Academic correlates of baccalaureate graduate performance on NCLEX-RN

The Value of Admission Interviews in Selecting Accelerated Second-Degree Baccalaureate Nursing Students

Accelerated undergraduate nursing programs have attracted more qualified applicants than can be accommodated, yet higher-than-desired attrition rates continue for a variety of reasons (e.g., pace of program, poor lifestyle choices, role concerns). The financial effects of the loss of students from these programs has gone largely undocumented and is intensified by the knowledge that a better admission decision could have resulted in another nurse in the workforce. In this article, the inclusion of structured personal interviews into the admission decision-making process is discussed. Specifically, do interviews provide relevant data in making admission decisions? Attempts to reduce subjectivity through the development of a structured interview guide, the training of paired interview teams, and the institution of a "post-mortem" technique to guide revisions are also described. Interviews do result in denial of applicants who seem appropriate based on paper portfolio criteria, allowing for inclusion of other potentially successful applicants.

Standardized testing tools to support quality educational outcomes

Student success or failure in nursing education, and perhaps subsequent professional practice, can be difficult to predict and likely depends on complex relationships between several variables. Identifying and controlling for these variables is a continuing challenge for college faculty and administrators. Many colleges of nursing across the United States now use standardized, external assessment programs to help students prepare for professional licensure examinations (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses [NCLEX-RN]), as one means of predicting academic success in a particular nursing program, and as a component of continuous quality improvement efforts within a school. This article reviews recent literature related to NCLEX-RN success and discusses several commercially available testing and remediation programs used today. In addition, the authors discuss the ways in which a testing program supports the college's mission and goals and efforts to continuously evaluate and improve the quality of the program.

Predictors of successful completion of a baccalaureate nursing program

Reliable admission and progression criteria are important because limited clinical slots, qualified faculty, and financial resources restrict the enrollment capability. The increased emphasis on outcome criteria in nursing education gives added importance to determining predictors of success in baccalaureate nursing programs. The authors discuss a study that explored demographic variables and admission and progression criteria that were predictive of 278 students' completion or failure in a baccalaureate nursing program.

Young People Considering Nursing as a Career: Starters vs. Non-starters

This study focused on applicants who were accepted to a nursing education program but did not begin their studies, thus wasting time, effort and money. Of 953 accepted applicants, 27% did not enter the program. Significant variables differentiating starters from non-starters were higher psychometric score, higher paternal education, lower priority for nursing studies, older age, non-Israeli country of birth and not completed army service. The study relating to starters vs. non-starters is one aspect of a large study (Ehrenfeld, Rotenberg, Sharon, & Bergman, 1995). In most nursing education programs the number of applicants exceed the faculty's capacity, and suitable candidates must be rejected. It is therefore both wasteful and disappointing when accepted applicants change their mind and do not actually begin in the program. In light of the costs and complexities involved in the student screening process and the continuous efforts extended today all over the world to raise the standards of nursing education and care, the factors differentiating starters from non-starters may have important implications. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the screening process at the Tel Aviv University baccalaureate nursing program and determine which variables were predictive of starters and non-starters among accepted applicants.

A Comparison of Predictors of Success on NCLEX-RN™ for African American, Foreign-Born, and White Baccalaureate Graduates

This retrospective study was concerned with identifying the strongest predictors of success for African American and foreign-born baccalaureate graduates on the NCLEX-RN from the following nine variables--the admission grade point average, medical-surgical nursing grade point average, nursing grade point average, cumulative grade point average, percentile rank on the Mosby Assess Test, age at the time of the licensing examination, number of semesters needed to complete the nursing curriculum, licensed vocational nurse status, and the number of Ds and Fs received in nursing courses--and comparing these with predictors of success for white baccalaureate graduates. Three random samples of 50 African American, foreign-born, and white graduates from four baccalaureate schools from May 1987 through May 1992 were selected from a total population of 1,205. Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, two-way analysis of variance, and discriminant analysis were used to analyze the data. Students in all three ethnic groups with a Mosby Assess Test percentile rank below 21 and a D or F in a nursing course were more likely to fail the NCLEX-RN than those with a higher percentile rank and no Ds or Fs.

