GNTC’s Nursing program achieves 100% pass rate

All 16 Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) graduates in the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program have passed a national nursing licensure exam this year on their first attempt and achieved a 100% pass rate.

The following ASN graduates received their degree on May 2, 2024, and took the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) exam between May 10 and July 27 to become a Registered Nurse (RN) in Georgia: Nidian Almazan, Ashley Anton, Brianne Bauswell, Vanessa Blackmon, Ja’Teria Colts, Carly Ellison, Kymberly Grahn, Tania Linares, Kila Martin, Sadie Medckie, Sarah Parker, Michael Price, Amber Ptak, Brea Robbs, Jessica Ryan and Jessica Washington.

“This is the second consecutive year that 100% of ASN graduates have passed the NCLEX-RN on their first attempt, which is a testament to the diligence, perseverance and drive to succeed that our students exhibit year after year through this challenging program,” said Michelle Spears-Sevy, ASN program director and instructor at GNTC.

“Our students’ success also reflects the amazing faculty who continue to innovate, research best practices in nursing and teaching, and work in partnership with our clinical agencies to help GNTC’s nursing students shine,” Spears-Sevy said. “Most of these graduates say they have gained employment as an RN within GNTC’s nine-county service area, demonstrating that the ASN program is meeting the needs of our local communities.”

Most of the graduates have also attained multistate compact licensure, which allows them to practice as Registered Nurses in 42 states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee, Spears-Sevy said.

“Having multistate compact licensure allows our graduates to have the kind of mobility and earning potential that previous generations of nurses never dreamed of,” she said. “In addition to being able to work in a wide variety of practice settings such as hospitals, long-term care, standalone clinics and surgery centers, RNs now have the freedom to move if necessary to meet their families’ needs or pursue professional goals.”

The NCLEX is a standardized test used nationwide as a way for states to verify nursing knowledge and gauge competency to practice as a nurse, Spears-Sevy explained. The exam tests general knowledge of health maintenance and disease progression, diagnostic procedures and the ability to use clinical judgment to make decisions to ensure patient safety.

All ASN program graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam. Regardless of any degree earned, a person cannot practice as a Registered Nurse without passing the NCLEX-RN and receiving a license, she said. Once graduates have become licensed, they may practice as an RN in the state in which the license is granted.

GNTC’s ASN program is housed on the Walker County Campus in Rock Spring.