Employment as a registered nurse following graduation
Objective
Student Employment As A Nurse Following Graduation
70% of nursing students in each graduating class will be offered employment within the nursing profession within 6 months of graduation.
KPI
Senior Exit Survey
In the senior exit survey administered immediately prior to graduation, students will indicate they have been offered a nursing job 70% of students will have been offered a nursing job.
Result
Percent Of Graduating Seniors Offered A Nursing Job
This specific question was not asked on the exit exam. However, we did ask the following questions and received the following results:
Have you applied for a job or internship? 95.8%
Have you interviewed for a position or internship program? 79%
Have you accepted a position or been accepted for an internship program? 58.33%
These results are obtained just prior to graduation, which may account for the low response affirmative response to the third item. Many students don't want to accept a job until they know they have passed the NCLEX. Goal not met
Action
Employment Following Graduation
First, we plan to add a question to our Exit Survey that reads, "Did you start working in either a nursing job or a nursing internship within 6 months of graduation?" Second, during the last semester students take a Concepts II course in which they write a resume and learn interviewing techniques. The course will increase the emphasis on obtaining a job prior to graduation. Students will have to look at real nursing job adds and mock apply to one. They will need to write a cover letter, have a mock interview, and report on the benefits and limitations of that job.
Goal
Graduation Rate For Nursing Students
The Department of Nursing will successfully graduate its students.
Objective
On-Time Graduation Rate
Students who graduate within 36 months of the date they were admitted to the nursing program will be considered “on-time” graduates consistent with the THECB policies.
KPI
Percent Of On-time Graduates
70% or greater of the nursing students will graduate "on-time." On-time is defined as 36 months from the date they were admitted to the nursing program measured during the 12th day of the students' first semester.
Result
On-Time Graduation Rate
Spring, 2014 the retention rate for cohort 3 at graduation in May, 2014 was 72.73% as of August, 2014. Depending on how many of the three remaining students from that cohort graduate in December, the rate may rise.
23 of the original 33 students admitted to cohort 3 in september, 2012 graduated in May, 2014, one in August, and three will likely graduate in December bring the retention rate up to 81.82%. Six students either dropped out or failed out. Goal met
Action
Graduation Rate
Every student is assigned a faculty mentor when they enter the program. The faculty mentor follows them throughout the program and helps them by teaching them study and testing skills, following their progress with ATI testing, and helping them with remediation. The goal is to retain every student throughout the program.
A new staff position was developed entitled "Resource Coach." This position requires a master's-prepared RN who has experience teaching. The position was filled in January,m 2014 as a half-time fte, but increased to full-time in September, 2014 due to the high usage of her.This person focuses on helping nursing students who are having academic difficulties. She helps them develop strategies for improving study skills, test-taking skills, and time management, among others.