Nursing Grads Earn 100% Pass Rate on National Licensure Exam

Photo of Nursing Class of 2018

HELENA – Carroll College is proud to announce that its nursing program received a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX-RN national licensure exam. The National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses was administered to all 37 graduates of the class of 2018. The national average for first-time NCLEX-RN test takers is 89%. 

"We are so excited to congratulate the May 2018 nursing graduates who obtained a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX-RN national licensure exam. This is an indication of the dedication and hard work of not only our nursing students, but of all Carroll's faculty and staff,” said Nursing Department Chair Karmen Williams, RN, MSN. “Everything we do focuses on assisting our students to graduate and be successful in their nursing profession. Passing the NCLEX-RN is the first step to opening the door to this amazing profession where they will make a difference in people's lives, including their own."

Additionally, graduates of the Carroll College nursing program have excellent success in career placement. All of the May 2018 nursing graduates who were seeking job placement directly following graduation have found employment in the nursing field. These graduates can be found in health facilities throughout the country including Virginia, Tennessee, Washington, Idaho, and numerous cities across Montana.

Koratney Speidel ’18, originally from Gresham, Ore., is now an RN Nurse Resident in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. “The faculty at Carroll instilled in me a foundation of safe and compassionate care which has helped in my transition from school to real life nursing,” said Speidel. “I miss my classmates dearly, but working so closely with them throughout school in scenarios, clinical and lab has made me a great teammate on my unit now.” 

Working closer to home, Emily Blaylock Davis ’18 of Helena, Mont., is an RN in the operating room at St. Peter's Health. “My experience in the Carroll College nursing program was exceptional. The faculty really valued us as students and individuals, and were genuinely interested in providing us the knowledge and skills we needed to become nurses,” shared Davis. “I always felt supported, and I was extremely well prepared to take the NCLEX-RN. The faculty went above and beyond to make sure we had the resources we needed, whether it be time in office hours or extra time to practice skills in the lab, to succeed. I also felt prepared to start at my position in the operating room, which can be an intimidating place for new grads since it comes with its own unique set of skills and knowledge that must be learned.” 

Nursing has a long and proud history at Carroll College. Following WWII, Carroll began accepting women for the nursing program in cooperation with the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The baccalaureate nursing program began in 1973 with the first baccalaureate nursing class graduating in 1977. Over the course of 45 years, Carroll has graduated over 1,000 students with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. 

Carroll College is committed to educating skilled, compassionate and well-rounded nurses to enter the health care field. An interdisciplinary study funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, includes a recommendation to increase the proportion of nurses holding BSN degrees or higher to 80 percent by 2020. The study found that patients who received 80 percent or more of their care from BSN-prepared nurses had better outcomes including shorter hospital stays, lower rates of re-admission and lower mortality rates. The BSN at Carroll College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and is also approved by the Montana State Board of Nursing.

"Congratulations to both our students and nursing faculty,” said Carroll College President John Cech. “These results exemplify the hard work and determination of our students and the excellence of our nursing program. The nursing class of 2018 continues the long tradition of remarkable Carroll nursing graduates who are making the world a better place."

Learn more about the Carroll College nursing program.

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HELENA – Carroll College is proud to announce that its nursing program received a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX-RN national licensure exam. The National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses was administered to all 37 graduates of the class of 2018. The national average for first-time NCLEX-RN test takers is 89%. 

"We are so excited to congratulate the May 2018 nursing graduates who obtained a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX-RN national licensure exam. This is an indication of the dedication and hard work of not only our nursing students, but of all Carroll's faculty and staff,” said Nursing Department Chair Karmen Williams, RN, MSN. “Everything we do focuses on assisting our students to graduate and be successful in their nursing profession. Passing the NCLEX-RN is the first step to opening the door to this amazing profession where they will make a difference in people's lives, including their own."

Additionally, graduates of the Carroll College nursing program have excellent success in career placement. All of the May 2018 nursing graduates who were seeking job placement directly following graduation have found employment in the nursing field. These graduates can be found in health facilities throughout the country including Virginia, Tennessee, Washington, Idaho, and numerous cities across Montana.

Koratney Speidel ’18, originally from Gresham, Ore., is now an RN Nurse Resident in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. “The faculty at Carroll instilled in me a foundation of safe and compassionate care which has helped in my transition from school to real life nursing,” said Speidel. “I miss my classmates dearly, but working so closely with them throughout school in scenarios, clinical and lab has made me a great teammate on my unit now.” 

Working closer to home, Emily Blaylock Davis ’18 of Helena, Mont., is an RN in the operating room at St. Peter's Health. “My experience in the Carroll College nursing program was exceptional. The faculty really valued us as students and individuals, and were genuinely interested in providing us the knowledge and skills we needed to become nurses,” shared Davis. “I always felt supported, and I was extremely well prepared to take the NCLEX-RN. The faculty went above and beyond to make sure we had the resources we needed, whether it be time in office hours or extra time to practice skills in the lab, to succeed. I also felt prepared to start at my position in the operating room, which can be an intimidating place for new grads since it comes with its own unique set of skills and knowledge that must be learned.” 

Nursing has a long and proud history at Carroll College. Following WWII, Carroll began accepting women for the nursing program in cooperation with the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The baccalaureate nursing program began in 1973 with the first baccalaureate nursing class graduating in 1977. Over the course of 45 years, Carroll has graduated over 1,000 students with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. 

Carroll College is committed to educating skilled, compassionate and well-rounded nurses to enter the health care field. An interdisciplinary study funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, includes a recommendation to increase the proportion of nurses holding BSN degrees or higher to 80 percent by 2020. The study found that patients who received 80 percent or more of their care from BSN-prepared nurses had better outcomes including shorter hospital stays, lower rates of re-admission and lower mortality rates. The BSN at Carroll College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and is also approved by the Montana State Board of Nursing.

"Congratulations to both our students and nursing faculty,” said Carroll College President John Cech. “These results exemplify the hard work and determination of our students and the excellence of our nursing program. The nursing class of 2018 continues the long tradition of remarkable Carroll nursing graduates who are making the world a better place."

Learn more about the Carroll College nursing program.