Other Titles
Timing Matters: Evaluating Student Perceptions of the NCLEX Review Course [Poster Title]
Abstract
The purpose of the project is to evaluate the BSN student perception of the timing of the review course offering, the utilization of NCLEX prep resources after the course, and the impact on NCLEX pass rates for first time test takers.
Background: Most Schools of Nursing require a three-day NCLEX (National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses) review course for Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduates in the last semester of the program. Traditionally, the course took place after program completion and graduation events. In 2023, one school began trialing the review course during the midterm week of the final semester. For five semesters, students were surveyed using Qualtrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the review course and their perceptions of the timing of the course.
Current research addresses the importance of test prep throughout the program and its effect on first time pass rates, but is limited in regards to the timing of the review course. One article “Effect of a Commercial NCLEX-RN Preparation Product on First Time Pass Rates” determined a commercial product did not affect passing rates solely, rather instructor-guided use of the product and individualized plan for students was more effective (Lewis, et al., 2023). The “Strategies Used in Canadian Nursing Programs to Prepare Students for NCLEX-RN® Licensure Exam” study identified a variety of required preparatory activities being used in Canadian BSN programs (Gibbons, et al., 2023). It reiterated the need for further research and the potential impact for not only United States, Canada, and Australian nurse educators who prepare students for the NCLEX-RN, but on an international level.
This project has a mixed-method data collection with both quantitative and qualitative survey responses. The Qualtrics survey consists of nine questions. There have been approximately 148 student responses over the past five semesters from both traditional and accelerated programs in 3 states. Descriptive statistics will be used to identify significance of student perceptions. Common themes will be identified from the survey results. The use of NCLEX prep resources after graduation will be compared, as well as first time pass rates, from pre and post trial implementation.
The use of a commercial review course is required for many BSN programs and this project’s findings could have significant impact on the timing of the course across the United States and internationally.
Notes
References:
Gibbons, C., Shamputa, I. C., Le, M., & McCloskey, R. (2023). Strategies Used in Canadian Nursing Programs to Prepare Students for NCLEX-RN® Licensure Exam. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 11(4), 613. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11040613
Kaplan. (2024). NCLEX-RN prep courses. Retrieved from: https://www.kaptest.com/nclex/courses/nclex-courses.
Lewis, L. S., Willingham, T., Myers, J., & Hatch, D. (2023). Effect of a Commercial NCLEX-RN Preparation Product on First Time Pass Rates. SAGE open nursing, 9, 23779608231196842. https://doi.org/10.1177/23779608231196842
Sigma Membership
Omega
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Testing Strategies, Curriculum Development, Nursing Education, Advances in Education, NCLEX, NCLEX Prep, Baccalaureate Nursing Students
Recommended Citation
Caruso, Stephanie, "Timing Matters: Evaluating Student Perceptions of the 3-Day NCLEX Review Course at Midterm" (2025). Biennial Convention (CONV). 40.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2025/posters_2025/40
Conference Name
48th Biennial Convention
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2025-11-27
Timing Matters: Evaluating Student Perceptions of the 3-Day NCLEX Review Course at Midterm
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
The purpose of the project is to evaluate the BSN student perception of the timing of the review course offering, the utilization of NCLEX prep resources after the course, and the impact on NCLEX pass rates for first time test takers.
Background: Most Schools of Nursing require a three-day NCLEX (National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses) review course for Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) graduates in the last semester of the program. Traditionally, the course took place after program completion and graduation events. In 2023, one school began trialing the review course during the midterm week of the final semester. For five semesters, students were surveyed using Qualtrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the review course and their perceptions of the timing of the course.
Current research addresses the importance of test prep throughout the program and its effect on first time pass rates, but is limited in regards to the timing of the review course. One article “Effect of a Commercial NCLEX-RN Preparation Product on First Time Pass Rates” determined a commercial product did not affect passing rates solely, rather instructor-guided use of the product and individualized plan for students was more effective (Lewis, et al., 2023). The “Strategies Used in Canadian Nursing Programs to Prepare Students for NCLEX-RN® Licensure Exam” study identified a variety of required preparatory activities being used in Canadian BSN programs (Gibbons, et al., 2023). It reiterated the need for further research and the potential impact for not only United States, Canada, and Australian nurse educators who prepare students for the NCLEX-RN, but on an international level.
This project has a mixed-method data collection with both quantitative and qualitative survey responses. The Qualtrics survey consists of nine questions. There have been approximately 148 student responses over the past five semesters from both traditional and accelerated programs in 3 states. Descriptive statistics will be used to identify significance of student perceptions. Common themes will be identified from the survey results. The use of NCLEX prep resources after graduation will be compared, as well as first time pass rates, from pre and post trial implementation.
The use of a commercial review course is required for many BSN programs and this project’s findings could have significant impact on the timing of the course across the United States and internationally.
Description
What are BSN student perceptions of the timing of the 3-day NCLEX review course? This study reviews over 140 BSN students feelings of completing the review course at midterm of the final semester instead of after program completion and graduation. The use of NCLEX prep resources and first-time pass rates will also be correlated to the timing of the review course trial over 5 semesters.