The nursing school that I will be applying to has a NCLEX pass rate of 73% (2015). But the problem is since 2011 the pass rate has been dropping down to 4-7 points yearly. So who knows how low it will be before I try to start in 2017.
Should this be a red flag? It's a private for non-profit nursing school since the 1960s and they are accredited.
Edit: I looked into the nursing school a little more and I found out that this program is on their 2nd year probation.
I guess that's just the thinking here in Illinois because it's the best program in the state. But granted it still ranks top 10 in the country for it to have some low scores though.
My school has been on conditional status for the past two years (maybe 3)? Unfortunately I had already been accepted before it became official. However they have had a lot of faculty changes, hired a new director etc and have done everything they can to change their status, and it worked. At the beginning I was freaking out but I'm so glad I stayed and didn't do something drastic like start over somewhere else. But if I had known of their status going in I probably would have gone elsewhere.
I'm sharing my experience because you just never know what could have happened for them to get to that point and what they are doing to fix it. So many factors go into the nclex passing rates such as students being accepted or passed that shouldn't be passed. How long students wait before taking the nclex, what program the school uses for nclex prep (my school used to use Kaplan and they switched to Hesi and things have changed dramatically since then). The list goes on and on.
I very seriously doubt that a school with an NCLEX pass rate of 75% and lower then that in years prior would EVER make it to a top 10 list of programs in the nations by a reputable source. That would mean the education received there was not up to standard in preparing its students to pass NCLEX and practice safely.
Dodge ge this billet. I don't care how many people say to give it a chance. It is just that, a CHANCE. You may get lucky and the school turns itself around and gets better. Or it could be a sinking ship and you aren't prepared well for NCLEX or can't get a good job do to poor reputation. Run far away and go to a school that is at least regionally accredited with better NCLEX pass rates.
They keep these hear low pass rates up and they will risk losing accreditation or even the ability to operate as a school of nursing. Then you'll truly be SOL.
I very seriously doubt that a school with an NCLEX pass rate of 75% and lower then that in years prior would EVER make it to a top 10 list of programs in the nations by a reputable source. That would mean the education received there was not byup to standard in preparing its students to pass NCLEX and practice safely.
Dodge ge this billet. I don't care how many people say to give it a chance. It is just that, a CHANCE. You may get lucky and the school turns itself around and gets better. Or it could be a sinking ship and you aren't prepared well for NCLEX or can't get a good job do to poor reputation. Run far away and go to a school that is at least regionally accredited with better NCLEX pass rates.
They keep these hear low pass rates up and they will risk losing accreditation or even the ability to operate as a school of nursing. Then you'll truly be SOL.
This is all true. But the reality of the situation is UIC is really I'm the top 10 for nursing programs. I was shocked myself when I found out their NCLEX pass rates but it doesn't seem to stop that ambitious pre-nursing student from applying.
Also the the nursing school I was trying to apply for has 24 accreditations both regional and national and they boast their students being the preferred candidates for job hires. So I called a hospital that was located 50 miles from the school (not one of their clinical sites as I seen the lists) and they said they do prefer BSN students from this school because of their good reputation. And honestly I'm very confused about the situation and why they can't keep their passing rate up as it was a 100% in 2011 and 92% in 2013.
Should I call the nursing school and ask what steps they are taking to fix this situation?
C'mon guys - one of the most important attributes of a nurse is the ability to think critically. Apply this to the "top ten" lists of anything. Take a look at the criteria that are being used for the rating. In terms of ranking, colleges & universities tend to place a lot of significance on funding - the more grants and research they rake in, the better they are. But this is not so good for the student... it means that students are being taught by TAs & adjuncts while those 'highly qualified' professors are probably focusing way more time on research & scrabbling for funds than they are on teaching.
In terms of nursing programs, NCLEX results are the gold standard for judging outcomes. NCLEX pass rates represent the sole reason that a pre-licensure program exists. If they can't produce graduates qualified for licensure, how in the world can they be "top" anything?? Maybe top-tier tuition costs? Best landscaped campus? Most elite Greek social scene?
C'mon guys - one of the most important attributes of a nurse is the ability to think critically. Apply this to the "top ten" lists of anything. Take a look at the criteria that are being used for the rating. In terms of ranking, colleges & universities tend to place a lot of significance on funding - the more grants and research they rake in, the better they are. But this is not so good for the student... it means that students are being taught by TAs & adjuncts while those 'highly qualified' professors are probably focusing way more time on research & scrabbling for funds than they are on teaching.
In terms of nursing programs, NCLEX results are the gold standard for judging outcomes. NCLEX pass rates represent the sole reason that a pre-licensure program exists. If they can't produce graduates qualified for licensure, how in the world can they be "top" anything?? Maybe top-tier tuition costs? Best landscaped campus? Most elite Greek social scene?
As HouTx put it, the number 1 criteria is NCLEX pass rates whether it is a CC, public university, or private university. The second criteria is National Accreditation (CCNE or ACEN). Prestige and rankings are just marketing tools for schools.
I wouldn't sweat the pass rate. Passing the NCLEX is a reflection on the student, not the program. Programs with low pass rates simply admit higher numbers of subpar students for whatever reason.
The probation, however, is another matter. If they are at risk for losing their accreditation during your tenure there then you are at risk. While you can still get your license coming out of an unaccredited school, your future opportunities may be limited. Some employers will demand graduation from an accredited school as will many graduate programs.
Passing the NCLEX is on you; accreditation is on them.
So I just talked to the program's director of nursing (I emailed her) and she said that they made changes this year and they don't plan on losing their accreditation. She also said they are working on getting off of probation this year and the next.
NICU Guy, BSN, RN
4,161 Posts
I don't consider a ranking from internationalstudent.com as "people cutting off an arm or leg to get into that program" to be useful.
UIC College of Nursing Ranked #1 in Top Ten List by InternationalStudent.com | UIC College Of Nursing