Twelve recent graduates from Southern Regional Technical College’s (SRTC) Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) Generic program in Thomasville reported 100% passage on their National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). The NCLEX exam is a standardized exam that each state board of nursing uses to determine whether or not a candidate is prepared for entry-level nursing practice These students completed coursework in late Fall, and were pinned in December of 2018. SRTC faculty recently learned that each graduate passed her board exam on the first attempt. This 100% first attempt pass rate is a major accomplishment for this program and its students, as that percentage is well above the national average for nursing programs.

In the history of the Thomasville ASN program, over 900 registered nurses have graduated and joined the medical community. Of those graduates, SRTC’s Nursing program has consistently exceeded the program’s goals with high rates of board exam passage as well as successful employment in the medical field. The program currently boasts a three-year job placement rate of 100%.  SRTC’s Nursing Program Chair, Tammy Bryant RN, MSN, explained that their success is due in part to a combination of academic rigor and compassionate instruction. “Our program is a demanding one. It designed to prepare our students to be successful on the NCLEX examination and to prepare them for the many difficult challenges they will face in their career as a nurse.  As the program director for the ASN program, I must applaud the nursing faculty who strive every day to make our students successful.  However, the ultimate goal for our college is to produce a competent nurse who will gain employment and will always put patient safety first. “

The ASN Handbook provides a deeper insight to the guiding philosophies that have made SRTC’s ASN program as successful as it has been for more than a decade. “The faculty believe that nursing is a profession that utilizes a holistic, safe, effective, caring, and culturally competent approach to promote optimal health. ASN education is a collaborative, interdisciplinary, and interactive process that fosters mental, physical, and spiritual growth within the students. In fact, it is a specialized part of higher education leading to licensure as a registered nurse. ASN education and practice includes not only formal instruction, but also self-teaching, incidental learning, and continuing education. Faculty members facilitate the learning process by creating a learning environment that fosters reflection, creative and critical thinking, open communication, caring, and an interactive interchange of ideas and technological competence.”

According to Bryant, this program is vital because of the growing nursing shortage in the South Georgia area. “Over the next three years, an additional 300+ registered nurses will be needed to fill open vacancies in community hospitals and healthcare facilities in Southwest Georgia. To meet the challenge of having a sufficient number of highly qualified healthcare professionals, SRTC must continue to expand its healthcare offerings and capacity to prepare more students to enter these fields,” commented Bryant.