Nursing Instructor Jenny Storer teaching Kirkwood Nursing students
Kirkwood Nursing students are prepared for a career in the real world, if you consider how well they perform on their national board exams. For the first time in the college’s history, each graduating Nursing student passed the national licensure exam on the first try, besting the national average of 89 percent pass rate for first-time test takers.
The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) measures the competencies needed to perform safely and effectively as a newly licensed, entry-level nurse. Passing the exam gives the student the permission to practice nursing.
Kirkwood’s Practical Nursing program at the college consistently achieves a 100 percent pass rate. This year for the first time, all of the students in the Associate Degree Nursing program passed on the first try as well.
“With each of these students passing the exam, it means they’ll have better job opportunities and an easier transition into a bachelor degree program,” said Kirkwood Nursing Dean Jimmy A. Reyes. “These students not only have this new credential, but also a confidence in their skills and knowledge base.”
Students must meet competencies in areas like safe and effective care environment, health promotion and maintenance, patient-centered care, safety, informatics, professionalism, leadership and more.
“This exam is challenging and these students were really impressive,” said Reyes. “Recently we’ve made changes to the program content and delivery to better align with the National Council of State of Boards of Nursing and Institute of Medicine reports, and our students were able to adapt to these changes, and still finish on top.”
Kirkwood Nursing students start learning hands-on with clinical laboratory and simulation experiences during their first semester in the program, and find themselves working in area hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient clinics, mental health facilities, home health agencies and a specialty clinics. Students choose from a two-semester Practical Nursing (PN) diploma or the five-semester Associate Degree Nursing (ADN). Kirkwood has articulation agreements with all four-year colleges and universities in of Iowa.