New admissions to Dillard University’s School of Nursing will be suspended for the 2017-2018 academic year due to an assessment of its generic baccalaureate and LPN-BSN nursing programs, according to a press release issued by the university Director of Communications and Marketing David Grubb on April 26.
This self-imposed assessment will begin immediately and will continue throughout the suspension period said Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Yolanda Page. Although new students will not be admitted during this time it will have no affect on the approximately 100 students currently enrolled in the program. In fact, Page said she believes the assessment will enhance the experience of those currently enrolled.
The assessment will consist of various activities, “including but not limited to review of curriculum, review of admission process and curriculum, review of remediation and tutorial support,” said Page.
Student performance on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) is what brought on the need for an assessment. Dillard University’s School of Nursing 2015 NCLEX-RN passage rate for first time writers was 50 percent, according to the School of Nursing Chair Dr. Sharon Hutchinson
The NCLEX-RN is a standardized exam that each state board of nursing uses to determine readiness of a candidate for entry-level nursing practice.
Beginning in 1942, Dillard University’s baccalaureate in nursing program is known for being the first of its kind in Louisiana.
Hutchinson was quoted in Grubb’s statement saying, “The School of Nursing has been working with and will continue to work closely with the Louisiana State Board of Nursing in getting the program back to the lofty status it has had historically.”
