NCLEX RN Exams- Not Just For US Students
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. About 88.5% of students taking the NCLEX were educated in the US
Although the number of nursing students increased significantly in 2007, it is not meeting the needs of the demands. Aging Baby Boomers, population explosion, and increased number of nurses used in place of doctors is causing a serious demand for nurses.
The demand for nurses in the United States is being answered by students in abroad. Many US Citizens are protesting 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? In 2007 there were 119,579 United States educated students and 33,768 internationally educated pupils taking for the NCLEX RN test. This is a bit more than 28% of all nursing students sitting for this test.
The dramatic increase is quite possibly the result of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing opening three exam centers abroad. In just seven years the percentage of international students has risen 17.5%
Students educated outside the United States 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 permanent residency in the US and may garner them a life of a greater quality of living and freedom from oppression.
US are still out performing international students, but international students are gaining on them.In 2007, there were 119,579 US educated nursing students taking the NCLEX RN. 85.5% of them passed. 52% of the 33,768 students educated outside the US nursing students passed the first time.
How about the students who did not pass the exam? In 2007 26,411 students sat for the exam for at least the second time. These were US educated students repeating the test. Simple math indicates that a portion of the nursing students are repeating the test multiple times A mere 52.4% of these repeat test takers passed. Internationally educated test takers pass rate dropped to 25.7%
Students are actively seeking ways to increase their chances of passing the exam the first time. Audio study guides for NCLEX has demonstrated tremendous results. Since the audios are available online they are accessible to anyone in the world.
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 a few students have thought ahead and use it to learn the class material prior to starting the class.
Most students attribute poor test results to the lack of time they have to study. Audio study materials for the NCLEX exam make it easy to learn while doing other tasks.
Published July 25th, 2008
Filed in Education