In big news for the Alabama Community College System, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing recently published test results indicating that nursing pass rates in the state’s system are higher than the national average.
In fact, according to the Alabama Board of Nursing, more than 95% of the colleges’ LPN candidates and nearly 94% of the RN candidates passed the NCSBN’s Next Generation NCLEX. The NCLEX is a standardized test that measures whether nursing school graduates have the necessary preparation and critical thinking skills to work as entry-level nurses.
Pass rates nationally for the test average 68% for RN candidates and 75% for LPN candidates.
“The successful pass rate in Alabama shows nursing students are prepared with the critical clinical judgment and decision-making abilities that are needed to begin a nursing career in the state, and we at the Alabama Board of Nursing applaud Alabama’s community college nursing faculty for continually striving to ensure the next generation of nurses are well-equipped to serve,” said Peggy Benson, executive officer for the Alabama Board of Nursing.
Dr. Bryant Cline, director of Healthcare Programs, credited the system’s nursing faculty with navigating obstacles and producing top level nurses.
“When we discovered the NCLEX was changing last year, nursing faculty was proactive in ensuring they were teaching the correct content for their students to be successful,” said Cline. “This dedication to producing excellent nurses in the state has – as always – paid off for Alabama’s communities who rely on nurses to be skilled and caring.”
Amy Price, Chief Nursing and Chief Operating Officer of Coosa Valley Medical Center, emphasized the positive effect that the collaboration has on rural hospitals like Coosa.
“You can imagine, being a freestanding, rural hospital, partnerships are very important to not only our existence but to our sustainability, and so when we look over our partnerships, I can’t think of one that’s more important to us today than the good work community colleges are doing in their programs,” Price said.
“It’s really paying off in terms of putting people to work with credentials to meet the demands of healthcare today.”
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
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