Nurses passing licensing exams in SC at higher rate than most of US. Here’s why that matters

South Carolina had the fifth highest pass rate in the U.S. for a critical nurse licensing exam in 2022, new state labor statistics show.

The state’s aspiring nurses performed better than the national average last year on the National Council Licensure Examination, a test required for nursing graduates to be licensed to practice in the U.S. The results come as the state and the nation have faced a nursing shortage in recent years.

The latest South Carolina Department of Labor statistics show an 87.13% pass rate out of the 2,734 registered nurse exams that were administered to first-time takers across the state in 2022. The national pass rate was 79.91%.

Also, applications were up 8.2% in 2022, year over year.

According to registerednursing.org, South Carolina ranks fourth among states for the highest shortage of nurses per capita. The state is projected to have a deficit of 10,000 nurses by 2030.

“Right now, our state and the entire nation are struggling with a shortage of qualified nurses,” said Dr. Rusty Monhollon, South Carolina Commission on Higher Education president and executive director. “South Carolina’s exceptional NCLEX pass rate indicates not only instructional excellence on the part of our institutions, but a strong dedication to the profession on behalf of our future nurses.”

The following institutions distinguished themselves with a 100% pass rate for the 2022 exam. Their specific programs are listed in parentheses.

• South University, Columbia (Baccalaureate in registered nursing)

• Midlands Technical College (practical nursing)

• Technical College of the Low Country (practical nursing)

• Trident Technical College (practical nursing)

“Nurses are the foundation for delivering care at the bedside and ensuring that the needs of each patient are met,” said Lara Hewitt, vice president of workforce & member engagement for the South Carolina Hospital Association. “As the state’s hospitals continue to experience a severe workforce shortage, we are encouraged by the amazing work South Carolina’s higher education community is doing to get more nurses into the field.”

The S.C. Commission on Higher Education has been involved in initiatives to reduce the state’s nursing shortage. The commission received $10 million during the 2022 legislative session for a nursing initiative to enhance recruitment and retention of nursing faculty at colleges and universities. The commission is working with partners across higher education, healthcare and the finance sector to disperse the funding in two areas:

• Distribute $5 million to the state’s public colleges and universities with accredited nursing programs, to supplement the salaries of existing full-time faculty and the hourly rates of part-time faculty or the salaries of clinical nursing faculty.

• Allocate $5 million for tuition reimbursement or scholarships for students enrolled in graduate-level nurse educator programs, Doctor of Nursing Practice or Ph.D programs.

Meanwhile, Prisma Health announced late last year that it would invest $5 million in a pilot nursing recruitment program, “to help combat the state’s critical nursing shortage,” a Prisma Health press release states.

The program will be instituted at five South Carolina universities, including Clemson University, the University of South Carolina, the University of South Carolina Upstate, Greenville Technical College and Midlands Technical College.

Included in the program are scholarships and increased access to clinical experiences and mentorship for students in their junior and senior years. The program will also fund additional advisor positions and help expand the hiring pipeline from the state’s nursing schools to Prisma Health hospitals

“Prisma Health is committed to creating a strong, durable and successful pipeline of healthcare workers for South Carolina,” Mark O’Halla, president and CEO of Prisma Health, said in a press release. “Our collaborative efforts to create the nursing scholars program combines academics, research, innovation and healthcare practice to address the changing needs and experiences necessary to create the healthcare workforce of the future.”