INDIANAPOLIS – Students in Ivy Tech Community College’s practical nursing program have achieved a statewide average 99.89 percent pass rate on the NCLEX-PN (National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses) exam, the examination nursing students must take in order to be licensed. This pass rate far surpasses the national average of an 84.63 percent pass rate, as well as Indiana’s pass rate standard of 80 percent.

The NCLEX-PN exam is taken in order to ensure public protection, as well as ensure potential nurses demonstrate competencies, including knowledge, skills, and abilities, needed to perform the practice of nursing safely and effectively.

Ivy Tech produces the largest number of Practical Nursing graduates in Indiana.

“Ivy Tech’s important role of educating the nurses of tomorrow is something we are very proud of,” said Ivy Tech President Thomas J. Snyder. “As the state of Indiana looks toward its future, we look forward to building on this history of providing the skilled nurses that our state demands.”

Ivy Tech’s nursing programs are approved by the Indiana State Board of Nursing and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.

In order to provide Ivy Tech’s continued success in its nursing program, numerous internal initiatives are being developed, including increased integration of high fidelity simulation in lecture, lab and clinical courses, collaborative learning environments, flipped classrooms, interdisciplinary learning activities, and taking different approaches to college-sponsored graduate education for nurse educators.

In 2012, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the job growth rate of Licensed Practical Nurses as 25 percent. The median annual salary was reported as $41,540 per year, and hourly salary was reported as $19.97.

Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s largest public postsecondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system serving nearly 200,000 students annually. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its communities. In addition, its courses and programs transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association.