Florida ranks as worst for nursing graduates to pass exams when compared to the rest of the country: Report
Low passing rates for Florida nurses
FOX 13's Briona Arradondo reports on the low percentage of Florida nursing students who pass their exams as the state continues to lag behind the rest of the nation in nursing education.
Florida, Fla. - The state of nursing education in Florida could be better, as a new report from the Florida Center for Nursing found the state ranks the worst for nursing graduates passing their exams compared to the rest of the country.
FILE: nurses.
"People are still disappointed to see that Florida ranks last of the 50 states in our NCLEX pass rates," said Rayna Letourneau, the Executive Director of the Florida Center for Nursing in Tampa.
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Florida has historically performed below the national average for first-time test takers for the NCLEX, or the standardized exam that determines if a nursing graduate is ready to practice.
The backstory:
The Florida Center for Nursing tracks how well the students perform.
Letourneau presented the report to state legislators during the House Health Professions and Programs Subcommittee meeting, as well as the Florida Nursing Association on Wednesday.
Graph showing Florida nursing students consistently underperforming the national averages on nursing exams over the past decade.
She did note that Florida is in much better shape than two or three years ago.
"Nursing education is very complex, and I do wish there was a simplistic way to fill all of the nursing vacancies," said Letourneau.
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The center’s new report said 84.9% of graduates passed the registered nurse exam, more than 6 points below the national average.
It also found the practical nurse exam pass rate sits at 80.78%, more than 7 points below the national average.
Dig deeper:
There has been progress with the numbers, though, as the gap has been in the double digits over the past 10 years, according to the report.
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"Like most things, there's a little bit of lag time between implementation and the results," said Cheryl Love, the Chief Clinical Officer at the Florida Hospital Association. "And I think that we are seeing the beginning of those results."
FILE: Nurses crowded around a patient in a hospital bed.
The report found the pass rates vary based on the program accreditation and the type of school, such as a public or private for-profit college.
The state university system, which includes the University of South Florida, surpassed the national average, with 94% of graduates passing their exams on the first try.
The Florida Center for Nursing found that private, for-profit programs consistently underperformed in exams.
Time passed is also a factor for graduates.
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"The pass rates drop the longer you wait to take the exam. Well, if a student of ours hasn’t tested within the first 60 days, we have an outlier file, and we start calling them offering support," said Dr. Audria Denker, the Chief Executive Officer at Galen College of Nursing, a private, for-profit college.
Big picture view:
Denker spoke before Florida legislators during the Appropriations Committee on Higher Education meeting on Feb. 12.
Florida Center for Nursing report on the state of nursing in Florida.
Florida saw more test takers in 2024 as more students enrolled. However, the state needs more nurses to pass their exams to bolster the future workforce.
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"We do have a growing population, and a majority of that population is over the age of 65," said Love. "We still have got to keep pace with the demand for health care and for the U.S. workforce these days."
FHA said state funding through the LINE and PIPELINE programs has helped colleges and hospitals add mentorships, clinical programs with more spots, and simulation programs.
The Source: FOX 13's Briona Arradondo collected the information in this story.
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