Baylor Nursing Grads Top National Average in Pass Rate on Certification Exam

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Recent graduates of Baylor University's Louise Herrington School of Nursing have achieved a 96.85 percent pass rate on a standardized nursing certification test, according to results released by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
The test is the National Council of Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for registered nurses. In order to practice as a registered nurse, an individual must pass this exam.
The percentage was the highest among the baccalaureate nursing programs in the North Texas region, said Dr. Catherine Rosser, undergraduate program director of the Dallas-based nursing school.
The national pass rate for first-time exam takers is 87.95 percent, according to the national council.
"This is a tribute to both our faculty and staff and our students and reinforces that Baylor nurses are the best," Rosser said. Faculty members of Baylor's nursing program have designed the curriculum to integrate a holistic approach to the care of individuals throughout their lives, and the external recognition is valuable to the school in its endeavor to teach students to learn, lead and serve, she said.
Since 2003, the annual rate of Baylor nursing students passing the certification test has exceeded 90 percent every year except 2007.
The multiple-choice examination requires the candidates to demonstrate they have sufficient knowledge for entry-level practice. Questions focus on safe, effective environment, health promotion and maintenance, psychosocial integrity and physiological integrity. The questions can be about a patient of any age or condition.
New data from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing show that graduates of entry-level baccalaureate (BSN) and master's nursing programs are much more likely to receive job offers at the time of graduation or soon after than graduates from other fields.
A national survey of deans and directors from U.S. nursing schools found that 65 percent of new BSN graduates had job offers at the time of graduation, which is substantially higher than the national average of 24.4 percent across all professions. At four to six months after graduation, the survey found that 89 percent of new BSN graduates had secured job offers.
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