University of Miami nursing grads significantly outperform nationwide NCLEX pass rates. Meet the faculty who help them excel at the school’s upcoming Academic Fair.
By UM SONHS Staff
The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) measures foundational knowledge and skills entry-level nurses need for safe nursing practice. This February, the Florida Center for Nursing (FCN) released its NCLEX Report, analyzing trends among pass rates for those who took the NCLEX-RN (registered nurse) and NCLEX-PN (practical nurse) for the first time in 2023 (https://issuu.com/flcenterfornursing/docs/2023_nclex_report).
“Florida ranks third in U.S. population. However, in 2023, Florida produced the greatest number of NCLEX-RN test takers in the nation,” the report states. Of 186,350 first-time, U.S.-educated NCLEX-RN test takers nationwide in 2023, 18,178 (9.75%) were in the Sunshine State.
First-time pass rate data, which must be reported publicly, is commonly used as a measure of nursing program quality. According to the FCN report, Florida’s results were not so sunny overall. In fact, the state’s average first-time pass rates ranked among the lowest in the nation—52nd out of 55 jurisdictions.
Still, there are bright spots. B.S.N. graduates at the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies (UM SONHS), for example, continue to deliver outstanding first-time pass rates on the NCLEX-RN. The average pass rate for the school’s 215 first-time test takers in 2023 was 93.02%, compared to 76.75% for all of Florida and 88.56% nationwide for the same period.
“Our students’ first-time pass rates have been solidly above state and national averages for long over five years, including through the pandemic,” says UM SONHS Dean and Professor Cindy L. Munro. “These new data mean SONHS continues its trend of getting registered nurses workforce-ready at rates well above regional, statewide, and national averages, which is a significant result amid the current nursing shortage.”
In 2022, the average first-time NCLEX pass rate of 209 SONHS graduates was 94.74%, compared with 63.88% for Florida and 79.90% for the nation as a whole. The results for SONHS B.S.N. graduates fare even better when compared to average first-time pass rates for Florida’s South Region, where the school is located. The average NCLEX-RN first-time pass rate in Florida’s South Region, defined by FCN as Monroe, Miami-Dade, and Broward counties, was 73.98% for 2023 and just 55.97% for 2022.
According to the FCN report, “The more time that passed from graduation to dates of test, the lower the pass rates,” whereas those who took the NCLEX in the first month after graduation demonstrated the highest pass rates.
The University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies is accepting new students in all programs and welcomes anyone interested in the health professions to attend its upcoming Spring Academic Fair, from 4 to 6 p.m. April 24 . The Academic Fair is a great opportunity to meet the school’s esteemed faculty and learn about its world-class academic offerings, including traditional and accelerated B.S.N., undergraduate public health and health science, and master’s, post-master’s, and doctoral nursing programs.
Established in 1948, UM SONHS is a fully accredited, private, nonprofit, research-driven institution located in Coral Gables, Florida. For more information, visit www.sonhs.miami.edu/academics.
