Nursing graduates achieve near-perfect licensure rate
WSSU nursing students train in the high-tech virtual hospital, which replicates the clinical setting. (WSSU file photo).
Winston-Salem State University’s (WSSU) Division of Nursing is celebrating continued success, as its baccalaureate graduates have achieved a near-perfect pass rate on their licensure exams.
WSSU’s 105 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) 2016 graduates earned a 94 percent first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), according to results released recently by the North Carolina Board of Nursing.
The percentage well exceeds the state and national pass rate averages for BSN graduates.
“The Division of Nursing has been working diligently to identify strategies for success on the NCLEX-RN on the first attempt,” said Dr. Cecil Holland, associate dean and chief operating officer for nursing at WSSU. “We are seeing this hard work pay dividends with the continuing success of our graduates.”
Over the past two years, WSSU’s pass rate has increased from 84 percent to 94 percent.
Holland said the division recently redesigned two senior-level courses that prepare students for the licensure exam. In addition, a readiness team meets with, guides and mentors all seniors as they prepare for the exam.
“Our faculty are second to none. They are committed to student success and are critical links to student success in the classroom, clinical and the NCLEX-RN,” he said. “Our students stand side by side with any nursing student in the state. Our clinical partners have validated that.”
WSSU is the fourth largest producer of baccalaureate degree nurses in North Carolina.
The Division of Nursing, part of WSSU’s School of Health Sciences, offers a variety of paths for students seeking a bachelor’s degree. For more information, please visit the nursing website.
