NCLEX – International Nursing Students Gaining Ground

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing, NCSBN research states the gap between international students and US educated students passing the NCLEX RN is diminishing.

In 2000 there were more than seventy-one thousand US educated pupils sitting for the NCLEX exam and over seventy-five hundred pupils educated outside the United States. International students made up only 10.5% of the students sitting for the exam.

The demands for nurses is outpacing the number of nurses who are entering nursing schools. Aging Baby Boomers, growing population, and increased number of nurses used in place of doctors is causing a serious demand for nurses.

Is the need for nurses similar to the need for computer engineers? Computer engineer positions were met by students outside the US who were willing to learn the trade. These students are also recognizing and satisfying the need for nurses. Many US Citizens are arguing that there are citizens with skills and experience who want a job in the computer science field and issuing more work visas will only increase unemployment in the US. Will this be the same for the nursing industry? Last year there were 119,579 US educated students and 33,768 internationally educated pupils sitting for the NCLEX RN exam. More than 28% of all nursing students sitting for this test.

The increase in international students could be as a result of the NCSBN opening three new test sites outside the United States. In just seven years the percentage of international students has risen 17.5%

Students educated outside the US are keen to the demand for nurses in North America and know that educating themselves may be their opportunity to obtain a work visa and possible citizenship in the US and may garner them a life of a greater quality of living and freedom from oppression.

How well are US educated students performing compared to their internationally educated counterparts? are still out performing international students, but international students are gaining on them.Last year, there were 119,579 US educated nursing students taking the NCLEX RN. 85.5% of them passed. 52% of the 33,768 students educated outside the US nurses passed the first time.

How about those students who had to repeat the test? Last yearthere were a total of 26,411 students retaking the exam These were US educated students retaking the exam. Anyone can download the audios regardless of the country of origin.

Students from around the world listen to the audios to prepare for the nursing classes, reinforce what they are learning and prepare for the exams., but some students have thought ahead and use it to learn the class material prior to starting the class.

Students around the world find it difficult to make time to study. Audio study materials for the NCLEX exam make it easy to learn while doing other tasks.

NCLEX Test Review

- Carolyn Thompson