100% of LU's nursing class passes licensing test

Lincoln University's nursing program long has been successful, with most of its graduates getting jobs soon after graduation.

But the first class of its four-year degree program set a new standard, when 100 percent of the 17 nurses who graduated in December passed the National Licensure Examination.

The alumni all are employed in Mid-Missouri hospitals, including Jefferson City's St. Mary's Hospital and Capital Region Medical Center.

In 2013, the university received the Missouri State Board of Nursing's approval to offer the four-year bachelor's of science degree in nursing, or BSN, replacing the two-year associate of applied science (AAS) nursing degree program on the main campus.

The AAS still is offered at the Fort Leonard Wood campus.

This first four-year program class began its clinical nursing courses in the fall 2014 semester.

In a news release, program administrators called the pass rate a true testament to the dedication of everyone involved.

"I am extremely proud of the accomplishments of the December graduating class of 2016," Ann McSwain, LU's nursing school dean, said. "The success of the first BSN cohort of graduates reflects the hard work and dedication of the nursing faculty and staff. We look forward to continued excellence in the future."

The university began work to establish the BSN program after a report by the Institute of Medicine in 2010 called for higher levels of education for nurses due to the increasing demands on the field.

LU first offered the AAS degree in 1970, after reports of a shortage of nurses in the Jefferson City hospitals.

The university also offers an online BSN completion program for registered nurses.