Belmont College Practical Nursing Program Receives Continued Full Approval Status
St. Clairsville, OH (August 29, 2023)— The Practical Nursing (PN) program at Belmont College has once again been granted a full five-year approval by the Ohio Board of Nursing (OBN). The Board granted approval to the College at its regularly scheduled meeting held July 26, 2023.
In order to receive approval, Belmont’s PN program recently underwent a required OBN survey visit where an Education Regulatory Surveyor met with students, faculty, Karolyn Fox, Director of Nursing at Belmont, and President Paul F. Gasparro. The surveyor also conducted a tour of the program’s facilities, including the lab and simulation classrooms at the College’s Health Sciences Center. Upon completion of the visit, OBN reviewed their findings and determined that the program has met and maintained all necessary requirements.
“Receiving full approval status for another five years indicates that our nursing program continues to meet the highest approval rating, said Mrs. Karolyn Fox, Director of Nursing. “This approval is an important achievement for our program and is a reflection of the high quality of work from our faculty and support staff.”
Fox continued, “We had a perfect survey visit from the OBN. This is a great accomplishment, as less than 20% of the programs surveyed each year achieve a perfect score.”
Student pass rate on the NCLEX-PN (National Council Licensure Examination) also factor into the College’s approval status. The PN program 2022 graduates complete their NCLEX and achieved a 100% pass rate and the pass rate for 2023 Belmont PN graduates is as follows: 13 graduates, 8 have tested and passed, 5 have yet to test. According to the OBN, the pass rate for nursing students in the state of Ohio for the NCLEX exam is currently 77.04% and the national average is 83.62%. The Ohio Board of Nursing considers first-time passing rates when approving college programs, requiring a 95% of the national average NCLEX passing rate.
Fox attributes the successful pass rate to smaller class sizes, state-of-the-art facilities, simulation lab software, and post-graduation mentoring from College faculty.
The PN certificate program at Belmont prepares students for the NCLEX-PN. In as little as 12 months, Belmont’s PN graduates are eligible to take the NCLEX-PN exam provided they meet the requirements of the State Board of Nursing. Students who complete this certificate can also continue their education with the College’s Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program, as they are eligible to transfer credits from the PN program to the nursing degree program once they pass the NCLEX-PN.
Furthermore, Belmont’s ADN program NCLEX testers have not only met, but exceeded, state and national pass rates since 2019.
“We are incredibly pleased with our graduates and their NCLEX success rate,” said Fox. “These graduates are currently caring for those in our community, and I am so honored to have had the chance to watch them succeed.”
In September of 2020, the ADN program also underwent a virtual survey visit by the Ohio Board of Nursing whereas the program was found to be 100% compliant with all laws and rules for conducting a nursing program and received a five-year approval by the OBN.
For more information about the nursing programs at Belmont College contact Karolyn Fox, Director of Nursing, at 740-699-3910 or kfox@belmontcollege.edu.
About the Ohio Board of Nursing
The Ohio Board of Nursing is a regulatory board and an agency of the state government that was established through enactment by the Ohio General Assembly. The Board consists of 13 individuals to include eight registered nurses, four licensed practical nurses, and one consumer appointed by the governor. The Board approves training programs for pre-licensure nursing education, dialysis training, medication aides, and community health workers. It also oversees the licensure examination of nurses and takes disciplinary action when a licensee or certificate holder violates the law.
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