Assisting students at risk: using computer NCLEX-RN review software

In response to a decline in the success rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) examination, the authors developed a program to identify and assist students at risk for failure. The use of a computerized NCLEX-RN practice examination and an individualized student review and study process is described.

Anatomy and Physiology as a Predictor of Success in Baccalaureate Nursing Students

The purpose of this two-part study was to identify early indicators of students' success (N = 98) in a baccalaureate nursing program. Part I determined how well six variables predicted competence on a criterion-referenced anatomy and physiology (A/P) examination. A multiple regression model was used to analyze the relationships among the predictor and the criterion variables. Data analyses show that only two predictors, grade point average and type of college in which the A/P course was taken, were significantly related (p = 0.0001) to A/P test scores. Part II used students' A/P score to predict success in the didactic component of clinical nursing coursework. In part II, a simple regression model was used to predict the relationship between A/P test score and success in the second clinical nursing course. These results indicated that A/P test score was significantly related (p = 0.003) to success in the second clinical nursing course.

Study Groups: Are They Effective in Preparing Students for NCLEX-RN?

The effectiveness of faculty-directed study groups as an intervention to prepare nurse candidates for NCLEX-RN was evaluated. The NCLEX-RN performance of a baccalaureate class who had participated in study groups was compared to the performance of a prior class who had not participated in study groups. Academic subgroups within the classes were compared to determine if study groups were equally effective across levels of academic achievement. The possible reasons for the significant difference in the NCLEX-RN passing rate between "at-risk" students who participated in study groups and at-risk students who did not participate in study groups are discussed. Discussion also considers possible factors influencing the generally better performance of study group participants at all academic levels. Suggestions for future intervention research direct attention to time intensity of interventions and research control through random assignments to treatment groups.

A model for intervention and predicting success on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of selected academic variables to National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) performance and determine a "best set" of indicators predictive of NCLEX-RN success. These variables could be used as early indicators of students at risk for failing the NCLEX-RN. The sample for this retrospective ex post facto study included 152 basic students who completed the baccalaureate nursing program between 1985 and 1987 at a large midwestern university. Data were analyzed by using multiple regression analysis to determine the strongest combination of variables predicting NCLEX-RN success. Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Coefficients were computed between interval level criterion and predictor variables. The best predictors were a sophomore nursing theory course (N205), a junior nursing theory course (N311), the junior year grade point average (JGPA), and a senior nursing theory course (N421). Results of this study indicated that selected nursing theory courses and the JGPA could be used in a statistical model to predict pass or fail on the NCLEX-RN.

A statewide study of academic variables affecting performance of baccalaureate nursing graduates on licensure examination

The purpose of this study was to validate, using a statewide sample, findings from two previous smaller studies investigating the relationships between admission selection variables and subsequent achievement in baccalaureate nursing programs and performance on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Subjects for this study were 1,069 graduates of nine Iowa basic baccalaureate nursing programs. The analyses included three major components. The first addressed the relationship between admission selection variables and subsequent achievement in the nursing programs and performance on a standardized nursing achievement test (AssessTest) and the NCLEX-RN. The second component investigated the extent to which achievement in nursing courses predicted performance on the NCLEX-RN. In the third component a path analysis was used to formulate a causal model describing the relationships among the variables in the study. The results of the study suggest that students' prenursing grade point average and American College Testing scores predict their performance on the NCLEX-RN. Knowledge of performance predictors can both facilitate admission selection and the use of educational resources to develop nursing competence and promote success in obtaining licensure to practice.

The Odds for Success on NCLEX-RN by Nurse Candidates from a Four-Year Baccalaureate Nursing Program

First-time nurse candidates from a four-year baccalaureate nursing program were examined to identify predictors of success on NCLEX-RN. Five logistic regression models were tested to see if specific variables increased nurse candidates' odds for success or failure. The use of admission criteria was the poorest model in predicting performance. Cumulative grade point averages (GPAs) suggested that the end of the sophomore year was the best time for predicting success and the end of the junior year was best for predicting failure. Age was inversely related to successful performance in three of the five models. Using cumulative nursing GPAs, the likelihood of predicting success on NCLEX-RN increased at the end of each academic year.

