Misericordia University nursing students who recently graduated from the Bachelor of Science degree program achieved a pass rate that was more than 10 percentage points higher than the national average on the National Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) for baccalaureate degree students.
The NCLEX-RN was developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) to ensure the public's protection. In order to receive a license to practice, a nursing candidate must pass an examination that measures the competencies newly licensed, entry-level nurses have to perform safely and effectively, according to NCSBN.
Misericordia University BSN graduates achieved a 95.59-percent pass rate for first-time test takers between Oct. 1, 2015 and Sept. 30, 2016. Misericordia graduates exceeded the average national pass rate of 85.26 percent and the average pass rate in Pennsylvania of 87.54 for baccalaureate degree programs. Misericordia University NCLEX-RN test-takers also had the highest pass rates of baccalaureate-degree programs in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties, according to NCSBN data.
"In recent years, we have revised our curriculum to keep pace with trends in health care and changes in accreditation standards, and have forged relationships with health care systems and providers that have proven beneficial to the students and program,'' said Cynthia Mailloux, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Undergraduate Nursing at Misericordia University. "We have also made significant investments into technology, specialized instruction and labs for the nursing program. Our students' pass rate is a direct reflection of their hard work and determination, as well as the devotion of the faculty in providing the tools that they need to succeed.''
Misericordia University features the oldest nursing program in the area and graduates more students in the health sciences than any other college or university in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The University offers three undergraduate nursing programs: traditional, full-time nursing students; part-time evening program for adult students; and the RN to BSN Expressway Program. The undergraduate nursing programs are designed to meet the special educational and scheduling needs of adult and traditional students. They all lead to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
The MSN nursing program is designed to meet the special needs of current BSN registered nurses who desire an advanced practice specialization as a family nurse practitioner. MU also offers a post-master's certificate as a family nurse practitioner for nurses who already have an advanced clinical master's degree and who wish to change or expand their practice focus to primary care. Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with advanced education in health assessment, diagnosis and management of acute and chronic health conditions with expertise in health promotion and disease prevention. Graduate programming leads to the MSN and provides course work in a convenient part-time, one-day-a-week format.
The University also offers an online Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program in two formats to accommodate the needs of busy health care professionals and in response to growing national need.
For more information about the nursing programs at Misericordia University, please call (570) 674-6400 or log on to www.misericordia.edu/nursing.
