The NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses) is a standardized exam that all aspiring registered nurses in the US and Canada must pass to be licensed. It's developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) to assess the knowledge and skills needed for safe and effective entry-level nursing practice. The exam uses computer adaptive testing (CAT), meaning the difficulty of questions adjusts based on the candidate's performance.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Purpose:
To determine if a candidate possesses the minimum level of knowledge and skills to practice safely as a registered nurse.
Format:
Computer-adaptive test (CAT) with a range of 75 to 145 questions.
Content:
The exam covers various areas of nursing, including:
Safe and Effective Care Environment: (e.g., managing the environment, infection control).
Health Promotion and Maintenance: (e.g., health education, wellness).
Psychosocial Integrity: (e.g., mental health nursing, patient advocacy).
Physiological Integrity: (e.g., managing physiological conditions, medications).
Scoring:
The NCLEX uses a pass/fail scoring system, with the computer determining the final ability estimate based on the answers given.
Computer Adaptive Testing:
As the candidate progresses, the exam adapts to their performance. Correct answers lead to more difficult questions, while incorrect answers lead to easier questions.
Pass-Fail Decision:
The computer ends the test when it is confident in its pass/fail determination or when the maximum number of questions has been reached.
Importance:
Passing the NCLEX-RN is a crucial step in the licensure process for registered nurses in the US and Canada