How Texas Nursing Education Programs Increased NCLEX Pass Rates and Improved Programming

Twenty-seven vocational and 61 professional nursing education programs in Texas were required to write self-study reports (SSRs) during 3 years based on the 2013, 2014, and 2015 National Council Licensing Examination pass rates. The comprehensive self-analysis of each SSR resulted in potential factors that may have contributed to the pass rates and program-directed plans for correction and quality improvement. Texas Board of Nursing (BON) staff summarized findings from the 88 SSRs. They identified common program factors and planned interventions for improvement. The most frequently mentioned areas for improvement included revising admission and readmission criteria, identifying at-risk students and providing remediation, revising and enforcing program policies, updating curriculum, basing decisions on program evaluation data, and evaluating the use of standardized examinations in the program. At the end of the 3 years, as a part of program monitoring, Texas BON staff surveyed the 88 programs to determine which interventions were most effective. Upon comparing findings from the vocational, associate degree, and baccalaureate degree nursing programs, three common interventions were deemed “extremely effective” for all program types: identifying at-risk students earlier, providing timely remediation for at-risk students, and enforcing program policies.