Nursing school celebrates high pass rate.

From Pittsburg State University:

The Irene Ransom Bradley School of Nursing at Pittsburg State University is celebrating: last year’s nursing students achieved a 93 percent pass rate on the NCLEX Registered Nurse Board exams — a nationwide test for the licensing of nurses given by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

That pass rate is two percentage points higher than the national average for BSN graduates, and represents all testing done from Jan. 1, 2020, through Jan. 1, 2021.

It’s not the first time the school has had cause to celebrate: in 2018, the school made history with a pass rate of 98.68 — a full 10 points higher than the national average for first-time, U.S.-educated test takers — and in 2019, when a new version of the test was administered, the school boasted a 91 percent compared to the national average of 88 percent.

The 2020 pass rate is especially noteworthy, said Director Cheryl Giefer, because it was achieved in the midst of the pandemic and a time of challenging course delivery.

Janelle Martin, nursing education compliance officer for the Kansas State Board of Nursing, described it as “a tough year at best” and that it was “good to see the continued positive results from PSU.”