Tri-County's 1998 Nursing Graduates Exceed State and National
Exam Records; 91.3 Percent Passing Record is Top in Upstate

CONTACT: POLLY FEHLER, EXT. 2412

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 5/21/99
(By Lisa Garrett)

PENDLETON --- The 1998 graduates of Tri-County Technical College's associate degree nursing program exceeded state and national records with a 91.3 percent overall passing rate on writing the National Council Licensing Exam for registered nurses, according to a recent report from the State Board of Nursing.

This score is the highest percentage in the Upstate for scores on the NCLEX-RN exam for both two- and four-year nursing programs. S.C. colleges' average passing rate is 87.86 percent, and the U.S. national average is 84.65 percent. The national ADN average is 83.91 percent. The State Board for Nursing released these statistics about graduates from April 1998 through March of this year.

Graduates of any nursing program, associate degree or baccalaureate, must pass the NCLEX-RN exam to become a registered nurse in the state. The NCLEX is a computerized exam that tests a graduate's basic knowledge and decision-making ability on commonly encountered health care situations.

"We are excited that we have done so well by comparison, but our goal to show exceptional comprehension, skills and understanding of this extremely difficult nursing and medical material is a 100 percent pass rate," said Polly Fehler, who leads Tri-County's associate degree nursing program.

"The strengths of our department are the smaller classes and the instructors' interaction with students. There is a personal investment that students find nurturing," she said.

The ADN curriculum prepares the student to function at an entry-level registered nurse position. Students are placed in clinical situations each semester to assure that they are able to function at this level, said Mrs. Fehler.

She added that graduates have no problems securing employment. "The job market is wide open for anybody who want to work as a nurse," she said.

Tri-County's nursing department is and has been fully accredited by the State Board of Nursing of South Carolina since the program's inception in 1981. Last year the program received initial accreditation through the year 2002 by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.
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