Student achievement and NCLEX-RN success: Problems that persist

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Most nursing graduates pass the NCLEX-RN licensure examination, but a subset of students face challenges and are at risk for failure.
• Understanding the factors contributing to NCLEX-RN failure is crucial for improving nursing education outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the interdependency of nursing education and student learning systems using systems theory to understand NCLEX-RN failure.
• To identify effective strategies for at-risk nursing students by exploring the student's approach to learning (SAL) theory.

Main Methods:

• Systems theory was employed to examine the relationship between the nursing education system and the nursing student learning system.
• Student's Approach to Learning (SAL) theory was utilized to identify potential interventions and effective learning strategies.

Main Results:

• Problems contributing to NCLEX-RN failure are linked to perceived learning gaps and inadequate student outcome measures.
• Students leaving the educational system before the exam are vulnerable to additional influencing variables, complicating success prediction.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights the need to address flaws in perceived learning gaps and outcome measures within nursing education.
• Further research is recommended on the student's approach to learning, innovative student-centered environments, and optimal use of NCLEX-RN assessment products to enhance pass rates.