Washington State Community College's Nursing Program Ranks High

MARIETTA, OH — Darla Boone is the Director of the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program at Washington State Community College. This is a two-year program whose graduates take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). In English, that means those who become nurses after graduating WSCC are every bit as qualified and hireable as those who graduate from 4-year nursing programs.

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The program Boone oversees is making big waves in the state. “Among associate degree programs in Ohio we’re ranked number one.” She says when looking at rankings among all nursing programs in the state, including four-year programs, they’re ranked number five. These rankings are based on their NCLEX-RN pass rate, in other words, what percentage of their students actually become nurses, first-time candidates. “People who are taking that licensure exam the first time.” Over the past five years, they have an almost 98-percent pass rate on first-time candidates.

She says they got so highly ranked through lots of hard work. “We have a very dedicated faculty and very strong and energized students.” She also touted the strong resources they have set up at WSCC to help them. “We have a nursing retention specialist. It is her full-time job to do tutoring for nursing students.” All in all, they have three tutors.

Boone says they’re in the process of expanding. “Our graduates this year in the registered nursing program, we’re gonna graduate 42 students this year.” This is double what they graduated four years ago. She says that number is continuing to grow. “We’re going to have over 65 students this summer. So we’re growing by leaps and bounds.”

But one thing to keep in mind, they don’t let just anyone into their esteemed nursing program. “It is a selective admission on the registered nursing side.” They have criteria that must be met including a good GPA and ACT scores. “We choose the best candidates.” That being said, they aren’t just looking for perfection. “Unlike four-year schools where if you don’t have straight A’s you probably aren’t going to get in, we’re not like that.” She says most of those they turn away just don’t meet their criteria. “They don’t have the GPA or admission test score. We really don’t turn many away.”

WSCC’s nursing program meets all the nursing criteria demanded by a four-year school but is able to get students in and out in two-years by focusing on the fundamentals. Boone says four-year nursing schools will include some things that they don’t. “They’re going to include more composition courses, more humanities, and things like that.” However, she says the nursing portions are going to be very similar.

Their application process opens up on November first and can be completed completely online.

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