Blog 010: Jane Case Interview - How a Practical Nursing Program implemented the use of NCLEX® Program Reports

Did you have experience using the NCLEX^® Program Reports prior to 2017?

No. I was aware of them [NCLEX^® Program Reports] and understood that the [Monty Tech] Program had purchased the Reports in the past, but the faculty had not used them for curriculum evaluation. Some of my colleagues at other programs subscribed to the NCLEX Program Reports, but there was no consensus on the best way to use the data.

What was your first impression when you received your 2017 editions of the NCLEX^® Program Reports?

We thought, “this [data] is incredibly valuable!” However, our nursing program administrators and faculty really did not know how to best use the information. I knew that other Programs were purchasing these [the NCLEX^® Program Reports], but I was not able to identify best practices for the use of these Reports.

How did you learn to use the NCLEX^® Program Reports?

One of my colleagues and I attended the NCLEX^®Program Reports Professional Development Seminars in Providence, Rhode Island in June 2018. The Seminars provided a lot of information, and we walked away with an appreciation for the wealth of data available in the Reports that we could use to evaluate our curriculum.

Prior to the Seminars, without the knowledge of what the data meant, the NCLEX^®Program Reports were overwhelming. The Seminars effectively explained how the percentile ranks were calculated and how we should interpret them. Simply looking at these numbers [the percentile ranks], without the context provided by the Seminars, we thought that our graduates were not performing well, when in fact they were performing comparably to graduates of other programs in many areas. The Seminars gave us validation and confidence.

Could you give me some specifics?

We were able to look at our program’s performance in specific content areas of the NCLEX^® and specific types of care for certain populations, take these apart and see what content in our curriculum needed more beefing up. This conclusion was not based on anecdotal data, but actual data that we could link to our curriculum and the NCLEX® Test Plan.

We also learned to ‘pick one [comparison group]‘ when analyzing the Reports. For example, within a content dimension, we can compare our graduates to the graduates from PN programs across the nation or to the PN graduates within our jurisdiction. We learned that it makes interpretation easier when we consistently use one comparison group.

The Test Duration portion of the Reports was also interesting. Our faculty members ask a recurring question, “how much time should we give for our exams?”. The Test Duration portion of the Reports includes “Average Test Time in Minutes” as well as the number of candidates taking the minimum and the maximum number of questions when completing the NCLEX^® Examination. This information helped us to answer this question.

Do you have any guidance to give other program administrators?

The administrator must value these Reports if they want the faculty to value the Reports. The data is an evaluation of the curriculum and not an evaluation of the instructors. I would recommend that administrators sponsor a faculty boot camp [on using the NCLEX^® Program Reports]; what better way to review the standards or criteria of the Program’s Systematic Plan of Evaluation (SPE) than by using the data in the NCLEX^® Program Reports to trend performance to advise curricular changes?

Any final comments about your experience with the Program Reports?

I am glad that we attended the Professional Development Seminars. It validated that these reports should be purchased and integrated into our SPE. I also learned that simply purchasing [the NCLEX^® Program Reports] and putting them on the shelf until there is a problem is not adequate. Looking at these annually, even when the NCLEX^® Pass Rate is above 80% [or even 100%], may provide data that graduate performance in a specific content area is starting to decrease and action can be taken before it negatively impacts the Program’s NCLEX^® pass rate.

One year after beginning to use the NCLEX^® Program Reports, the Monty Tech PN Program had an NCLEX-PN^® pass rate of 91% and 90% for 2018 and 2019, respectively.