One-hundred percent of May 2009 graduates from the Belmont University School of Nursing have passed the national licensure examination for Registered Nurses, once again demonstrating the high quality of nursing education provided at Belmont.
Thirty-seven Belmont students were among the 66,531 U.S.-educated candidates who have taken the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) for the first time to date in 2009. The NCLEX-RN examination assesses the competencies of RNs upon entry into practice. The 100 percent pass rate for Belmont graduates compares to this year’s national pass rate of 89.5 percent for this group.
Over the years, School of Nursing graduates from Belmont have been able to consistently achieve a higher pass rate than the national rate for this examination. During the past four years, 96.3 percent of Belmont graduates have passed the exam on their first attempt compared to the average national rate of 87.5 percent during that time.
Dr. Martha Buckner, director of undergraduate nursing studies at Belmont, sees the 100 percent pass rate as a positive reflection of the student learning experience in the School of Nursing. She said, “Our clinical faculty members get excellent reviews in student interviews conducted by a national benchmarking service, and our students believe the quality and effectiveness of their Belmont nursing experiences to be superior. Our graduates are highly sought by employers, and many of our alumni pursue graduate education.”
Entry into the practice of nursing in the United States is regulated by various licensing authorities. To ensure public protection, all RN candidates nationwide are required to pass the NCLEX-RN examination which measures the competencies needed to perform safely and effectively as a newly licensed, entry-level nurse. The exam is developed each year by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
In addition to the Bachelor’s program in Nursing, Belmont offers a Family Nurse Practitioner program at the graduate level for experienced nurses. This program also produces highly qualified graduates with a 100 percent pass rate for the last five years on the national certification exam for practice as an advanced practice nurse (APN).
