IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 9/8/05 CONTACT: PUIBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE

SILVER CITY- The Western New Mexico University nursing program graduates surpassed the national average pass rate for the National Council Licensure Examination of Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), the exam required to obtain a license as a registered nurse.

The May 2005 WNMU nursing program graduates passed the NCLEX-RN with a 94.4 percent success rate. Seventeen out of the 18 WNMU nursing graduates passed the exam. Nationally, the pass rate for the NCLEX-RN is between 84 percent to 85 percent. The NCLEX-RN is administered by the National Council of State Board of Nursing. The pass rate is based on how well the students do the first time he or she takes the exam.

The WNMU Nursing Program attributes its success to the nursing seminar class that is provided each semester and the weekly faculty-led study sessions. Patricia McIntire, Chair of the Nursing Department, believes that the current exam pass rates, “Reflect the excellence of the faculty and the students.”

For more information on the WNMU Nursing Program, call 574-5140.

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