MARIETTA, OHIO (October 24, 2018)– The nursing programs at Washington State College of Ohio (WSCO) are at the head of the class. Both the Practical Nursing and Associate Degree Nursing programs boast a 100-percent pass rate on the national licensure exams.
WSCO has a well-established reputation for its excellence in nursing education and the recent perfect pass rates further cement its superior standing. The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) was administered to 49 WSCO nursing graduates–26 Associate Degree Nursing graduates took the NCLEX-RN and 23 Practical Nursing graduates took the NCLEX-PN. All 49 successfully passed the exam.
WSCO’s NCLEX-RN pass rate is an average of 94% based on scores from the past five years. This is nearly 9% higher than the national average and almost 12% higher than state averages. Similarly, the College’s NCLEX-PN pass rates are 96% for the past five years. This is nearly 13% higher than the national average and nearly 15% higher than state averages. Exceptional pass rates translate into strong job placement with both programs boasting 100% job placement rates.
Dr. Heather Kincaid, WSCO Dean of the Health & Science Division says the programs’ success hinges on several important factors–the faculty, dedicated support specialist, the unwavering expectations placed on the students, and access to state-of-the-art equipment.
“Our faculty are well credentialed,” advised Kincaid. “Our students are being taught by instructors with years of experience, many of whom left jobs in the industry because they recognized the importance of helping to address the long-term goal of filling the nursing gap. And all of them are truly committed to the success of their students.”
Both programs also have the advantage of a Nursing Retention Specialist who provides tutoring for both the ADN and PN students. Kincaid elaborated on the value of this position because it provides every nursing student with the opportunity to have one-on-one personalized coaching. “We’ve provided this services to our students for the past three years and we can see a measureable improvement with those who take advantage.”
While credit is often only given to those receiving accolades, Kincaid is quick to recognize that the efforts of faculty and staff would be in vain without the dedication of the students. “We have high expectations for our students because when they graduate and are working with patients, there’s a lot at stake—it could mean someone’s life. We pride ourselves on the quality of nurses we send out into the job market.”
From the student perspective, first-year Associate Degree Nursing student Heath Foutty pointed directly to student-teacher collaboration. “The teachers of all the nursing classes are always willing to answer any questions that anyone has and will explain anything that you don’t understand,” Foutty said. “They’ve split the lab time into groups of 13 to 14 students so everyone gets to see what’s going on and apply what they learn in a hands-on way.” He also attributed the classroom success to weekly group tutoring sessions led by a nursing tutor.
Annually, the nursing programs each accept 50 students—the PN program is on a first-come-first-serve basis and the ADN program is selective admission. For more information about either program, contact Amanda Stilgenbauer at 740.885.5718 or at astilgenbauer@wscc.edu.
