High Fail Rate for new Grads on Boards

Nurses General Nursing

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I work in East Texas and have noticed a alarming trend, our new grads are failing their state boards at a alarming rate (60 % from our local junior college). Moreover, all these new grads that were hired as GNs cannot be fired to make room for nurses that have passed their boards for a least 3 months ( when they retest).

Is this trend national or local in nature? Also, as a preceptor I have noticed that many of our new grads are competent in clinical skills ,but have no idea of what is going on with their patients (disease process). Can I get some feed back and possible suggestions on what can be done to fix this problem?

Thanks Jerry RN, BSN

Specializes in ICU/Cosmetic Sx/Lasers/Education/School/.

I am actually keeping a count of all of those who are passing the state boards from our graduating class. So far all of us who have taken has passed. The head count is up to 18 right now. Maybe you should suggest these New Grads to take the Kaplan Review. I strongly recommend it. Our class to the review course as a group and it tremendously helped with understanding how to answer the NCLEX style questions. As of April 2004 they raised the passing bar and I was scared to take it, but the review course helped. It teaches you how to determine what the stem of the question is and how to come up with the correct answer even if you have no clue on how to answer it. Our school has one of the top passing rates here in the state of Maryland with a ninty something percent pass rate. It is an ADN program, although I am going to do the RN to BSN and MSN program.

Really to fix the problem I strongly believe the Kaplan Review would be extremely helpful. I think Kaplan needs to reimburse me my money because of how I am telling everyone they should take it. I don't know if I could have passed it without Kaplan. I am not a good test taker. But, it helped me understand what the question was asking and how to answer it. I hope the will shed some light on the situation at hand. :rolleyes:

Evelyn:p

I work in East Texas and have noticed a alarming trend, our new grads are failing their state boards at a alarming rate (60 % from our local junior college). Moreover, all these new grads that were hired as GNs cannot be fired to make room for nurses that have passed their boards for a least 3 months ( when they retest).

Is this trend national or local in nature? Also, as a preceptor I have noticed that many of our new grads are competent in clinical skills ,but have no idea of what is going on with their patients (disease process). Can I get some feed back and possible suggestions on what can be done to fix this problem?

Thanks Jerry RN, BSN

Specializes in Cardiology.

60% fail rate is wrong. National average of RN's PASSING the NCLEX is 84%. See for yourself: http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/nursing/NCLEX_July_2000_June_2001.pdf

With that high rate of failing, I'm surprised they haven't lost their accreditation! The college where I got my ADN had a high pass rate and the whole time I was there, the instructors constantly prepared us for boards. The university closeby for BSN students didn't have as good a record as ours and they did lose their accreditation. I've been curious since if they've gotten it back. I may like to go back one day to become a NP.

It is true they did change the test...they have made it harder. I believe it started April 1st 2004. I will be taking my boards in a week so I will find out how hard it is soon. :)

I a currently working in UT and have noticed our new grads (both BSN and ADN) having trouble passing boards as well. It is rumored that they changed the test year ago. Is this true or strictly rumor? I took mine three years ago and passed first time and I am by no mean a 4.0.

Does any one know how to find pass rate stats for different universities and schools?

Specializes in cardiac ICU.

I precepted a particular GN (for one shift) who absolutely scared the cr*p out of me. I was looking at a MAR, and I said to her, "OK, this med is ordered Q12. It was last given at one o'clock. When are we going to give it?" This girl COUNTED ON HER FINGERS and said, "Seven o'clock?" When I told her she was wrong, she argued with me. SHE PASSED THE NCLEX ON HER SECOND TRY. I kid you not.

Specializes in Cardiology.

Like I already said, the 60% fail rate is INCORRECT. This thread keeps bashing on new and student nurses. You can't expect students and new nurses to know everything. All of you were once in training yourself. Maybe the reason it's so hard to retain new nurses is from all the crap that "seasoned" nurses are dishing out at them. Just read the first few pages of this thread and now this last one. Enough to make my head spin.

...Jennifer...

We graduated in 12/03 and 6 failed out of 17 and 3 have failed a second time I was in an ADN program. I don't feel they focused much at all on boards and was so concern with writing paper after paper. The teachers haven't updated their materials they teach with to reflect the times. We definately didn't get enough clinical. :uhoh3:

For Va. it was like 80 some percent a year ago and has fell since Jan. this year to 60 something for first timers and 41% for each time after. :crying2:

We had a very high pass rate for the boards. For three years in a row our school had a 100% pass rate. The rate dropped for one year but our class is hopeful that we can raise it back up to 100% again! :)

edited to add that I recently passed the boards!!

Jerry: You are right. We do need to work with the schools to prepare students for current practice. Our GN's had a 100% pass rate for the Dec. grads and 100% of the May grads (so far). I believe you and I are in the same facility, so I assume you got your info elsewhere. As for disease process, the NCLEX is so complicated now that the instructors are having to teach to the test. I hope these new nurses continue to learn, and as a preceptor, you can guide them to value lifelong learning. Unfortunately, they don't come to us as a finished product. They BECOME nurses with practice.

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