KENNESAW, Ga. | Jan 9, 2019

WellStar School BSN grads are helping meet the need for nurses

All 170 of the WellStar School of Nursing’s 2018 bachelor’s degree graduates passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) on their first attempt.

The 100 percent first-time pass rate by Kennesaw State Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates was well above the 89 percent figure nationwide, according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The NCLEX is a standardized exam that each state board of nursing uses to determine whether nursing graduates are qualified to enter the profession.

“This is an amazing accomplishment by our students,” said Rebecca Shabo, associate director of undergraduate programs. “It also reflects our faculty’s dedication to student success through the development of a strategic curriculum, innovative teaching strategies and an emphasis on clinical decision-making skills.”

The WellStar School of Nursing is the largest nursing program in north Georgia. Graduates are employed primarily by world-class medical facilities in the Atlanta area, medically underserved regions of the Southeast, and the United States military, according to Shabo.

“We credit the perfect NCLEX scores to our remarkable students and our remarkable faculty and staff. They all consistently work hard to maintain our high quality undergraduate nursing program,” said Yvonne Eaves, director of the WellStar School of Nursing. “We are proud to graduate top-notch nurses to help meet the demand in the midst of a nursing shortage that has severely impacted the state of Georgia.”

A highly competitive program, Kennesaw State’s WellStar School of Nursing typically receives 500 to 800 applications each semester and, of those, accepts 84 students for the traditional bachelor’s degree program and 44 for the Accelerated BSN, an abbreviated four-semester program for students with degrees in other fields of study.

– Paul Floeckher

Photos by David Caselli

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.