Nursing students reach 100 percent passing rate on national exam

Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center nursing students have again achieved a 100 percent passing rate on the national nursing boards.

Practical Nursing Program administrator Donna Johnson said that objective has been reached four of the last five years and many other times in the 40-year history of the program. The latest group of 39 day and evening students graduated in September.

"We're, of course, always thrilled for that to occur," Johnson said. "It just shows that our graduates are well prepared to pass the boards -- and that's 100 percent pass rate on their first attempt. ... In the past when we've had classes that did not get 100 percent on the first take, there were lots of them that retook it and passed.

2013 evening Practical Nursing graduates

"But to be able to have 100 percent of the class to pass on the first attempt gives your school a good reputation and it shows that they're ... ready to take on the jobs and be competent nurses out there, and that's very important."

For graduation, students wear the traditional white nursing uniforms, as opposed to a cap and gown, which Career and Technology Center director Rich Payne said ties back to the history of nursing and the excellence of the program, which mixes classroom theory and real-world exposure.

"It's a time-honored tradition ... which also goes back to the roots of the nursing profession itself," Payne said.

Deanna Snyder and Brittney Little, who graduated with their licensed practical nurse designation in December, had good things to say about the program, as well. Both had been in the medical field before they took on the program and both have children to raise.

Snyder now works at Saint Francis Medical Center, and Little at Chaffee Nursing Center. Snyder said she's taking a "bridge to registered nurse" course from Southeast Hospital College of Nursing and is hoping to graduate in December 2015. Little hopes to go for her RN degree at some point, as well.

"They [the CTC] do their best in preparing each student [for] what to expect, as far as boards go," Snyder said. "They have a very good review system and do a lot of practicing, as far as mock boards, as far as what type of questions would be on it and those questions are on tests throughout the program."

After taking the mock test, students get grades and find out which sections they need to work on more.

"The program was very demanding, but it was doable. As long as you had it in your heart that's exactly what you wanted to do, you pushed yourself forward," Little said.

Ahead of the game

Along with the adult nursing program, a high school track was started this year. Those students take the first part of the program during their senior year, return in August, then take the nursing program from August to May, when they will graduate with their LPN degree, Johnson said.

CTC decided to start the high school track because many students had been taking the traditional certified nursing assistant training during their senior year in high school. "We have a number of those students that have been very focused on nursing as a career path, so the thought process was ... why are we making them wait until they're postsecondary students when we can start them as secondary students and get them headed down that career path earlier," Payne said.

At the same time, Payne said, the students and their parents save money.

There are eight students in the program, which is approved to have 15, Johnson said. "It's pretty rigorous, and that's one of the things we've had to look at as we've approached the high school students for them to realize what they learn during their senior year has to carry over for them to be able to complete, and so they've got to learn this and learn it well," she said.

Ashley Butz has wanted to be a nurse since sixth grade when she saw how well her sister was cared for during a bout of pneumonia. Her classmate, Jennifer Sutterfield, has always cared for her sister's bumps and bruises.

"So far it's challenging; a lot more challenging than I thought it would be," Butz said, adding that there's a lot of information to cover.

Both girls have done clinicals at Saint Francis taking patients' vital signs, and giving patients instructions before they leave the hospital, among other tasks.

"What I like about it is a lot of it's more hands-on," Butz said. "I learn best with hands-on. Information doesn't always sit well if I don't practice it."

Butz added that she likes homeopathic medicine, such as if a co-worker is feeling queasy, she suggests a mint. "It's just the little things that can help. I'm always trying to look out for people; it makes me happy, especially if it helped," she said.

Both girls said the combination of the teachers and students is just right.

"I think if we had any other class members, any other teacher, it wouldn't work," Sutterfield said.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

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1080 S. Silver Springs Road, Cape Girardeau, Mo.