One hundred percent of Colby-Sawyer’s 2018 undergraduate nursing class passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) on their first attempt. This is Colby-Sawyer’s third straight year of achieving a perfect pass rate.

The NCLEX, administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, measures the competencies needed to perform safely and effectively as an entry-level nurse and are used by boards of nursing and other regulatory bodies to assist in making licensure/registration decisions. For comparison, the 2017 national pass average for first-time test takers was 87.11 percent.

“Our students’ outstanding NCLEX results are a testament to the high quality of our program and faculty. We are extremely proud of the class of 2018 for their hard work and dedication over the past four years,” said Associate Professor and Dean of the School of Nursing & Health Professions Joan Loftus.

“A focus of the Colby-Sawyer nursing program is on teaching our students about how to provide high quality and safe health care to their patients,” said Dean Loftus. “This year, 19 of our graduates have accepted nursing positions at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), while nine will begin practice in other states. We are confident that they will elevate the quality of health care for those patients.”

“We are very proud of our nursing graduates and our faculty, who prepared our students to achieve a 100 percent pass rate on the first exam sitting for the third year in a row,” said Academic Vice President & Dean of Faculty Laura Sykes. “We hear over and over from the hospitals where our graduates are employed how well prepared they are for their nursing careers.”

In 2016, former New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan recognized Colby-Sawyer’s exceptional undergraduate nursing class with a commendation. The commendation highlighted the graduating class for their professional success, future contributions to the health care of New Hampshire’s citizens and their commitment to the health and well-being of their fellow citizens.

This spring, Colby-Sawyer graduated its first cohort in its Master of Science in Nursing program. The first class enrolled 12 registered nurses employed at DHMC, and they also achieved a 100 percent pass rate on the Clinical Nurse Leader certification exam.

About Nursing at Colby-Sawyer

The Colby-Sawyer College Nursing Program was established in 1981 in partnership with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, its clinical education facility. The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Colby-Sawyer College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org/) and approved by the New Hampshire Board of Nursing. The undergraduate nursing major combines clinical work at the world-class Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center with hands-on learning in campus classrooms and simulation laboratories, as well as individual and group research.

Launched in fall 2016, the graduate nursing program is designed for the baccalaureate-prepared registered nurse and will prepare those who will practice as advanced nurse generalists in the health care setting. Degree candidates in this highly selective program meet weekly for courses and clinical practice at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and for lab and classroom instruction on the Colby-Sawyer campus.

Colby-Sawyer’s online RN to BS program provides a flexible and affordable way for practicing nurses with associate degrees to earn their undergraduate degree.

Learn more at colby-sawyer.edu/nursing.