Aspen University Nursing Nclex Pass Rate

Program Director Dnp: Tracy Lookingbill Dnp Msn Rn

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Dr. Tracy Lookingbill has practiced within the nursing profession for the past 20 years as a registered nurse. She has experience in graduate and undergraduate degree programs within online platforms as well as on-ground programs. Dr. Lookingbill has earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree from Aspen University, a Masters of Science in Nursing, Leadership and Management, and a Bachelors of Nursing degree from Western Governors University. Since 2010, Dr. Lookingbill has supported online higher education programs as faculty and program leadership roles.

Dr. Lookingbill believes education creates knowledge empowerment helping to advance individual professional goals. Additionally, she supports a basis for life-long learning and professional engagement. She began her nursing career as an LPN and supported various specialties within nursing. Dr. Lookingbills previous experience includes emergency nursing, labor and delivery, and healthcare administration leadership. Much of her career has focused on aspects of community and public health, advocating for vulnerable populations and at-risk communities. She has a passion for the ongoing advancement of healthcare policy and innovation. Dr. Lookingbill is a member of the National League of Nursing and Sigma Theta Tau.

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Aspen University Under Probation After State Board Of Nursing Investigation

PHOENIX – A nursing school in Phoenix is under fire and now on probation after the Arizona State Board of Nursing finished its investigation. It found Aspen University wasnt preparing students and test scores were far below the state requirements.

I am glad that there is action because they shouldnt be allowed to do this to students, said Angela Arnold, a former Aspen University student. More than a month ago, the board started investigating the school. It found that Aspen University students were not passing the NCLEX, an exam people have to pass if become a nurse.

The board says only 58% of the schools students passed in 2021, way below the states 80% requirement. Now, the school reached a consent agreement and is on probation for at least two years. Students already in the core program can complete their courses but hundreds like Arnold getting their pre-requisites cant continue to the next level.

I was frustrated because I finally have the support and means, and I was so close I could taste it. Then boom, it is gone. Just like that. It was crushing, said Arnold.

Over the next year, Aspen University must get the NCLEX rate up to 80% before it can accept new students again. It also has to send accurate and complete monthly reports regarding its pre-licensure nursing program.

Aspen University sent Arizonas Family this statement:

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Were building nursing industry leaders with our CCNE-accredited MSN Nursing Administration and Management specialization.

With every course, I became more informed and found the materials to develop my position as a leader and a collaborator. -Jenny L. MSN, Administration & Management

Todays nurses perform increasingly complex roles, requiring advanced knowledge and specialized capabilities. Nurse Executive. Health Coordinator. Nurse ManagerAspen prepares registered nurses for all kinds of advanced leadership roles.

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If you are an RN who has completed a BSN and need an accredited, adaptable, and affordable online MSN program then this program is for you!

RNs who do not yet have a BSN but would like to pursue their MSN may enroll in our RN to MSN Bridge Program.

Check out Aspens Other MSN Specializations

Also Check: Can You Get Your Masters In Nursing Without A Bsn

Welcome To The Department Of Nursing Education

San Antonio College has been providing our community a steady stream of nurses for over 50 years. Each semester, some 300-400 students are enrolled in SACs Nursing program. Due to the outstanding curriculum and dedicated faculty, the program has become highly competitive admitting fewer than 100 new students each semester. Students attending the San Antonio College nursing program come primarily from the Bexar County Metropolitan area. Graduates from the programs fill nursing positions within many acute and longterm health care facilities in the area.

The faculty members of the Department of Nursing Education uphold the mission of San Antonio College in supporting the educational and lifelong learning needs of culturally, ethnically, and socially diverse communities. The mission of the Department of Nursing Education is to prepare professional nurses who, as members of an interdisciplinary healthcare team, use nursing judgment to provide safe, evidence-based, patient-centered care to promote quality patient outcomes.

In Fall 2021, the Texas Higher Education Cooordingation Board, Texas Board of Nursing, and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges have approved the RN to BSN Bridge Program at San Antonio College. We have initiated the process of candidacy with the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.

Low Test Scores Remain A Concern

Aspen officials in the spring said they were reworking curriculum, hiring more staff and an exam coach and providing increased review for students to boost NCLEX scores.

But so far, pass rates have not improved enough, at 69.6% during the most recent second quarter of 2022, down from 73.3% the first quarter of 2022, per national test data posted by the state nursing board.

All Arizona students, meanwhile, saw a pass rate of 85.9% in the second quarter of this year and 89.2% in the first quarter.

Aspens scores are up significantly from its 58% NCLEX pass rate in 2021, which prompted much of the initial investigation.

Yet as recently as late May, Aspens provost told the private postsecondary education board that NCLEX scores jumped significantly from last year, and that they expected to meet the nursing boards requirements.

Road to relief: Students affected by COVID-19 can get free tuition at Maricopa Community Colleges, funded by Phoenix

If they dont, a potential closure would affect large swaths of students.

