Red Deer Polytechnic’s nursing program ranked first among Alberta’s 11 programs after licensing exams.
All 31 of Red Deer Polytechnic’s four-year Bachelor of Science Nursing students — tops in Alberta — successfully passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) Registered Nurse exam, which was taken between October 2021 and March.
Only four other programs across the country saw all their nursing students pass.
Across Alberta, 86 per cent of Bachelor of Science Nursing graduates passed, 80 per cent across Canada, and 84 per cent in the U.S.
Breanne Kent, who completed all four years of the University of Alberta Collaborative Baccalaureate Nursing Program at RDP in December 2021, said students come out of the program prepared.
“The personable instructors established high professional and academic standards,” she says.
“Prioritization and critical reasoning assignments tested our ability to critically think, prioritize and
rationalize our thinking on a timed basis, which were skills needed to answer the majority of questions
presented on the NCLEX.
“In clinical, we had the direct support of our clinical instructors and the primary nurses on the unit, which
added depth and value to the skills we learned,” says Kent, who took the NCLEX RN exam in February
2022 and works as a registered nurse in Red Deer.
“Some of the most valuable and memorable moments came from learning new skills in labs and practising them in clinical settings alongside our peers — specifically, learning the assessments of each body system.”
The NCLEX exam is the final evaluation of a Bachelor of Science Nursing graduate’s competencies and
readiness to begin a career as a registered nurse.
The results are a reflection of the students’ commitment and expertise, said Sharon Hamilton, School of Community, Wellness and Health dean, adding that faculty members should also be commended.
“The faculty has worked hard since our institution transitioned to the NCLEX RN exam in 2016, ensuring that they are preparing our students to become top achievers and leaders in the region, province, and nation.”
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A high demand for nurses and other professionals has prompted the provincial government to invest $4.5 million expanding health-related programs at RDP over the next three years.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program will have room for 168 more students, and 150 spots will be created in the health care aide certificate program, 144 in the practical nurse diploma program, 48 in the licensed practical nurse to Bachelor of Science in nursing transition program, and 64 in medical lab assistant certificate program.
For more information on nursing at RDP go to www.rdpolytech.ca.