A Holistic Approach to Promoting Success on NCLEX-RN

Abstract

The nursing faculty at the State University of West Georgia views individuals as an integration of body-mind-spirit. Our program’s commitment complements efforts to teach students to honor the body, mind, and spirit of patients. Within this framework, faculty recognize that factors other than nursing knowledge impact students’ ability to pass NCLEX-RN. An intervention program was designed that incorporated these factors. “Preparation for Licensure” was implemented as a holistic nursing course to intervene with students’ learning and testing needs. The purpose was to increase self-awareness, promote a positive attitude toward passing the NCLEX-RN, and provide specific strategies for test taking and stress reduction. Posttest raw scores and percent correct on the Mosby Assess Test were significantly higher (p < .05) than pretest scores. Qualitative analysis of journal data exploring the students’ experience of participating in the course revealed three themes: Perfectionism, Self-Worth, and Consequences and Meaning of Failure.