Graduates of the Radford University School of Nursing (SON) have again added luster to the school’s reputation.
For the fifth consecutive year, Radford’s SON graduates surpassed the national average pass rate by first-time test takers of the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).
Graduates from the SON’s December 2015 and May 2016 classes combined to post a pass rate of 94.4 percent on the test to exceed the 84.5 percent national average for Bachelor of Science – Nursing (BSN) programs. Radford’s first-time test takers also exceeded their Virginia colleagues’ pass rate of 88.2 percent. The examination is administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and is a nurse’s final step toward professional licensure. In 2016, 85 of the 90 candidates from the SON’s Radford and Roanoke sites passed and are now eligible for licensure in all 50 states.
“Their success reflects the accomplishments of a group of highly-motivated students, a dedicated faculty and the SON’s clinically-focused curriculum,” said Sharla Cooper, associate professor of nursing and the school’s associate director of undergraduate programs. “They are all so remarkable. I am proud that our program prepares students for the rigorous exam that reflects the high national standards for nurses in patient care and practice.
Rigorous nursing education and committed students have helped nurses achieve and maintain a signal honor – public trust, said Cooper, who referred to the 2016 Gallup survey of professional honesty and ethical standards. According to the survey, nurses have topped the list of trusted professionals every year but one since the annual poll began.
Cooper credited Radford nursing students’ success to the school’s early focus on preparation for the all-important test and the contribution of the school’s Kaplan Learning Intensive Course (KLIC), developed and administered by nursing faculty Trish Conklin and Leonita Cutright.
Eligibility to sit for the NCLEX is contingent upon successful graduation from an accredited BSN program. RU’s KLIC program sustains engagement past graduation until licensure is achieved as well as throughout the students’ academic and clinical work through either the Radford or Roanoke SON sites.
–Don Bowman
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