Success-failure on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses by nurse candidates from an accelerated baccalaureate nursing program

Nine years of data from first-time nurse candidates taking the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) were examined to identify predictors of successful performance and determine probabilities of success. Using logistic regression, four statistical models at strategic time periods during an accelerated baccalaureate nursing program were tested to see when intervention might be initiated to influence student performance on the NCLEX-RN. By the end of the first semester the model could predict failure for 94 per cent of those who failed, but it was less consequential in correctly predicting success of those who passed. Significant variables placing nurse candidates at risk included their first-semester grade point average, sex, and whether they were foreign educated. By the end of the second semester, with each full letter grade increase in cumulative grade point average, nurse candidates had a 46 times better chance of passing the NCLEX-RN; American-educated nurse candidates had a 4.5 times better chance of passing than their foreign-educated counterparts. At the end of the final semester, with each full letter grade increase on the final cumulative grade point average, nurse candidates had a 97 times greater likelihood of performing successfully on the NCLEX-RN.

Predictors of Success on NCLEX-RN and Within the Nursing Curriculum: Implications for Early Intervention

A retrospective prediction study was conducted to identify predictors of success on the NCLEX-RN and within the nursing curriculum. Records of 192 graduates of an upper-division, single-purpose baccalaureate nursing program were examined using multiple regression techniques. NCLEX-RN success could be predicted by GPA at end of Level 1 in nursing program, ACT composite and social science subscale scores, Anatomy and Physiology I grade, and percent correct on Mosby Assesstest. These findings have implication for entering a nursing student into an early intervention program designed to enhance success within the nursing program and on the NCLEX-RN.

The Effectiveness of an Intervention to Promote Successful Performance on NCLEX-RN for Baccalaureate Students at Risk for Failure

This study evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention designed to enhance the performance of high-risk baccalaureate students on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Thirty senior nursing students met risk criteria drawn from the NCLEX-RN prediction literature: a nursing grade point average (GPA) of 2.40 or below, a ranking on the Mosby Assesstest at or below the 20th percentile, and/or a diagnosed learning disability. Fourteen students in this nonrandomized, posttest-only study received the intervention. Sixteen students served as a control group. The groups were equivalent on 12 academic variables prior to treatment. Concepts of test-wiseness and test-coaching served as the basis for the intervention. The NCLEX-RN passing rate for the group participating in the intervention was 92.9% compared to 50% for the control group. The findings of this study provide preliminary evidence that a long-term intervention can assist high-risk students in passing the NCLEX-RN.

Academic Predictors of Success on the NCLEX-RN Examination for Associate Degree Nursing Students

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between selected admission variables (entrance GPA, ACT subtests scores in English and mathematics, composite ACT scores), age, perception of role strain, achievement in clinical and nursing courses, achievement on NLN examinations, exit GPA, and performance on NCLEX-RN examination. Data were attained from records of 146 associate degree graduates who were admitted to a specially-designed associate degree program in nursing and on those graduates who wrote the NCLEX-RN examination in July 1987 and July 1988. Pearson product moment correlations and stepwise multiple regression analyses were used to identify the relationship between the predictor variables (admission criteria, age, perception of role strain, achievement in clinical and nursing courses), achievement on NLN examinations, exit GPA, and the criterion variable (scores on the NCLEX-RN examination). The best predictor for performance on the NCLEX-RN of the selected admission variables, age, perception of role strain, and exit GPA, were exit GPA (R = .71) and ACT composite scores (R = .75). The ACT math, ACT English scores, entrance GPA, age, and perception of role strain, had no predictive value. The best predictor for performance on the NCLEX-RN of nursing theory course and clinical course grades were the two theory courses in the second year of the program NUR 2712 (R = .77) and NUR 2713 (R = .79). NUR 2711 and 2711L, NUR 2712L, 2713L, and 2813 had no predictive value for success on the NCLEX-RN.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)