The Use of Progressive Indicators as Predictors of NCLEX-RN Success and Performance of BSN Graduates

Relationship between academic scores and performance on national qualified examination for registered professional nurses (NQEX-RPN)

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between the academic scores of school subjects and the performance in national qualified examination for registered professional nurses (NQEX-RPN).

METHODS

One hundred and seventy-seven graduates of the two-year Associate Degree in Nursing at one of the junior college of nursing in Taipei, Taiwan were included in this study. Information of student academic records and NQEX-RPN results were reviewed. The data were entered into the statistical software (JMP-IN 3.2.1, SAS Institute Inc.) for analysis.

RESULTS

(1) In total, 34 subjects (16 nursing subjects and 18 non-nursing subjects) were included in this two-year nursing curriculum. Nine nursing subjects were statistical significant and were positively related with the performance in NQEX-RPN. (2) Year 1 grade point average (GPA) of nursing subjects was significantly correlated with the performance in NQEX-RPN but not Year 2 GPA. (3) The performance of two subjects in NQEX-RPN, namely Fundamental Nursing and Psychiatric-Community Nursing, were not significantly correlated with their related school subjects.

CONCLUSION

The academic scores in only half of the nursing subjects were found to be weakly associated with the performance in NQEX-RPN, although the association was statistically significant. Also, performance in NQEX-RPN was not associated with the final year GPA. Thus, the nursing curriculum and teaching contents may need to be redesigned in order to match with NQEX-RPN.

Predictors of NCLEX-RN Success in a Baccalaureate Nursing Program as a Foundation for Remediation

This study evaluated students' demographic and nursing program variables and standardized test scores to determine whether significant differences existed between students who successfully completed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and those who were unsuccessful. In addition, the predictive accuracy of two standardized examinations, the Mosby AssessTest and the Health Education Systems, Incorporated (HESI) Exit Examination were compared. Two cohorts of graduating senior nursing students were studied (1999 cohort N = 121; 2000 cohort N = 103). Demographic and nursing program variables were obtained from student records. The Undergraduate Studies Committee provided standardized test scores (Mosby AssessTest in 1999; HESI Exit Examination in 2000). Only two program variables were consistently associated with success on the NCLEX-RN--final course grade for a didactic, senior-level medical-surgical nursing course and cumulative program grade point average. Scores on both standardized tests were significantly different in students who were successful on the NCLEX-RN and those who were not. The HESI Exit Examination demonstrated greater sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and test efficiency, compared with the Mosby AssessTest. Use of program variables and students' standardized test scores may allow faculty to identify students at risk for failing the NCLEX-RN and to provide structured remediation so these students may be successful on the licensing examination and begin their nursing careers.

Predictors of NCLEX-RN Success of Associate Degree Nursing Graduates

The authors discuss a study that examined the relationship of prenursing admission variables to success on the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN). The sample included 325 associate degree graduates from 1997-2001. Statistical analyses revealed that grade point average at admission is the strongest predictor of success. Course grades on psychology and natural sciences are also positively related to success. The results will help nurse educators to select applicants with greatest potential for success and identify "at risk" students early.

A holistic approach to promoting success on NCLEX-RN

The nursing faculty at the State University of West Georgia views individuals as an integration of body-mind-spirit. Our program's commitment complements efforts to teach students to honor the body, mind, and spirit of patients. Within this framework, faculty recognize that factors other than nursing knowledge impact students' ability to pass NCLEX-RN. An intervention program was designed that incorporated these factors. "Preparation for Licensure" was implemented as a holistic nursing course to intervene with students' learning and testing needs. The purpose was to increase self-awareness, promote a positive attitude toward passing the NCLEX-RN, and provide specific strategies for test taking and stress reduction. Posttest raw scores and percent correct on the Mosby Assess Test were significantly higher (p < .05) than pretest scores. Qualitative analysis of journal data exploring the students' experience of participating in the course revealed three themes: Perfectionism, Self-Worth, and Consequences and Meaning of Failure.

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.

Contribution of basic sciences to academic success in nursing education

The present study set out to examine the contribution of basic sciences to academic success in nursing education. A number of regression analysis models were used to analyze the relationships among predictor and criterion variables. Data analyses showed that basic sciences and grade point average of nursing courses in year 3 and 4 contributed significantly to student success in the program (p < 0.001). The cumulative grade point average was the only significant predictor of the licensure examination success. These results suggested that the content in science courses may have unique relevance to nursing and, therefore, may have a factor in their predictive value.

