Perfection: Class of 2024 nursing graduates score 100% on NCLEX-RN exams
(August 27, 2024) - Achieving high levels of academic success showcases one’s dedication, resiliency, intellect, and passion to their studies and pursuit of knowledge.
The Spring 2024 cohort of BSN graduates from the College of Health’s School of Nursing displayed all of these traits when successfully passing their National Council Licensure Examinations (NCLEX-RN) on their first attempt.
The NCLEX-RN is a standardized exam that each state board of nursing uses to determine whether nursing graduates are qualified to enter the profession. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing report these results.
The passing standard for the NCLEX is the cut point at which the minimum ability is determined to require safe and effective nursing practice at the entry level.
As to be expected, numerous School of Nursing faculty members are thrilled over their former students’ results and are ready to see the impact they’ll collectively leave on their communities moving forward.
“Our students are very special to us,” said Dr. Dwayne Hooks, dean of the College of Health. “We know many students face barriers to success in such a time-intensive program and through all of these barriers, they have succeeded. We are so proud that every single one of them has been able to achieve this extraordinary milestone on their first attempt.”
Additionally, faculty also reflected on their own work and expressed their appreciation for their colleagues in the School of Nursing, saying their students’ accomplishments are what best shows Clayton State University’s ongoing dedication to south metro Atlanta.
“It’s been nearly a decade since we had 100%,” said Dr. Victoria Foster, director of the CSU Undergraduate Nursing Program. “It’s unprecedented and just goes to show the dedication and unwavering commitment our faculty have to our students. We’re all ecstatic about this. There is a buzz around this class!”
“We are all so proud of the May 2024 cohort!” said Dr. Elicia Collins, assistant dean of the School of Nursing. “In addition to acknowledging the students, I would like to also acknowledge the faculty and staff. They stay late after class to tutor, conduct and accept meetings when requested, establish book loan programs, and mentor students. We have a world-class team ... I am honored to be a part of the School of Nursing.”
Hooks and his fellow faculty members are also excited by the prospect of how the recent graduating class will directly impact Clayton State’s surrounding community.
“Georgia is a state that has a significant need for nurses,” Hooks said. “Our graduates work all over Georgia and beyond – many of which will stay within our particular service area. We know that continuing to expand the nursing pipeline is critical for making sure care is provided in all types of clinical settings. This is our way of being able to help contribute to that pipeline.”
“I visit students in clinical settings – and the nurse managers always have positive things to say about our students,” Foster said. “It's so rewarding to hear how well prepared and professional our students are. I think we do a good job emulating the behaviors that we expect the students to carry on once they leave us.”
The Spring 2023 BSN graduates from the School of Nursing earned a collective 95.83% first-time pass rate on their NCLEX exams, scoring higher than both the national bachelor’s pass rate of 90.18% and Georgia’s pass rate of 89.88%.
And while the School of Nursing is thrilled by the accomplishments of the Class of 2024, their 100% score has only motivated them to set the bar even higher for themselves when instructing the next generation of CSU Nursing students.
“We have done so many things to support students, whether that be from [providing] emergency funds needed for electricity, textbooks or insurance, or providing mentorship to students who need a little extra support,” Hooks said. “That's what it means to be a nurse – to provide care and compassion to others. I think regardless of what our NCLEX performance is, students will know we care about them and will help in every way we can for them to achieve success.”