A COMPARISON OF PREDICTORS OF SUCCESS ON NCLEX-RN(TM) FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN, FOREIGN-BORN, AND WHITE BACCALAUREATE GRADUATES

This retrospective study was concerned with identifying the strongest predictors of success for African American and foreign-born baccalaure ate graduates on the NCLEX-RN from the following nine variables-the ad mission grade point average, medical-surgical nursing grade point aver age, nursing grade point average, cumulative grade point average, perc entile rank. on the Mosby Assess Test, age at the time of the licensin g examination, number of semesters needed to complete the nursing curr iculum, licensed vocational nurse status, and the number of Ds and Fs received in nursing courses-and comparing these with predictors of suc cess for white baccalaureate graduates. Three random samples of 50 Afr ican American, foreign-born, and white graduates from four baccalaurea te schools from May 1987 through May 1992 were selected from a total p opulation of 1,205. Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, two-way analysis of variance, and discriminant analysis were used to analyze the data. Students in all three ethnic groups with a Mosby Assess Test percentil e rank below 21 and a D or F in a nursing course were more likely to f ail the NCLEX-RN than those with a higher percentile rank and no Ds or Fs.