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August 21, 2009

100 percent of NWOSU nursing students pass exam

By Kasey Fowler, Staff Writer

Nursing students from the class of 2009 at Northwestern Oklahoma State University have much to celebrate as they enter the profession.

Twenty nursing graduates from all three of Northwest-ern’s campuses have passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), a re-quired test for nursing graduates.

Of the 20 graduates, nine attended the Enid branch campus, seven attended the Alva campus and four attended Woodward.

“I’m pretty happy about it. The faculty and students deserve all the credit,” said Dr. Ca-role McKen-zie, associate professor and chair of the division of nursing.

“This is the first time since 1996 that we have had a 100 percent passing rate,” McKenzie said. “I could absolutely shout for joy.”

Last year, one student was unable to pass the test.

“We had 100 percent in Alva and 89 percent in Enid, last year. It has been getting steadily better,” McKenzie said.

She said the Northwestern nursing program has been improving and that has helped the passing rate for the NCLEX.

“We’ve been working very, very, very hard to im-prove the program and what the students do to prepare for it. The hard work has paid off,” McKenzie said. “We’ve increased our admission standards, too, and I think that has helped. We have added an extra class to get ready for it and the faculty has been reviewing for it. It has been a cooperative effort.”

Students who graduate from Northwestern’s nursing program are required to take the NCLEX. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing develops and administers two national nurse licensure examinations, one for registered nurses and the other for practical nurses. The results from these computerized exams are used by the Boards of Nursing to test entry-level nursing competence of candidates for licensure as RN and PN.

“This is the test that allows them to work as a registered nurse. They cannot work as a registered nurse until they take it,” McKenzie said.

To learn more about the division of nursing at Northwestern, contact Mc-Kenzie at (580) 327-8489 or camckenzie@nwosu.edu.

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