Nursing Prof Practices What She Preaches
Posted September 25, 2007FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
YORK, Pa. - Dr. Karen March, an associate professor of Nursing at York College, worked hard this summer creating multiple-choice questions that will be used on a national exam all of her students must one day take.
NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses) is taken by aspiring nurses all over the country and administered locally by the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing.
"After receiving a bachelor's degree in nursing, students must take the NCLEX-RN to practice," March said. "Ideally, most students take the test two or three months after graduation."
As a volunteer item writer for the exam, March was responsible for "hard" questions that will initially appear on students' tests as practice questions. She completed 50 questions in four full days of work in Chicago at The National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
"Once statistical analysis is completed on the practice questions, most will become 'real' parts of the exam," March said. "The exam consists of anywhere from 60 to 250 easy, medium and hard questions generated electronically from a computer program."
Since the YCP Nursing program began, students have enjoyed a 90% pass rate on the NCLEX-RN. March believes with the additional knowledge she gained as an item writer, she can help students increase their already "impressive" pass rate.
"I was proud to contribute to continued excellence in the nursing profession, as well as gain knowledge that will help me prepare inside the classroom," March said.
###
