The Arizona Nursing Program Outcome Index, put out by the Arizona State Board of Nursing, has ranked the UA College of Nursing No. 1 in the state for program outcomes.
The UA currently offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and a Master of Science for Entry to the Profession of Nursing program for students who aim to become registered nurses.
Dr. Ki Moore, the administrative leader of the bachelors program, said his program’s data supports this ranking.
“Our attrition rate is so low and our completion rates are always above 90 percent, and our employment rate is 100 percent — all of our graduates get positions,” Moore said.
Moore said that last year, 95 percent of UA nursing students had a first-time passing score on the National Council Licensure Examination, which was well above the state and national averages.
She said this is a wonderful honor and it is all a result of the fantastic faculty and students in the programs.
Terry Badger, the administrative leader of the MEPN program, said she is extremely proud but is not really surprised, as the college has consistently done well in the rankings.
“I’m not at all surprised that we are No. 1, because our students and our faculty are No. 1,” Badger said. “We have very amazing master teachers as well as very high-quality students, who both work very hard.”
Badger said that they are always in the process of continuing quality improvement and that it can only serve students well to go to a high-quality nursing program.
Alexa Tagaban, a pre-nursing sophomore, said she feels very lucky to be able to go to an in-state university and receive the best education possible.
“The College of Nursing does their best to truly help us pre-nursing students be the best nurses in the future, and their guidance and advice only fuel my passion for medicine,” Tagaban said.
Nursing junior Sydney Reed said that the college prepares students very well and the program has partnerships with all major hospitals in Tucson, providing students with diverse experience during their clinical rotations.
While this ranking is sure to bring more attention and students to the program, some students worry about whether this will affect admissions to the program.
Moore said the college currently accepts 54 students each fall and spring semester to the program.
“The interview process is also highly selective, which ensures they only take the best from across the nation,” Tagaban said. “[The ranking] may affect me negatively because the competition for those 50 or so spots is highly aggressive.”
Moore said that since the program is already competitive, she doesn’t know if the ranking will make much of a difference for those interested in applying.
“What this means for the students in the program is that it serves as sending messages to potential employers that we have very qualified applicants to work in their institution, who can make positive contributions to health care delivery,” Moore said.
Follow Chastity Laskey on Twitter.
