Nursing Graduates Excel on Licensing Exams
Published 05.27.2005
All 11 of Pennsylvania College of Technology's December associate-degree nursing graduates who attempted their licensing exam by March 31 passed the test on their first try.
Those results mean Penn College's pass rate for April 1, 2004, to March 31, 2005, is 95.59 percent, the highest pass rate for associate-degree programs in the state for that time period. All nursing graduates must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses before they may enter the workforce as a registered nurse.
Thirteen candidates graduated from Penn College with an associate's degree in nursing in December. Two have not yet attempted the exam.
Also, eight August graduates of the practical nursing certificate major at Penn College attempted and passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses in the first quarter of 2005. Penn College graduates' pass rate for the NCLEX-PN is 92.11 percent from April 1, 2004, to March 31, 2005. That exceeds the statewide pass rate of 91.42 percent.
Pamela L. Starcher, director of nursing, said the graduates' passing rate has continued to improve. The caliber of the students enrolling in Penn College's nursing programs has also risen, she said, as more students compete for limited seats in majors. She also attributes the graduates' success to knowledgeable, caring faculty.
For more information about the academic programs offered by the School of Health Sciences at Penn College, call (570) 327-4519, send e-mail or visit online .