Northland Pioneer College (NPC) is proud to announce that thirty-seven students enrolled in NPC’s nursing program during the 2024 academic year have successfully passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) on their first try. They are now fully licensed to practice in local healthcare settings. This is the first time in a very long time that 100% of NPC’s graduating class completed the rigorous test with a passing score their first time around.
“It is not an easy feat,” explained NPC Dean of Nursing Ruth Zimmerman. “NPC’s nursing program is intense, and the test is just as tough. Our faculty put in a lot of time and hard work to prepare these students for this. It is also a testament to the determination and persistence on behalf of the students, many of whom started the program mid-pandemic.”
According to Zimmerman, “The pandemic was really hard, not only on students but also on nursing faculty and staff. I honestly don’t know how we did it,” she said. In addition to the effect of the pandemic on NPC’s nursing program and the field of nursing in general, locally and around the nation, the NCLEX test also recently updated testing measures and formats. This meant faculty had to shift their curriculum to adapt to the changes.
To prepare for the NCLEX, students are encouraged to spend just as much time as they might have spent studying for classes during their graduate year practicing and studying for the test. The NCLEX test costs approximately $500, which students must pay for out of pocket and travel at least four hours to a Pearson Vue testing location to take. “To have a 100% pass rate the first time around is a testament to us bouncing back. It is a huge win for our program. Despite the pressures and stresses of the pandemic and the necessity to rework the curriculum to prepare our students, we are elated. These students are well-equipped to enter the nursing workforce. Our community is in good hands.”
NPC’s 2024 nursing graduates include Winslow, Little Colorado Campus graduates, Felisha Chischillie, Brooke Conant, Lindsy Garcia, Anna Johnstun, Kandi Keams, Amanda Riley, Chelsea Rivera, and Crystal Sosa. From the Show Low White Mountain Campus, new registered nurses are Randy Allen, Danika Baca, Hannah Bahr, Jennifer Bailey, Marynda Caldwell, Megan Crawford, Cassandra Ellis, Daylon Flake, Tara Greer, Brisa Guevara, Nicky Harding, Marissa Jourdan, Angel Juan, Tabitha LaRose, Jocilyn McCleve, Destiny Maennche, Karla Moreno Estrada, Luis Navarro, Nancy Palmer, Serena Resendez, Laney Rhineheart, Elizabeth Rodriquez, Becca Shreeve, Maggie Shumway, Karla Sosa, Lila Taylor, Chasity Ulibarri, Alex Wenger and Belle Young.