Earlier this year, Aspen had about 700 students in the core nursing program in Phoenix and a similar number in the first-year prerequisite program that couldnt move forward into the two-year core program with admissions suspended.

If admissions dont restart, Aspen will have run out of students in Phoenix after graduating the core students in the next two years.

Free summer camp pays dividends:100K Arizona children fill learning gaps created by pandemic

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Aspen University Nclex Pass Rate

Aspen University is a private, for-profit institution and is located in Denver, Colorado. Its nursing program is CCNE accredited. You can earn a BSN, MSN, or DNP degree and attend a program via its campus, hybrid, online offerings.

Aspen University nursing school is a private, for-profit institution located in Denver, Colorado. Its nursing programs are CCNE accredited.

Degree types you can earn at Aspen University include , and the school provides it offerings to students via campus, hybrid and online formats. The level of nursing programs offered to nursing students include Bachelor, Doctor of Nursing and Master level degrees.

For nursing students in Colorado, the average NCLEX passing rate for ADN programs is 85.13% and for BSN programs is 87.31%.

The average national NCLEX passing rate for ADN programs is 85.48% and for BSN programs is 87.22%.

The latest NCLEX passing rates, and RNCareers ranking for Aspen University is

Research the Aspen University nursing program. Compare it to the other nursing programs offered in Colorado, to online nursing programs and to nursing programs offered in the United States for:

• State Rank

Metropolitan State University Of Denver

Over its history since opening its doors in 1965, Metropolitan State University of Denver has educated 90,000 students in the Denver area. MSU has small class sizes with a student to faculty ratio of 18:1. Ninety percent of 2016 graduates of the nursing program found employment in nursing.

• NCLEX-RN Exam Pass Rate: 94.8%
• Program Length: 71.5 Credit Hours
• Admission Requirements: Prerequisites
• Tuition: $3,676 Cost per credit hour $245
• Accreditation: ACEN

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Class Action Lawsuit From Students

Michael Mathews, CEO of Aspen Group, the parent company of Aspen University and United States University, said on a July earnings call that improvements are in place and we are doing everything humanly possible to improve these scores.

But the latest scores for the licensure exam, known as NCLEX, show staying afloat will take tremendous work.

Phoenix-based Aspen University also is facing a class action lawsuit from students claiming they were misled about the quality of the nursing program, and the universitys parent company is dealing with the financial fallout from Arizona regulatory action. Meanwhile, Aspen is growing fast in other states.

Aspen has found itself on shaky ground with state regulators since early this year, when the nursing board and the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education began raising questions about academic quality in the nursing program and other issues.

The nursing board issued a lengthy report in February saying Aspen was severely underperforming, given its 58% NCLEX pass rate last year and other measures that indicated harm to students. Aspen suspended admissions, and both boards require Aspen to regularly submit reports and updates.

If Aspen doesnt reach an 80% or higher pass rate this year, the board may review its status and could suspend admissions indefinitely and initiate a process in which shall fulfill its obligations to existing students, then have its approval revoked, according to the agreement.

Students Say They Knew Nothing Of The Investigation

Aspen University has 1,500 students in Arizona, and we spoke with five of them. All of them agree that for them, nursing is a calling.

“I’ve wanted to be an RN since I was about five years old,” said Swinler.

“I’ve been wanting to be a nurse almost my entire life,” said Karina Maldonado.

Maldonado says she was inspired by her late mother, who was once a nurse herself.

“She was a very huge role model into being a nurse, and to being the best nurse I could possibly be,” said Maldonado.

Even as we are in a seemingly never-ending pandemic, nurses seems to remain the backbone of healthcare.

“That’s the kind of nurses that we need in this world is, you know, people that aren’t afraid to get out there and make a difference and help,” said Sasha Godsil.

Since news of the investigation spread, several AU students came forward, claiming the university left them in the dark about the entire situation.

“I wasn’t even aware that any of this was going on until I tried to reach out to apply for my next steps, for the core, and that’s when I was informed,” said Regina Melendez.

Melendez is one of 700 AU students in the Phoenix area who have completed pre-requisite courses. For students like Melendez, the next level would be the core program, in which there are 800 students currently.

Like Melendez, Swinler was on her way, until she learned on Facebook about the investigation into AU.

News of the investigation spread after a board meeting on Jan. 28, when investigators revealed concerns.

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Monthly Reporting Outside Consultant

Aspen officials also have to submit a bevy of information to the nursing board each month, the agreement states.

The board is requiring monthly reporting on admissions , student attrition, predictive exam results, class exam scores, clinical experiences, graduation rates, curriculum changes and complaints.

Aspen also has to submit summaries of department and committee meetings, personnel changes, program changes and student evaluations, among other items.

The agreement requires that Aspen implement faculty and administrator education sessions on curriculum, teaching and testing.

Aspen also must hire an outside consultant to comprehensively evaluate the nursing program, including issues raised in the boards investigation.

The consultant will recommend improvements which Aspen then has to implement, according to the agreement.

