The Avila University School of Nursing received recognition earlier this year from Nurse.org, which named the school as one of the top 10 in the state of Missouri for 2019.
Judging based on reputation, tuition, acceptance rate and National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) pass rate, a selection panel of nurses selected the list to identify those schools producing the most professionally-ready graduates.
“The goal of our program is two-fold: preparing our students to take the licensure exam is number one. And number two, once they have that R.N. license they are out and a quite-capable beginning practitioner,” said Janet Reagor, Ph.D., R.N., chair of the School of Nursing. “Our approach is that we focus on ensuring our students will pass their licensure exams, but it’s also a natural by-product of our teaching methods.”
Avila finished top among the honorees with a 97.37% pass rate for the NCLEX, the national standard examination used to confer licensure for registered and practical nurses. The state of Missouri requires schools of nursing to pass at least 80% of its NCLEX candidates to maintain good standing.
“The state of Missouri requirements for schools of nursing are rigorous, and I think it is testament to the work we’re doing that we have far surpassed that,” she said. “We work to admit top students who will stay in the program and maintain their grades, but once they’re here we begin preparing them from day one to take the exams they’ll need to pass in order to begin their careers.”
Nurse.org specifically noted Avila’s small class sizes as an asset, saying, “the nursing program more than adequately prepares students for a career in nursing and the high NCLEX pass rate demonstrates the quality of the program.”
Founded in 1948, the oldest nursing program in Kansas City has long provided exceptional nurses to its community.
“With the concept-based curriculum we employ, we’re not telling them to memorize a series of facts,” Reagor said. “We emphasize a thorough understanding of the basic underlying principles, which allows them to critically think and reason. When they get out into the workforce, they are able to adjust quickly and efficiently.”
Nurse.org is an emerging resource for young nurses to find the tools they need to advance their careers. It publishes career guides, job postings, scholarship opportunities and other content meant to aid early-career nurses.
For more information about the Avila University School of Nursing, visit its homepage here.