DNP students fully certified for clinical practice

The Lenoir-Rhyne University School of Nursing announced in August that 100 percent of its 2024 Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) graduates passed the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) certification exam on their first attempt. In July, the school announced a 100 percent first-try passing rate on the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX) for 2024 Bachelor of Science nursing graduates.

“For the first time in the history of the school of nursing at Lenoir-Rhyne, our students have achieved a 100% pass rate in both the BSN and DNP/FNP programs,” said Tabitha Toney ’99, Ph.D., chair of the School of Nursing. “This is a huge accomplishment and a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our students and faculty at every level.”

While national average passing rates for the FNP exam have dipped in recent years, this is the second year in a row that DNP graduates at Lenoir-Rhyne have achieved a 100% pass rate on the comprehensive assessment of clinical knowledge and application to certify the candidate for practice.

The DNP program is the first doctoral program established at Lenoir-Rhyne and one of the newest graduate programs, enrolling its first class in 2018 and earning a full five-year term of accreditation during its first evaluation cycle with the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) in 2019. 

“We began this program with the goal of providing excellence in education and opportunities for our graduates, to fully prepare them to serve their patients and communities,” shared Kerry Thompson, Ph.D., dean of the College of Health Sciences. “Our graduates’ performance on the FNP exam shows we are meeting and exceeding that goal.”