North Carolina Central BSN Program Achieves 100% NCLEX Pass Rate

Courtesy of North Carolina Central University

North Carolina Central University’s accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is celebrating as its December 2024 graduating class boasts a remarkable 100% pass rate on the NCLEX examination. The NCLEX is a critical milestone for aspiring nurses.

“With the nursing shortage, it is important for them to pass as soon as they can,” said Yolanda VanRiel, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Nursing at NCCU.

NCCU credits the program’s success to strategic initiatives introduced by a university-wide task force established a few years ago. Key measures include recruiting full-time and part-time tutors, assigning staff for remediation, hiring consultants to offer test-taking tips, and administering diagnostic tests to gauge students’ NCLEX preparedness.

To further enhance hands-on learning, students now utilize virtual technology simulations and participate in a mobile health clinic, allowing them to conduct community health assessments.

“Students can use their clinical thinking and clinical judgement skills more often. It brings in a piece of reality,” VanRiel said.

Helen Gordon, a clinical associate professor and academic success coach for nursing students, added that preparing for the NCLEX is a multifaceted process. “People underestimate, especially around testing, how much their mindset affects their success rate,” she said.

Achieving a high pass rate on the NCLEX is pivotal for the graduates’ careers—since they cannot practice nursing until they pass the exam—but it also plays a crucial role in attracting new nursing students to NCCU. “No one wants to go to a school where you pass the degree and fail the exam,” Gordon noted.

The need for qualified nurses is pressing. The National Center for Health Workforce estimates a shortage of approximately 78,610 registered nurses across the United States. North Carolina ranks as the eighth-highest state facing this nursing shortage.