Southern Institute of Technology Bachelor of Nursing (BN) and Diploma in Enrolled Nursing (DipEn) graduates have excelled once again and remain consistently among the best in New Zealand by achieving 100% pass rates in the latest Nursing Council State Final Examination, held in July.
The national average pass rate for DipEn exams was 87.7%; SIT DipEn graduates exceeded this by more than 12%. And SIT BN graduates achieved nearly 7% over the national average of 93.2%.
For SIT’s most recent Nursing graduates, the exam is the crucial final step as it allows them to practise as nurses in New Zealand. The Nursing Council usually runs three exams per year: March, July and November; the July exam allows those graduates with a mid-year finish to sit immediately and have less delay with their entry into nursing.
Acting Head of School of Nursing (SoN) and Post Graduate Programme Manager, Karyn Madden, attributes the consistency of their success to having a quality team of professional staff. “It’s the depth of the staff skills and knowledge, “ she said, adding it was also about how they treated each student individually.
“Our school recognises and embraces diversity and inclusivity. We believe in empowering each student through accepting their uniqueness and working alongside them in a collaborative approach.” Mrs Madden added that the whole SoN team took every opportunity in preparing students to be exam ready, and in facilitating their success. “We pride ourselves in making sure of this.”
Health and Humanities Acting Head of Faculty, Dr Sally Dobbs, acknowledged the combined effort from the SoN team to maintain a notable standard of excellence, evidenced in the results. “I’m extremely proud of all the Nursing School staff and stakeholders who enable our students to enter the rewarding world of nursing both nationally and globally.”