The Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) Program of Bronx Community College’s Nursing and Allied Health Sciences Department has been named number one among New York State’s 77 practical nursing programs and schools.
This is according to PracticalNursing.org, a national organization dedicated to providing students with better transparency regarding practical and vocational nursing programs throughout the state. This year’s ranking was based on NCLEX-PN exam passing rates. The NCLEX-PN exam is used by state boards of nursing around the country testing proficiency and granting licensure. It is considered one of the best measures for determining how well a school is preparing their students for a career in practical nursing.
BCC’s LPN program was the only one to receive a perfect 100% score. According to the methodology used, over the last five years every single BCC student who successfully completed the practical nursing program went on to ace the NCLEX-PN exam required of all licensed nurses in New York.
In fact, according to LPN Program Director and Deputy Chair of the Nursing Department Deputy Chair Professor Ellen R. Hoist, “The program has been on the campus since 1991 – and there have only been three graduating classes out of those years that did not get 100% on the qualifying exam.”
Those numbers are particularly impressive because the LPN courses are taught entirely on nights and weekends to students who work during the day – and the faculty is mostly adjunct instructors who in Hoist’s words “look at this as a full-time commitment even though it is a part-time job.”
Among those congratulating the Licensed Practical Nursing Program for their achievement is Bronx Community College President Carole M. Berotte Joseph. “I commend the nursing faculty for the good work they are doing with our students — and the students who worked so hard and made us look so good.”
The announcement comes at a time of strong demand for practical nurses. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 14% annual increase in licensed practical LPN jobs to meet that demand. In 2012, the average annual salary for LPNs in the New York City metropolitan area was $50, 440. Job prospects for LPNs are expected to be strong in the Bronx where healthcare accounts for more than half of all private sector jobs. Montefiore Hospital, the borough’s largest private employer, is expected to expand its services over the next decade, creating more healthcare employment opportunities for Bronx residents.
To see the complete New York rankings, please go here.
