Trends In NCLEX Test Passing Rates Improve
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing, NCSBN research states the gap between international students and US educated students passing the NCLEX RN is diminishing.
In 2000 there were more than seventy-one thousand US educated pupils sitting for the NCLEX exam and over seventy-five hundred pupils educated outside the United States. International students made up only 10.5% of the students sitting for the exam.
The demands for nurses is outpacing the number of nurses who are entering nursing schools. Aging Baby Boomers, growing population, and nurses performing the tasks that were traditionally performed by doctors is causing a serious demand for nurses.
The demand for nurses in the US is being answered by students in abroad. Many United States Citizens are arguing that there are citizens with skills and experience to fill the positions in the computer science field and issuing more work visas will only increase unemployment in the US. Will this be the same for the nursing industry? Last year there were 119,579 US educated students and 33,768 internationally educated students sitting for the NCLEX RN exam. More than 28% of all nursing students taking this exam.
The increase in international students could be as a result of the NCSBN opening three new test sites outside the United States. In just seven years the percentage of international students has risen 17.5%
Students educated outside the US are alert to the demand for nurses in North America and know that educating themselves may be their opportunity to obtain a work visa and possible citizenship in the United States and may garner them a life of a greater quality of living and freedom from oppression.
Students Educated in the United States are still out performing international students, but international students are gaining on them.In 2007, there were 119,579 United States educated nursing students taking the NCLEX RN. 85.5% of them passed. Only 52% of the 33,768 internationally educated
How about the students who did not pass the NCLEX RN Test? In 2007 26,411 students sat for the exam for at least the second time. These were United States educated students repeating the test. Anyone can download the audios regardless of the country of origin.
Students from around the world listen to the audios to prepare for the nursing classes, reinforce what they are learning and prepare for the exams., but some students have thought ahead and use it to learn the class material prior to starting the class.
Students around the world find it difficult to make time to study. NCLEX review materials on audio make it easier to review while performing other activities such as driving or going to the gym.
- CF Thompson
