Georgia Gwinnett College’s (GGC) spring 2017 bachelor of science in nursing graduates achieved a highly coveted 100 percent first-time pass rate for the National Council Licensure Examination for registered nurses (NCLEX-RN).
Nursing program graduates are required to take the NCLEX exam to receive their registered nursing license (RN). The exams have been administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. since 1994, on behalf of the boards of nursing for all 50 U.S. states, four U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.
“Each of our 72 alumni have passed the NCLEX-RN, but we are particularly proud that our spring 2017 graduates all passed it on their first attempt,” said Dr. Sharon Grason, director of nursing at GGC. “This achievement is directly related to the dedication, compassion and commitment of all GGC nursing students, faculty and staff.”
Thus far, the 2017 national average first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate for candidates with bachelor’s degrees is 91 percent. The 2017 national average first-time pass rate is about 88 percent for all RN candidates, which includes those completing diploma, associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree programs. Nursing graduates may take the NCLEX exams more than once.
This is only the second year GGC has graduated bachelor degree-prepared nurses. Its highly selective program uses an innovative, concept-based curriculum and complete “flipped-classroom,” co-learning approach.
“We have learned from our experiences with our 2016 graduates and made some adjustments to bring our student and program outcomes to a higher level,” said Grason.
In an effort to mitigate the nursing shortage in the region, Georgia Gwinnett founders made a commitment to the Gwinnett community to develop a baccalaureate degree in nursing. Since then, the college has graduated 72 nursing alumni who all work in the Gwinnett and Atlanta areas. The college’s program launched with just 31 students in fall 2014 and has grown to the current roster of 133 students, about 34 of whom will graduate in December.
