NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The School of Nursing & Healthcare Professions at The College of New Rochelle (CNR) today announced that the pass rate for nursing students who took the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) in the first quarter of 2017 reached an all-time high of 92.4 percent. This pass rate surpasses the School’s previous high of 91.4 percent in the first quarter of 2016—and tops the pass rate of many of the College’s peer institutions as well as the New York State and national average pass rate.
The BS in Nursing Program at CNR is noted for his high use of technology, including virtual testing, use of digital platforms in many of the nursing courses, and for providing its graduates with an exceptional professional and liberal arts education emphasizing skills that are highly sought by employers. The BS in Nursing program is one of the few nursing programs that still maintains a preceptor/internship experience for students in their last semester, working on-on-one with a Registered Nurse in many of the leading healthcare institutions in Westchester, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, Greater NYC, and Western Connecticut regions.
The NCLEX is a nationwide standardized examination that each state board of nursing uses to determine whether or not a candidate is prepared for entry-level nursing practice. In the first quarter of 2017, 61 of 66 CNR nursing students passed the first time. According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the NCLEX examination covers the following categories: safe, effective care environment; health promotion and maintenance; psychosocial integrity; and physiological integrity. The first quarter of 2017 pass rate for New York State was 86% and 87% nationally.
Dr. H. Michael Dreher, the Elizabeth Bell LeVaca Dean of the School of Nursing & Healthcare Professions, noted the importance of NCLEX pass rates. “Today’s professional registered nurse needs an education grounded in the liberal arts and an emphasis on health education, compassion, integrity, high-technology nursing skills, and safe practice. We think we have found that ‘right mix’ of skills that balances the importance of both the art and science of nursing. The College of New Rochelle nursing graduates are exceptionally prepared for the challenges of a modern day nursing career and we are proud of their performance on the national licensure exam.”