Eastern Nursing Students Out-perform State & National Averages
(Press Release 10-11-04)
Hank Mooney, Office of Public Information

While all the statistics for the latest class of graduates are not complete yet, Eastern’s Director of Nursing Education, Zella Stone, says the 2003 nursing students passage rate was higher than both the Oklahoma and national average rates.

Ninety-four percent of the class passed the National Council for Licensure exam following graduation from the Wilburton college to become a registered nurse (RN).

“We had 40 graduates in that class (class of 2003),” she said.

“It will be a few months before we know how our latest graduates (class of 2004) perform on the credentialing exam. Historically, our nursing students have done well on the exam following graduation from the program,” she said. “Not all of our graduates from the 2004 class have taken the test.”

Stone attributes the success of the program to “a long line of very professional instructors since the program began in 1974 under the leadership of Joy Regaldo.”

“The program has been fully accredited by the National League for Nursing (NLN) and the Oklahoma State Board of Nursing and Education since it began, she said.”

Stone said the program has recently undergone a periodic program review and passed the national accreditation with no deficiencies.

“We received our last NLN accreditation in 2000 and passed with flying colors,” she said.

“Our next NLN review is scheduled in 2007 with the State Board of Nursing review in 2008.”

Throughout the last few years the program has averaged 45 graduates a year in the two-year program. This fall there are 40 freshman enrolled in the program and 54 sophomores.

Stone says nursing instructors within the program attend conferences and in service education opportunities to “maintain current on all educational and nursing interventions.”

“Collectively we (the nursing instructors) have 120 years education and nursing experience,” she said.

The Eastern RN program offers a licensed practical nurse (LPN) to  registered nurse transitional program at the Wilburton campus and at the Higher Education Center in Idabel.

“If an LPN wants to become an RN, they can challenge or test out of the freshman year by taking a standardized computer based test.”

The student must meet the general education class and science requirements. The sophomore nursing year is available through interactive television (ITV) both on the Wilburton and Idabel campuses.

“We will be taking applications for the fall 2005 nursing class soon. The deadline for applications is February 1. Our transition LPN to RN application deadline is September 1 each year,” she said.

Caption:

Eastern nursing students Lisa Haws, center, and Wil Milligan, both from McAlester, receive hands on instruction during a skills lab on the Wilburton campus from Eastern's Director of Nursing Education Zella Stone.