THOMASVILLE — Southwest Georgia Technical College officials have yet another successful pass rate for its graduates. SWGTC’s Associate of Science Nursing graduates, who completed their curriculum in the 2011 school year, had an overall board passage rate of 91 percent on their first attempt of their board exams. This board exam, which is taken upon completion of the ASN program, must be passed by the graduate in order for them to enter the practice of nursing.

“SWGTC is extremely proud of our ASN students for their overall passage rate of 91 percent on their board exams. As a fellow nurse, I know the difficulty of this exam and the hard work that goes into preparing for it. This accomplishment illustrates not only the hard work on the behalf of our students, but also the dedication of our faculty in preparing them for this challenging exam. SWGTC would like to congratulate both nursing students and faculty on this clear indication of a successful year,” Dr. Annie McElroy, SWGTC vice president of academic affairs.

The board exam for ASN graduates is the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN Examination). This exam, which is regulated by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), measures the competencies needed to perform safely and effectively as newly licensed, entry-level registered nurse. According to the NCSBN, the NCLEX-RN Exam “asseses the knowledge, skills and abilities that are essential for the nurse to use in order to meet the needs of clients requiring the promotion, maintenance or restoration of health.” The NCSBN, uses this exam to regulate licensed nurses with the ultimate goal of ensuring public protection and competent nursing care.

“I am very proud of our students and their success on the NCLEX exam. Their success is based on endless hours of preparations for class, clinical, and continues studying. Our program is intense and requires a desire for success and dedication to the profession to be successful from the students. It is my pleasure to welcome these new RN graduates to the profession and look forward to seeing them in the community as they assist in meeting the nursing shortage,” commented Tammy Bryant, SWGTC associate of science nursing program director.

In 2011 SWGTC’s ASN program adopted the HESI 850 Rule into the curriculum. Under this Rule instructors can conclude that if a student passes the HESI exam with a grade of 850 or higher, then they have a 90 percent chance of passing their board exams. The HESI exam (Health Education Systems, Inc.) is used by many nursing schools to assess nursing students at different stages of their curriculum. SWGTC ASN program uses the HESI comprehensive exam at the end of each course, as a mid-curricular exam and a final exit exam. Along with these exams, a HESI assessment exam is given as part of the entrance exam into the program. The ASN Program instructors believe that the HESI exams are very reliable and allow for proper evaluation of their students.

SWGTC’s ASN program is designed to prepare students as entry-level practitioners to provide safe, effective nursing care and promote healthy transitions for diverse clients in a variety of settings. This program develops critical thinking, integrates accumulated knowledge from nursing, the sciences and humanities, and emphasizes the values of caring, accountability, responsibility and professional ethics. The ASN program has been granted approval by the Georgia Board of Nursing and is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.

For more information contact Tammy Bryant, program director, at (229) 225-2980 or tbryant@southwestgatech.edu. Summer semester begins May 21.

Southwest Georgia Technical College is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia.