When Joane Moceri stepped into her role as dean of the School of Nursing and Health Innovations in 2015, UP’s National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) first-time passing rate lagged 4.98% below the national average. Concerned by the statistic which determines whether nursing students can become licensed registered nurses, Moceri set out to improve the program’s outcomes.
Nearly a decade later, her efforts have paid off.
In February, UP’s School of Nursing and Health Innovations (SONHI) announced a 2024 NCLEX total passing rate of 98.25%, with a first-time passing rate of 91%.
The total passing rate stands 24.9% above the national average.
According to Holly Simpson, chair of the 400-level nursing courses, the improved scores stem from curriculum changes aimed at addressing where students struggle on the exam. This new “concept-based” curriculum shifts the focus from memorization to critical thinking and research skills, preparing students to analyze and respond to real-world scenarios.
Simpson also believes that Moceri’s policy advocacy played a significant role in the score increase.
According to Simpson, Moceri spent years advocating for a shift in how NCLEX success is statistically perceived in Oregon.
According to Moceri, prior to 2022, the Oregon State Board of Nursing primarily published either the first-time passing rate or the total passing rate, arguing that it represented how prepared new nursing graduates are for the exam. Moceri, alongside other local nursing educators, pushed for the board to recognize both the total passing rate as well as the first-time passing rate. She argued that an emphasis on the first-time passing rate misrepresents the program success, and that an additional inclusion of the total passing rate would add more context to the percentages.
“Nobody asks the nurse, ‘How many times did you take the NCLEX?’” Moceri said. “You got your license. You got whatever you need. You’re done.”
Several students, including the Associated Students of the University of Portland (ASUP) Senator of the School of Nursing and Health Innovations, Nmachukwu Ukaegbu, believe these curriculum changes are a welcome shift and could attract prospective nursing students.
“I think that’s super cool because when I was coming to the school, the NCLEX pass rate was a big part of what school I was going to go to,” Ukaegbu said.
According to Ukaegbu, UP’s NCLEX success rates instill confidence in future nurses at UP.
“It makes me feel like we’re definitely doing something right, like we’re going in the right direction,” Ukaegbu said.
Natalie Gordon is the Multimedia Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at gordonn26@up.edu.
