Future nurses at Tennessee State University are making care and compassion count with their test scores. The 2009 class of the University’s School of Nursing completed the registered nurse state licensure exam with a 100 percent pass rate – making TSU the only public four-year Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) institution to exceed the national percentage of students passing the National Council Licensure Examination for the 2009 calendar year.

“There’s no surprise that 100 percent of our class was able to pass the state licensure exam on the first attempt,” said School of Nursing graduate Renata Powers and president of the 2009 class. After receiving a bachelor of science degree in psychology from TSU in 2005, she later returned to find a no-nonsense nursing program with a challenging curriculum and a nurturing environment.

“The faculty fully prepared us for the exam and for the environments we would enter as registered nurses. Even with limited resources at times, they kept us energized and encouraged,” said Powers, who now serves as a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at Metro General Hospital.

Issued by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the exam evaluates how well students are prepared to enter the nursing workforce. Recorded by calendar year with periodic testing dates, the national pass rate for 2009 graduates averaged at 89.49 percent. All 28 bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) graduates at TSU passed the exam on first attempt.

Dr. Verla Vaughan, interim director of the BSN Program at TSU, said, “The success in achieving a 100 percent pass rate is a testament to the rigor of our program and the quality of instruction delivered by dedicated and committed faculty. We expect to maintain that level of achievement on the state board licensing exam.”

Vaughan, the faculty, and Dr. Kathy Martin, dean of the School of Nursing, have enhanced the nursing curriculum through the use of technology in the classroom. The school developed a simulation lab with state-of-the-art equipment that includes simulated mannequins that can be programmed to act as real patients. They also utilized computer-programmed simulations of complex hospital medical emergencies.

Tennessee State University celebrated its 2010 Spring Commencement Exercises with alumnus Dwight Lewis, editorial page editor and award-winning columnist of  The Tennessean newspaper, delivering the commencement addresses for both ceremonies on Saturday, May 8, at the Gentry Center Complex.

Candidates in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education, and College of Public Service and Urban Affairs participated in the 9 a.m. ceremony. Candidates in the College of Business, College Engineering, Technology and Computer Science, College of Health Sciences, School of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, and School of Nursing participated in the 2 p.m. ceremony.

Tennessee State University will celebrate its 2010 Spring Commencement Exercises with alumnus Dwight Lewis, editorial page editor and award-winning columnist of  The Tennessean newspaper, delivering the commencement address at the morning and afternoon ceremonies on Saturday, May 8, 2010 at the Gentry Center Complex.

Candidates in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education, College of Public Service and Urban Affairs will participate in the 9 a.m. ceremony. Candidates in the College of Business, College Engineering, Technology, and Computer Science, College of Health Sciences, School of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, School of Nursing will participate in the 2 p.m. ceremony.

The 2010 Spring Commencement at TSU marks the institution’s 98th year. Approximately 400 to 500 students will participate in both ceremonies.  A web-cast of the commencement exercises will be available at www.tnstate.edu

Tennessee State University will celebrate its 2010 Spring Commencement Exercises with alumnus Dwight Lewis, editorial page editor and award-winning columnist of  The Tennessean newspaper, delivering the commencement address at the morning and afternoon ceremonies on Saturday, May 8, 2010 at the Gentry Center Complex.

Candidates in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education, College of Public Service and Urban Affairs will participate in the 9 a.m. ceremony. Candidates in the College of Business, College Engineering, Technology, and Computer Science, College of Health Sciences, School of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, School of Nursing will participate in the 2 p.m. ceremony.

The 2010 Spring Commencement at TSU marks the institution’s 98th year. Approximately 400 to 500 students will participate in both ceremonies.  A web-cast of the commencement exercises will be available at www.tnstate.edu