Factors associated with National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse success

Identification of factors associated with National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) success is critical at public colleges of nursing with diverse student populations. This issue was the purpose of this research study. A descriptive correlational research design was used. Seventy-nine generic senior students enrolled in an urban public university participated in the study. Several internal and external blocks to success were described by the students, including family responsibilities, emotional distress, fatigue, and financial and work burdens. Significant correlations were found between success in the NCLEX-RN and cumulative undergraduate nursing program grade point average, English as the primary language spoken at home, lack of family responsibilities or demands, lack of emotional distress, and sense of competency in critical thinking. Establishment of a comprehensive data base-including factors associated with success in the NCLEX-RN and programs of advisement, tutoring, and stress management as well as classes in study skills, test taking, and NCLEX preparation-are recommended for public colleges of nursing with diverse student populations.

A Five-Year Study of Graduates' Performance on NCLEX-RN™

A 5-year study of graduates' performance on NCLEX-RN was conducted using data from July 1988 through February 1994. This time frame related to the "new" test plan introduced in 1988 with pass/fail results for NCLEX analysis. Using a quota sampling technique of 188 graduates, selected admission and curriculum variables and National League for Nursing (NLN) Comprehensive Achievement Test scores were studied in relationship to NCLEX-RN examination results. The strongest indicators of success were SAT verbal scores, nursing grade point average, and NLN Comprehensive Achievement Test scores. In addition, logistic regression analyses identified three nursing courses in combination with the NLN Comprehensive Achievement Test score as a strong model for prediction. Even though pass/fail data limit statistical analyses, the predictor variables were strong at P = 0.0001. These findings are consistent with prior studies.

Academic Outcomes and Stress in Full-Time Day and Part-Time Evening Baccalaureate Nursing Students

This study examined differences in stress and academic outcomes in generic baccalaureate nursing students enrolled in a full-time day program and those enrolled in a part-time evening program. The study also sought to identify the relationship between stress and academic outcomes and between selected demographic variables and stress in these two groups of nursing students. Day and evening students did not differ on trait or state anxiety scores measured at the beginning of the semester; by mid-semester, state anxiety scores increased in evening students only. Nevertheless, no relationship between stress and academic outcomes was found in either group. Of the demographic variables examined, age and number of dependents were related to stress. There was no relationship between hours employed and stress scores. Students enrolled in an evening nursing program were able to achieve academic outcomes comparable to their day counterparts despite reporting greater stress and more hours spent in employment each week. The high stress reported by both day and evening students has implications for the development of support programs and stress reduction interventions in nursing schools.

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.

Predicting NCLEX-RN performance: cross-validating an identified classification procedure

This study was an attempt to cross-validate a procedure from an earlier study for predicting NCLEX-RN performance. In the original study, a discriminant function was developed on 313 baccalaureate nursing graduates (1988 through 1990), which used 15 variables to correctly categorize more than 91 per cent of them on NCLEX-RN performance. This study used 142 subjects who graduated in 1991 and 1992 to evaluate the adequacy of the classification procedure. Subjects in this more recent sample differed significantly from those in the first on several variables, including SAT scores, physiology grades, and nursing grades. Eight-four per cent of the subjects in the cross-validation sample were correctly classified using the original discriminant function. More than 62 per cent of failures and 87 per cent of passes were correctly categorized. These results suggest that it is statistically and ethically sound to use this discriminant function to identify future students in danger of NCLEX-RN failure.

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.

National Council Licensure Examination success: accurate prediction of student performance on the post-1988 examination

This study was designed to identify variables that might be used as predictors for success on the post-1988 National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and to identify those students at risk of failing the examination. The convenience sample consisted of 257 graduates of a baccalaureate nursing program from 1988 to 1990. The investigators examined 15 variables to determine their predictive value for NCLEX success. Grades in the first senior level nursing course and graduation grade point index were the two best predictors. Results of the discriminant analyses identified seven significant predictor variables leading to successful classification of 86 per cent of students at the end of the junior year, 88 per cent during the senior year, and 91 per cent by the time of graduation. Findings from this study indicate that reasonably accurate predictive data on individual student performance is available by the end of the junior year, allowing faculty to begin interventions for at-risk students. The greater precision of prediction during the senior year and at graduation provides direction for later remediation to increase the probability of passing the NCLEX.

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.

The Use of Cognitive Style Mapping as a Predictor for Academic Success of First-Semester Diploma Nursing Students

This study determined the relationship between the components of the cognitive map and the diploma nursing student's successful academic completion of the first semester. This ex post facto study applied the Modified Hill Cognitive Style Model (MHCSM) instrument; the final grade, the dependent variable, was intercorrelated with the instrument's 28 mapping elements. Data analysis indicated three positively correlated predictors: a preference for finding meaning from written words, for independent problem-solving, and for a logical deductive approach in decision-making. Four negatively correlated predictors included a preference for finding meaning from the spoken word, for finding meaning from sight, for problem-solving with peers, and for categorical reasoning. Implications applicable to nursing education are included.