Factors which predict performance on the National Certification Examination for Nurse Anesthetists

Area of Science:

• Nurse Anesthesia Education
• Professional Certification Examinations

Background:

• Predicting success on the national certification examination (NCE) for registered nurse anesthesia students (RNAS) is crucial for educators and employers.
• Passing the NCE is a mandatory requirement for RNAS to practice after completing an accredited program.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify academic, demographic, and preadmission factors that predict RNAS performance on the NCE.
• To analyze the predictive power of 13 distinct variables on NCE outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of 1,690 RNAS who took the NCE between December 1987 and December 1989.
• Multiple regression analyses were employed to determine the significance of various predictive factors.

Main Results:

• Seven of the 13 investigated variables significantly predicted NCE performance.
• Science grade point average (GPA) was the strongest predictor, accounting for 24% of the variance in NCE scores.
• Other significant predictors included overall GPA, highest prior degree, gender, number of cases, age, and years of nursing experience.

Conclusions:

• Academic achievement, particularly science GPA, and prior educational attainment are key indicators of success on the nurse anesthesia national certification examination.
• Variables such as type of nursing preparation, clinical background, and program-specific hours did not significantly predict NCE performance.
• RNAS with bachelor's or master's degrees demonstrated higher mean NCE scores compared to those with diplomas or associate degrees.