Candidates' First-Time Performance on the Certified Nurse Educator Examination

This quantitative study examined the first-time pass/fail performance of 2,673 academic nurse educators who took the certified nurse educator (CNE) examination between September 28, 2005 and September 30, 2011.

This is the first research study designed to analyze candidates' first-time pass/fail performance on the CNE examination.

Descriptive statistics, chi-square test of independence, Pearson's r statistic, and binary logistic regression were performed.

The chi-square test of independence revealed the lack of a statistically significant relationship between study participants' eligibility option and first-time pass/fail performance. Binary logistic regression revealed that a one-year increase in full-time experience resulted in a 1.05 times greater likelihood of passing the CNE examination (OR = 1.05; 95 percent CI [1.03, 1.06]; p = .00).

This study verifies the need for faculty development and mentoring for nurse educators with less than five years of full-time experience and supports recommendations for doctoral preparation.