Nursing board staff started their investigation of Aspen based on complaints from nursing students dating back to late 2020 and due to last years low NCLEX pass rates.

Board staff raised issues of inconsistent leadership, inadequate teaching, low scores, high student attrition, high student stress and concern from faculty, according to the board.

All non-clinical courses at the school are online, with in-person labs, seminars and clinicals at Aspens campus in Phoenix or HonorHealth in north Phoenix. Tuition and fees are about $52,000, per Aspens website.

What Gpa Do You Need To Get Into Aspen University

Aspen Universitys average GPA is 3.15. Aspen University does require GPA. Aspen University is currently selective. However, be aware that oftentimes schools in this GPA range are increasing their selectivity in hope of increasing prestige. We cant read the minds of Aspen University application readers, but they likely want to increase the average GPA from 3.15 to 3.31 this year to play it safe, we recommend striving for the 3.31 GPA.

*BEFORE CONTINUING PLEASE NOTE: GPA and prestige DO NOT mean a college is right for you. Aspen University may seem amazing on paper, but you may hate it Thats why 700,000 students transfer colleges every year they end up going to the wrong school. Its crucial to watch the videos on CampusReel and make sure you can envision yourself on Aspen Universitys campus. These Aspen University admission statistics do not sufficiently tell you what a college or university is like.

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What Are Top 5 Best Paying Related Informatics Nurse Jobs In The Us

We found at least five jobs related to the Informatics Nurse job category that pay more per year than a typical Informatics Nurse salary. Top examples of these roles include: Physician Medical Informatics, Clinical Informatics Educator, and Director Clinical Informatics.

Importantly, all of these jobs are paid between $19,304 and $58,828 more than the average Informatics Nurse salary of $102,230. If youre qualified, getting hired for one of these related Informatics Nurse jobs may help you make more money than that of the average Informatics Nurse position.

• Reviewed: 8/15/2021
• Degree: Nursing

• Reviewed: 5/18/2021

Overview Of Aspen University

Accreditation is retained with the Distance Education Accrediting Commission and the institution is approved to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements . Several programs maintain additional accreditation as well. The undergraduate and graduate degree programs in nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education . Bachelor and masters degrees in psychology and addiction counseling are approved by the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors .

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State Officials Detail Problems With Au

AU is a private, for-profit, online school that is nationally accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission. The Denver-based school has a little more than 9,500 students enrolled at campuses across the country.

According to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard, only 31% of those enrolled at the university graduate within eight years.

“The problems that were uncovered are very severe, and thats where the problem is, and to put more students into that situation places them at great risk,” said Dr. Dave Hrabe, Education Program Administrator with the Arizona State Board of Nursing, during a Board of Nursing meeting on Jan. 28.

Investigators with the Board of Nursing claim Aspen is performing badly.

“The term I used in the investigative report was ‘infrastructure collapse,’ and to me, this is like putting students into a situation where they would be harmed,” Hrabe said.

Meanwhile, In the notice of charges issued to AU by the Board of Nursing, investigators learned the program went through five administrators in less than four years, which is considered to be Below the standard of practice.

Investigators also say the curriculum at AU is in question, with the nursing board’s findings referring to changes in curriculum during the middle of a course, along with changes in testing practices without adequate planning as factors in low exam scores.

Low Exam Scores In 2021

Aspens licensure exam scores were the lowest in the state among all nursing programs last year.

Mathews said Aspen started an aggressive improvement plan after seeing exam pass rates drop last year. That included reworking the curriculum for more rigor, hiring additional staff and an exam coach and providing free review programs to students. He is very confident scores will be much higher this year.

He cited the challenges of moving everything remote during COVID-19 as the most significant issue, but also said last year was the programs first full year of NCLEX scores, and sometimes there are growing pains with running a new program.

He said students first graduated from the Phoenix program in the latter half of 2020, so the first exam scores were for the fourth quarter of 2020, making last year the first full year of student scores.

Theres no excuses. We did not achieve our 80% NCLEX first-time pass rates this year and were fully committed to ensuring that we hit those 80% scores in this calendar year 2022.

Republic reporter Stephanie Innes contributed to this article.

Have a story about higher education? Reach the reporter at or at 602-444-4282. Follow her on Twitter @alisteinbach.

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Arizona College Of Allied Health

• Location: Mesa, Arizona.

• Tuition: $15,499 per year.

• NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 93 percent.

Arizona College of Allied Health offers a 3-year accelerated BSN program that is available on their Mesa Tempe, Phoenix, and Tucson campuses.

The school adheres to the philosophy that nursing education should be more accessible, flexible, and affordable for working students who are dedicated to their career paths.

As a result, they offer several degrees including a bachelors degree in nursing that can be earned in 3 years or less perfect for those looking to get into the workforce quickly.

The program consists of 144 credit hours divided into three semesters: fall, spring, and summer. To apply, you must have met high school graduation requirements and achieved at least a 2.5 GPA or higher on a 4-point scale from your previous college courses.