Radford SON ranked among top statewide nursing programs

Radford’s School of Nursing (SON) programs on the main campus and in Roanoke have been rated the No. 2 and No. 8-ranked nursing programs in Virginia respectively.

The programs’ excellence was highlighted by registerednursing.org, an online education and advocacy site run by registered nurses to promote excellence in nursing.

Registerednursing.org analyzed Virginia’s Registered Nurse (RN) programs. Richmond’s Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing was ranked No. 1 and both Radford programs edged JMU, Liberty, VCU and UVA.

To place second, the Radford SON program, located in Waldron Hall, earned a 95.78 score and a score of 94.38 placed the Roanoke program, which is based at the Roanoke Higher Education Center, eighth.

According to registerednursing.org, the nursing programs from across the Commonwealth were “assessed on several factors which represent how well a program supports students towards licensure and beyond.”

“The School of Nursing has built a solid reputation as an elite educator of health care professionals,” said SON Director Tony Ramsey. “These rankings reflect the Radford SON’s inspired nursing faculty and students.”

For the sixth consecutive year, Radford’s SON graduates surpassed the national average pass rate by first-time test takers of the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).

Graduates from the SON’s December 2016 and May 2017 combined to post a pass rate of 93.9 percent on the test to exceed the 83.2 percent national average for Bachelor of Science – Nursing (BSN) programs. Radford’s first-time test takers also exceeded their Virginia colleagues’ pass rate of 89.1 percent. Eligibility to sit for the NCLEX is contingent upon successful graduation from an accredited BSN program.

The examination is administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and is a nurses’ final step toward professional licensure. Its goal is to ensure entry-level nurses are safe to begin practice.

Rigorous nursing education and committed students have helped nurses achieve and maintain an important honor – public trust, said Ramsey. The 2017 Gallup survey of professional honesty and ethical standards indicated that Americans consider nurses to be the most trustworthy occupation. For 16 years, nurses have topped the list of trusted professionals.