Paper
Friday, 21 July 2006
This presentation is part of : Transformational Learning: Nurturing the Second Career Student
Nurturing the Second Career Student for NCLEX Success
Marilyn D. Klakovich, DNSc, RN, CNAA and Phyllis Esslinger, RN, MS. School of Nursing, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA, USA
Background: Although successful completion of the NCLEX is required before second career students can progress to graduate coursework in master’s entry programs, little is known about the preparation of these students to succeed in this career milestone.

Purpose: This presentation describes the internship, community mentoring program, and the Educational Resources, Inc. (ERI) testing program to prepare SCAN students for NCLEX success.

Conceptual Framework: This study uses the Transformative Learning Model, augmented by the KATTS framework that focuses on an adequate knowledge base (K), active anxiety control (A), and effective test-taking skills (TTS). Research Questions:

1.      How do students perceive the internship and community-mentoring program in relation to their preparedness for the NCLEX? 

2.      What is the relationship between ERI test results, course grades, and NCLEX results?

3.      What influence do these three interventions have on NCLEX performance?

Methods: Marking the end of the prelicensure phase of the SCAN program is an intensive clinical internship that reinforces the students’ nursing knowledge and application, under the direct supervision of a clinical preceptor and follow-up of a clinical instructor. During this time, community mentors who are professional RNs interact with students to provide them with emotional support and guidelines to allay test-taking anxiety. Through focus groups at the end of the internship, students will assess the internship and community mentoring as they relate to NCLEX preparation and success.   ERI testing addresses all KATTS components and includes: (a) a Nurse Entrance Test, (b) an ERI exam in each clinical course, and (c) an ERI review and RN Assess Test during the internship.
Results and Implications: Preliminary ERI results, demonstrating moderate correlations with course grades, serve as the basis to recommend both clinical and academic remediation. Ongoing evaluation will guide future program decisions regarding the internship, community mentoring, and ERI testing.

See more of Transformational Learning: Nurturing the Second Career Student
See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)