Congratulations new RN graduates! The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) results for the first six months of 2015 have been released and BC nursing students’ average pass rate was 82.5 per cent, which is among the highest in the country.

The NCLEX was introduced in January 2015, replacing the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE) as the entry-to-practice exam for nurses across Canada. New RN applicants are required to pass the exam to obtain their full CRNBC practicing registration and work as a registered RN in BC.

“We are pleased to see our BC nurses doing so well in these early exam results. This is great news for VCH, our academic partners and ultimately our patients as we continue to hire knowledgeable new graduate RNs,” said Heather Straight, interim executive director of Clinical Education & Collaborative Practice.

About the NCLEX

The NCLEX tests whether an applicant has the ability to assess and respond to changes in vital signs, perform comprehensive health assessments, assess a client’s need for pain management, perform calculations needed to safely administer medications, and maintain client confidentiality and privacy. These are just a few examples of the knowledge, skill, and judgment that are assessed on the exam.

Support for new graduate RN hires

Clinical Education is working collaboratively with CRNBC, Nursing schools, Recruitment and Professional Practice to ensure there is support for new graduate RN hires who may be unsuccessful on the exam. If you have any questions regarding support for new graduate RNs, please contact Sally Breen, Clinical Education Lead, at: Sally.Breen@vch.ca.

For more information on the national and provincial exam results, please visit: http://www.ccrnr.ca/nclex-rn.html.