher, 2009) The problem then of course becomes recruitment and retention, and the cost of training new nurses back in 2007 was recorded to be as much as 82,000 to 88,000 each.(Ulrich et al., 2010)
Bachelor degree nursing programs are highly regarded for the skilled, clinical thinking, and professionalism of nurses they provide for the community. Obtaining a baccalaureate in nursing provides the same skills and knowledge encompassed in most associate’s programs, while allowing a broadened look into research, public health, management, and humanities (AACN IENP, 2012). Many facilities are now providing incentives for nursing staff to continue their education; from tuition reimbursement, an increase in pay, and played time off for the sole purpose of education. Research has proven that with a more educated
The implications for BSN-prepared nurses in addition to those of RNs with an associate degree
Discussing the Differences in Competencies between nurses prepared at the Associate-Degree level versus the Baccalaureate-Degree level in Nursing.
There is an increasingly high demand for students going into nursing careers in our society, but there are also varying educational pathways for these students to get into these careers. Are the three educational pathways (Diploma, Associate Degree, and Baccalaureate Degree) preparing prospective nurses to be at the same competency level after schooling? Advancement in education has become an increasingly important topic amongst health care organizations. Educational preparation can indeed affect nursing care and the decision making of nurses. In this paper, an analysis of nursing history and the degree programs themselves will provide evidence of an increased level of patient care by BSN nurses vs. ADN nurses.
“Throughout the last decade, policymakers and practice leaders have recognized that education makes a difference” (Impact of Education, n.d.). Hospitals are also trending towards preferred hiring of bachelors prepared nurses for their workforce. Even national organizations are jumping on the bandwagon requiring “all nurse managers and nurse leaders to hold a baccalaureate or graduate degree in nursing by 2013” (Impact of Education, n.d.), likewise the Institute of Medicine has also recommended that all hospitals have at least 80% of their nursing staff with a BSN or higher by the year 2020 (Impact of Education, n.d.).
Furthermore, licensing and accreditation standards must be heightened to insure the quality of the nurses that enter the workforce. Certifying organizations must therefore mandate the proper demonstration of core competencies and skills prior to endowing students with the nursing title. The nursing profession, according to the IOM report, must undergo fundamental changes within the overall education of nurses. In many respects the basic