A report recently released from the Florida Center for Nursing noted that in 2024 Florida had the nation's lowest pass rate on the exam required for registered nurses and practical nurses to receive their licenses.
“We have historically been underperforming the national average,” said Rayna LeTourneau, executive director of the Florida Center for Nursing.
The test is called the National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX. There are separate tests for registered nurses and practical nurses.
The first-time pass rate for Florida RNs was 84.9%, a drop of more than 6 percentage points below the national average. For PNs, the first-time rate 80.78%, a gap of more than 7 percentage points below the national average.
Although Florida has performed below the national average for more than 10 years, the gap between its scores and the national averages did decrease in 2024.
LeTourneau commented on what is being done to help raise the pass rates.
“In Florida, there has been a tremendous amount of effort and resources put toward filling faculty vacancies and student success initiatives at individual program levels,” she said.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has made a push for address a growing nursing shortage in the state. Over the past two years, the Legislature has approved $250 million for two nursing education funds. DeSantis' budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year calls for another $130 million.
The PIPELINE fund (Prepping Institutions, Programs, Employers and Learners through Incentives for Nursing Education) rewards performance and excellence among nursing education programs at state universities, school district postsecondary technical career centers and Florida College System institutions that offer a PN program.
LINE (Linking Industry to Nursing Education) providing matching grants to participating agencies that partner with health care providers for students at state universities, school districts, FCS institutions and independent nonprofit colleges and universities.
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