Factors Affecting NCLEX-RN Success in an Associate Degree Nursing Program

Abstract

An acute nursing shortage currently exists in the United States. It is important for nursing programs to prepare nursing students who are able to pass the NCLEX-RN. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a link exists between nursing student performance in program requirements and ultimate success or failure on the NCLEX-RN. A random sample of the nursing students at one community college who graduated in the calendar years of 2017 and 2018 were the population for this study. This comparative study examined data in existence to determine if there were academic factors relating to failure on NCLEX-RN. Chi-square was used to determine a relationship and phi-coefficient was used to determine the strength of that relationship between dependent and independent variables. A weak to moderate association was found between failure on NCLEX-RN and the independent variables: low score on the science portion of the TEAS test, need to repeat the first medical-surgical nursing course, and less than 850 on HESI exit. Future research should focus on the connection between mathematics scores and success in the nursing program and NCLEX-RN.

Keywords: Nursing education, NCLEX-RN pass rates, nursing education readiness, healthcare education, student success.

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-30-01

Publication date:October 31^st 2021