Inaugural ABSN cohort achieves 100% first-time pass rate on NCLEX-RN exam

Marie Young, University Communications & Marketing | 01/26/2024

First Cohort of ASBN graduates — Inaugural cohort of Saint Francis University’s Second Degree/Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) from left: Sarah Zylka, Emily Reeser, Morgan Fleck, Victoria Phillips, McKenna Harbaugh, and Anthony Malone

The inaugural cohort of Saint Francis University’s Second Degree/Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) has achieved a 100% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-RN, the national licensing exam for nurses.

The SFU Nursing Department congratulates Anthony Malone, Victoria Phillips, McKenna Harbaugh, Sarah Zylka, Emily Reeser and Morgan Fleck on this prestigious achievement.

Areas of employment for these graduates include Leigh Valley Children’s Hospital; VA Health System; Grand Strand Medical Center ER-Myrtle Beach; Penn State Hershey Medical Center; UPMC East.

The University launched its Second Degree/Accelerated BSN in 2022 to meet the demand of non-nurse college graduates who wanted to pivot and move towards a profession in nursing. This on-campus program allows someone with a valid baccalaureate degree (BA/BS) to earn a BSN in a little as 16 months.

These inaugural Accelerated BSN graduates follow in the footsteps of the University’s BSN and FNP program graduates, who have a tradition of first-time pass rate success on licensure and certification exams.

SFU Nursing Success Flash Facts:

Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) graduates achieved a 100% first-time pass-rate for the program’s first two cohorts in 2022 and 2023.
The traditional BSN program graduates have a seven-year average first-time pass rate of 96.02%, which is above the state and national pass rate averages.
BSN graduates boasted a 6-year 100% first-time pass rate between 2014 and 2019.
RNCareers.org consistently ranks the BSN program among the top programs in the state, thanks to its high first-time pass rate scores.
100% job placement for first ABSN cohort.
100% job placement rate for traditional BSN graduates consistently within 3 months of graduation.

About the Nursing Portfolio at SFU

Our comprehensive suite of undergraduate and graduate nursing programs offered through the Department of Nursing position science, healthcare practice and ethics at the core of the nursing curriculum at every level of study.