NEWS

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing has ranked Louisiana Tech University’s Division of Nursing first in the nation for the exceptional performance of its graduates on the NCLEX-RN exam.

The council ranks programs for the rate at which graduates pass the licensing exam – both at the state and national level. During the 2017-18 academic year, 100 percent of graduates in the Louisiana Tech program passed the National Council Licensing Exam – Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN).

“The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that Registered Nursing is among the top occupations in terms of job growth through 2024,” said Dr. Gary Kennedy, dean of the College of Applied and Natural Sciences. “These students not only passed their exams, all of them were able to begin rewarding careers as registered nurses, most of them providing health care for citizens of the state of Louisiana.”

There are over 2,000 nursing programs in the United States and 24 in the State of Louisiana with graduates who took the NCLEX-RN exam during the 2017-18 academic year. Louisiana Tech ranked No. 1 throughout the nation and state, regardless of the compared program size or location.

The Division regularly records NCLEX-RN pass rates higher than state and national averages and six of the last seven graduating classes have had a 100 percent first-time pass rate.

“Across the country, we are seeing an increased need for registered nurses,” said Dr. Donna Hood, chair of the Division of Nursing. “The anticipated number of job openings for registered nursing is predicted to grow to 1.09 million by 2024, and the shortage of RNs is expected to be more critical in the southern and western United States.”

Sharing real-life knowledge of the health-care workplace is one of the strengths for the Louisiana Tech program. Professors in the Division apply their experience and knowledge from working in health-care facilities to their classroom and clinical teaching.

“We have strong relationships with local health-care facilities so our students gain a wide range of experiences in the clinical setting,” Hood said. “We know our graduates are ready to step into their careers and make a difference immediately.”

The Louisiana Tech Division of Nursing has been recognized as the Nursing School of the Year for Undergraduates by the Louisiana Nurses Foundation in two of the last three years. In 2018, Hood was honored as the Administrator of the Year for her leadership of the program.

“Louisiana Tech Nursing graduates are highly sought after and valued by employers and they have recorded a 100 percent employment rate for the past four years,” said Tech President Dr. Les Guice. “The Division of Nursing offers students an unparalleled educational experience, and we have committed to creating a program of innovation, where students work side-by-side with faculty members to achieve excellence.”