WWU nurses reach excellence

Named #1 school in Washington for BSN

Walla Walla University School of Nursing is recognized for its high passing rate on the NCLEX exam by being ranked the best school in Washington for Bachelor of Science in nursing for 2021. 

This ranking, organized by RNCareers.org, is decided based largely on the school’s high exam passing rate. According to the Washington Nursing Commission and the National Council of State Board of Nursing, 95% of WWU nursing graduates over the past three years have passed the National Council Licensure Examination on their first try. Nursing graduates take this test after graduation and all must pass the NCLEX before becoming registered nurses. 

The WWU nursing program is structured to help nursing students excel on their NCLEX exam. “We work really hard at it. We start our students in their very first nursing class, preparing for that test,” said Lucy Krull, professor of nursing. “Our tests reflect the way that [the] test asks the questions so that it’s not just suddenly ‘Oh by the way, you have to pass this test to be licensed.’ So, we start talking about NCLEX first quarter.” 

While many universities prepare their students for the general NCLEX exam format, WWU takes it a step further. “We also have a class at the very end of the program called NCLEX review,” said Krull. “It’s very particular to all the little nuances and unique aspects for that test. As I describe to my students, when you go to take your driver’s license test, you don’t read a book on something else, you read the driver’s manual. And so, we prepare for that test really specifically right before they graduate.”  

The NCLEX review course has been part of the WWU School of Nursing Curriculum for over 20 years. Krull commends her students for how hard and diligently they work to pass the NCLEX after graduation. 

To learn more about the WWU School of Nursing, visit wallawalla.edu/nursing.

Posted July 12, 2021

Seniors at the WWU School of Nursing in Portland administer vaccines.
The NCLEX review course has been part of the WWU School of Nursing Curriculum for over 20 years.