Surviving the NCLEX Dip

Schools of nursing are charged with preparing graduates to meet minimal practice standards upon workforce entry. To that end, students must pass the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN®) upon graduation. Increased rigor and higher recent passing standards for the exam can contribute to declining scores, which negatively impact graduates and the nursing program. The purpose of this article is to describe a successful 10-step action plan implemented to remediate a brief dip in NCLEX-RN pass rates at one university. The plan contributed to a 10 percent increase in NCLEX scores within one year.