The Florida Legislature has passed a bill to improve the state’s poor performance on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) by implementing harsher penalties for underperforming nursing schools.
Details: The measure, which was inserted into House Bill 1427 just before the legislative session’s May 2 deadline, would place nursing programs on probation if their passage rates fall 10 percentage points below the national average.
- Schools placed on probation would have two years to improve their scores before facing closure. The bill awaits Governor DeSantis’ signature.
Why this matters: Florida ranked last nationally for nursing exam pass rates in 2024, according to a new report from the Florida Center for Nursing.
- First-time pass rates for registered nurses in Florida stood at 84.9% in 2024, falling short of the national average of 91.16%. The pass rate for the state’s practical nursing exam (80.78%) was also significantly below the national average of 88.38%.
UWF Nursing Excels
While Gov. Ron DeSantis says the University of West Florida better “buckle up,” he and his Florida DOGE need to keep their mitts off the UWF School of Nursing.
- The school topped the state and national averages for 2024, as 97.67% of its graduates passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, known as NCLEX-RN, on their first attempt—up nearly two percentage points from 2020.
- For the first two quarters, UWF School of Nursing graduates posted a 100% pass rate. Last year, 129 UWF nursing graduates earned their license by passing the NCLEX-RN.
DIG DEEPER
The Florida Board of Nursing has already placed 16 nursing programs on probation in 2024, with nine of these being for-profit private institutions, according to the Florida Department of Health. Four programs were terminated last year.
The bill also introduces new accountability measures for nursing program directors, who could face disciplinary actions, including license revocation and fines up to $10,000, if they fail to submit required annual reports by November 1. These reports must detail information such as applicant numbers, retention rates, accreditation status, and scores on a newly required exit exam.