Nursing students trump national average

NEWTON — Sussex County Community College (SCCC) recently announced that 100 percent of the college's nursing students who took the National Council Licensing Exam in December passed. Students are required to pass this test to receive a license to be a registered nurse from the state board. With the exception of one failure in 1999, SCCC has maintained a consistent 100 percent passage rate, even though the national average passing rate is just 87 percent. Following the American Nurses Association's standards of practice and the New Jersey Nurse Practice Act, students enrolled in the nursing education program at SCCC complete a four-semester sequence in a wide spectrum of science and liberal arts classes to aide their ability in communicating with patients about their health problems. Graduates of this program will be prepared to work in hospitals and other healthcare agencies. SCCC's nursing program is delivered in partnership with Passaic County Community College. For more information about the nursing program, contact Karen Petriccione, Health Sciences Advisor, at 973-300-3136.