Fayetteville State nursing graduates had the worst pass rates in the state on the 2008 licensure exam, The Fayetteville Observer reported.
Only 24 of 61 FSU students passed the exam on the first try, adding up to a 39 percent pass rate, according to a December tally of scores from the nursing board. Overall, FSU finished last out of 60 state nursing programs whose students took the exam last year, according to the newspaper.
FSU Department of Nursing chairwoman Phyllis Morgan told WRAL, a local television news channel, that since taking over the program in August she has implemented a number of programs to boost test scores.
“We have aggressively moved toward revising our curriculum,” Morgan told WRAL.
She said the department has hired two specialists to track student progress, offer mentoring and train students in test-taking strategies, according to a Web cast of the television report.
“At the end of this year, we are expecting our numbers to significantly increase,” she said. “We’ve identified weaknesses without our faculty. We’ve identified weaknesses with our students, and because of these challenges we’ve strengthened our program,” Morgan added.
Dr. James Anderson, FSU chancellor, told the TV station he is confident the program will get on the right track. “The assertive approach is long overdue,” he said.
FSU’s scores mark the second consecutive year of subpar test results for the school’s baccalaureate nursing program. The school’s pass rate was 64 percent in 2007. Student complaints and faculty dissension have gripped the program since it began in 2005. The program has been on probation with the state Board of Nursing since 2007 for multiple violations of state rules. The state nursing board will meet in May to decide the program’s future, according to The Fayetteville Observer.
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