| This study was intended primarily to explore the clinical course variables that influence National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) Readiness exam performance, which predicts NCLEX-RN success. A second purpose was to identify a single course that has the highest correlation with the readiness exam score in order to develop pedagogical strategies to strengthen that course.; A longitudinal correlation study design was used for this study in a northeastern university. Data were collected from the transcripts of 166 students who took the NCLEX-RN readiness exam from 2001 to 2004. Course grades from the clinical courses and foundational science courses were correlated with the NCLEX-RN readiness exam scores. Factor analysis, t test, and Pearson correlation revealed that there is a correlation between GPA, nursing courses, and foundational science courses. According to the factor analysis, there is no single nursing course that influences the NCLEX-RN readiness score. This study, supported by previous studies, suggests that factors common to all courses, such as students' ability to apply nursing knowledge, influence success. Strengthening students' abilities through pedagogical strategies, instead of revising curriculum, is vital for a social change in nursing education. Nurse educators have a social obligation to increase the number of registered nurses to meet the demands of a society on the verge of a severe nursing shortage. This study will initiate social change in two areas: (1) enhancing students' personal and interpersonal systems to influence their social systems through critical thinking and effective nursing practice, and (2) achieving a higher NCLEX-RN passing rate through educational strategies. Thus the nursing profession can license an additional 3,000 registered nurses every year to serve the country, the aging population in need, and the future of the profession itself, and that is essentially a social change. |
