Association Between Academic, Initial Licensure, Employment Factors, and NCLEX-RN Performance of Philippine-Educated Nurses

The United States’ nursing shortage attracted internationally educated nurses (IENs) to take the National Council Licensure Examination–Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), which is required to practice nursing in the U.S. Philippine-educated nurses (PENs) comprised more than half of IENs in the U.S. nursing workforce. From 2002 to 2021, only 45.8% of 177,730 PENs passed the exam. Published studies investigating IEN NCLEX-RN performance are limited. This study addresses this gap in the literature. This study determined the association between academic, initial nursing licensure, and employment factors on PEN NCLEX-RN pass rates. A retrospective correlation research design was used to determine the association among the research variables. Participants were recruited through online nursing groups. Descriptive statistics compared characteristics of PENs who passed or failed the NCLEX on the first attempt. Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests were used to determine the association between the research variables. Initial nursing licensure and nursing workplace were significantly associated with PENs passing the NCLEX-RN. Identifying unique PENs’ contextual characteristics is critical in preparing them to pass the NCLEX-RN. Findings provide input to educational and regulatory bodies to improve the NCLEX-RN individual outcomes and Philippine NCLEX-RN pass rates.