MARIETTA, OHIO— The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program at Washington State College of Ohio (WSCO) is again receiving recognition as a top nursing program, both in Ohio and in the nation.
WSCO has the number one ADN program in Ohio according to RNCareers.org. The organization evaluated 40 ADN programs across the state in its 2021 Best Ranked Nursing Programs annual review. Moreover, WSCO ranked 44th out of 1,046 schools from across the nation in the sixth annual report.
Complementing the prestige of the number one ADN program in Ohio is the number five ranking reported by RegisteredNursing.org. The significance of this distinction is WSCO’s ADN program is compared with not only other two-year programs but also much larger four-year schools from across the state. “Both ADN and BSN graduates take the same licensure exam to become a registered nurse, so it makes us proud to know that our two-year program is outperforming many of the four-year programs,” explained WSCO’s Dean of Health & Sciences Heather Kincaid.
In total, the organization evaluated 96 registered nursing programs in Ohio. RegisteredNursing.org has consistently ranked WSCO among the top ten schools for nursing, placing fifth for the third year, seventh in 2018, and eighth in 2017.
Both organizations based their rankings on multiple factors that affect student success, including first-time NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses) pass rates that lead to professional licensure.
WSCO’s ADN program, approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing, has a long history of excellence in nursing education. The program’s current NCLEX-RN pass rate is 96.96%, which is more than 10% higher than the national average and over 12% above the state average. WSCO has consistently maintained above-average pass rates. In fact, the college’s pass rate average for the past five years is 97.02%.
“Recognition like this is the result of tremendous effort,” confirmed Kincaid. “The primary elements of our successful ADN program are our dedicated faculty, strong student support initiatives, and integration of technology into the learning environment. It also includes the strong partnerships that we maintain with our local facilities where our students get the necessary hands-on experience and training needed.”
Washington State offers four enrollment options for students interested in a nursing career: the Practical Nursing program, the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program, the Advanced Placement ADN program and the Education Advancement to Registered Nurse (EARN) Pathway. The Practical Nursing program prepares students to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). The ADN program at WSCO follows a more traditional model for students to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) while the Advanced Placement ADN program is designed for applicants who are already an LPN. The EARN Pathway is designed to provide a guided pathway to an ADN. This unique option gives accepted students one-on-one support with a dedicated faculty success coach as they complete general education requirements. It stands apart from other ADN programs by allowing pathway participants to complete general education and placement testing requirements while currently accepted as an ADN student. Once all prerequisites are successfully completed, pathway students seamlessly transition into Practical Nursing (PN) courses, followed by the ADN program without completing additional applications or waiting for acceptance.
Admission to WSCO’s ADN program is a selective process. Applications are currently being accepted for the 2022-23 academic year. For more information on the WSCO ADN program, contact Amanda Stilgenbauer at 740.885.5718 or at astilgenbauer@wscc.edu or visit https://www.wscc.edu/academics/health/associate-degree-nursing/.
