Public Relations

Nursing grads nearly perfect on RN test

NWACC releases detailed figures on student population

            BENTONVILLE (Friday, Dec. 7, 2007) – The largest nursing class ever at NorthWest Arkansas Community College scored better as a group than any of the previous four graduating classes, according to numbers released today in the 2007 NWACC Fact Book.

            Of 48 students who graduated with the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), 47 of them, or 97.9 percent, passed the registered nursing (RN) exam on their first try.

            “It’s a combination of great students, excellent faculty and an administration that strongly supports the Nursing Program makes for a 98 percent pass rate,” NWACC Director of Nursing Education Elaine Holloway said. “That’s a pretty good combination.”

            The percent of students passing is more than 10 percentage points greater than the national average. NWACC historically exceeds the state and national averages.

            How this class compares with the previous four is presented in the table below.

Year       # GRADS    # PASS         PCT           STATE         NAT

2003       38                 36                 94.7%        92.3%           90.2%

2004       28                 26                 92.9%        92.0%           90.2%

2005       30                 27                 90.0%        88.7%           86.2%

2006       27                 26                 96.3%        87.9%           87.5%

2007       48                 47                 97.9%        90.5%           87.6%

Nursing graduates were not the only health profession
students taught at NWACC that met with great success.

            On the National Registry of EMT Paramedic Practical Examination, nine out of 11 NWACC grads passed the test on their first attempt. NWACC's 81.8% pass rate exceeded the state and national averages.

            “Our paramedic classes have averaged over 90 percent on first time attempt pass rates on their national board exams for seven of the past nine years,” Dean of NWACC Health Professions Monte Gagliardi said. “The national average is 64 percent. 

            “This is a very difficult exam and unlike nursing it includes a multi station comprehensive practical exam along with a comprehensive written exam.”

Gagliardi said NWACC paramedic faculty not only excel as educators, but continue to work as paramedics in northwest Arkansas. 

            “They remain on the cutting edge of their discipline,” he said.

            NWACC’s Physical Therapist Assistant students have had a 100 percent first-time pass rate on their national exam for the past seven years, he said.

“That is truly remarkable,” Gagliardi said.

            Comparative figures are available in the 2007 NWACC Fact Book, which is available online at nwacc.edu/institutionalresearch/index.php.

            The Fact Book also states that:

• For Academic Year 2007 (July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007) NWACC served more than 16,000 individual students through college-credit classes, workforce development classes, community education, adult education and students at the Regional Technology
• Credit enrollment topped 6,000 for the first time in school history with 6,470 students.
• Credit headcount increased 12.9% and SSCH increased 13.1%.
• Hispanic students now comprise 10% of the student body.
• 1,299 first-time freshmen make up 20% of the student body.
• 74% of students attend NWACC to earn a degree or earn credits to transfer.
• The majority of NWACC students live in Benton and Washington counties.
• More than 20% of 2007 high school graduates from Rogers, Bentonville, Pea Ridge and Springdale enrolled at NWACC this fall.
• The rate of remediation fell from Fall 2006 levels.
• The average composite ACT score of incoming freshmen rose to 20.2.
• 25% of students receive Federal and/or State Grant Financial Aid.

For questions/comments on this content, please contact jhall@nwacc.edu