Academic and nursing aptitude and the NCLEX-RN in baccalaureate programs

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Academic Assessment
• Standardized Testing

Background:

• Accurate prediction of NCLEX-RN success benefits nursing education stakeholders.
• Identifying effective predictors of NCLEX-RN pass rates is essential for program improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the predictive ability of prenursing academic aptitude variables and ATI program scores on NCLEX-RN pass rates.
• To determine the strongest predictors of first-time NCLEX-RN success.

Main Methods:

• Utilized canonical correlation, multiple linear regression, and logistic regression analyses.
• Included prenursing GPA, communication course, and ATI TEAS subscores as predictors.
• Incorporated five ATI subject tests: Fundamentals, Medical Surgical, Nursing Care of Children, Mental Health, and Maternal Newborn.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a significant correlation between prenursing variables, ATI scores, and NCLEX-RN first-try pass rates.
• Supported the use of standardized testing data for predicting NCLEX-RN success.
• Identified ATI Medical Surgical and ATI Mental Health tests as the strongest predictors.

Conclusions:

• Prenursing academic aptitude and standardized ATI assessments are valuable tools for predicting NCLEX-RN success.
• Specific ATI subject tests, notably Medical Surgical and Mental Health, show high predictive power.
• Findings support the integration of these predictors into nursing program evaluation and student support.