Pass Rates Plummet Analysis

To the Editor:

The perspective article “Concerns raised over U.S exam as pass rates plummet” by CTV highlights the detrimental effects of switching from the Canadian Registered Nursing Exam (CRNE) to the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for Canadian nursing students. As a concerned Canadian nursing student writing the NCLEX upon completion of nursing school, I agree with CTV that the decision that shifting from CRNE to the NCLEX was not a productive idea because of its negative impacts on pass rates for nursing students in Canada and the possible effects on our health care system.

The introduction of NCLEX in 2015 has undoubtedly affected nursing students in Canada negatively. In 2014, the last year when Canadian nursing students

It is estimated by 2020 there will be a shortage of 60,000 RNs in Canada (McGillis, Gates, Peterson, Jones & Pink, 2014, p, 54), a fact that is exacerbated by the implementation of a completely foreign examination system. The baby boomer generation is entering a stage that requires additional healthcare resources, a reality that is supported by the fact that the geriatric population is expected to increase up to 22.8% by 2031 (McGillis et al., 2014, p.54). The projected increase in geriatric population is proportionately linked with the increased demands of healthcare services directly translating increased pressure on the health care system. If large amounts of nursing students continue to fail the NCLEX examination, the pressure increases on nurses who are currently practicing in Canada to meet the needs of the aging

However, if the NCLEX continues as the standardized nursing registration exam in Canada, my recommendations would be to develop a program that adopts a curriculum from American nursing programs. American students take NCLEX preparation course in which they have three standardized examination tests which mimic similar environments to the NCLEX (Koestler, 2015, p.56). These programs have been beneficial for nursing students as they have seen increases from 74% pass rates up to 76% (Koestler, 2015, p.55). Furthermore, Canadian nursing schools should change their retake policy on the NCLEX from just three opportunites. In the United States, 39 states of the 50 states have unlimited rewriting NCLEX opportunities (Coglan, 2015). Making the NCLEX the main standardized form of nursing registration exam, Canada must also incorporate policies that allow for students unlimited opportunities to writing the NCLEX. Studies show that there is a negative correlation when students delay their NCLEX and lower pass rate (NCLEX pass rate, 2010). By enabling students to not worry about limited retake opportunities, students can retain the material they have studied and better prepare for the