Faculty-Led Switch to Elsevier 360 Helps Southwestern Oklahoma State University Achieve 97% NCLEX® Pass Rate
At Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU), faculty led the drive for positive change.
Four years ago, faculty members decided to explore options to move away from their previous nursing curriculum and technology partner. After evaluating several companies, they recommended Elsevier 360 to administration and the change was approved.
According to Elissa Saunders, MSN, RN, Chair of the Department of Nursing at SWOSU, it was the “total solution package” that won over the team.
“The expectations were set that there would be a full curriculum to assist our students with NCLEX prep to do our benchmark testing,” said Elissa. “We also liked the nurse educator support and the ebooks being tied into the package.”
Elissa began her career as a nurse in a rural hospital and switched over to ER nursing, which became her true love.
She moved into teaching and joined SWOSU as an instructor in 2020, around the same time Elsevier 360 was chosen.
“I just loved precepting in the clinical setting, and helping students learn what nurses do and how to do it well and so that was my inspiration,” she says.
She has since moved from teaching to become the Chair of the nursing department, where she oversees one in-person BSN program and three online programs for approximately 400 students.
How Elsevier 360 for Nursing Sets Students Up for Success
Elsevier 360 is currently being used for the in-person program to support students and the nine faculty members. Elissa hopes it will expand to the online students as well.
Asked about the best way to set students up for success, Elissa says: “Clear communication and meeting expectations. Students get frustrated when, for instance, technology doesn’t work like they thought it was going to.”
The SWOSU team has been very happy with Elsevier 360 and is using nearly all the components, “We’re pretty much doing everything but the VR goggles,” says Elissa.
SWOSU is seeing positive benefits from the Elsevier curriculum, especially around NCLEX preparation.
“We jumped from 75% to 97% first-time pass rate — a huge, huge, huge improvement. I was very pleased,” she says. “It coincided with our first group that completed all Elsevier and did [HESI] Compass, which is all NCLEX support. I think that students were definitely more prepared than the previous classes for that NCLEX first attempt.”
She added: “I’ve asked, and they say that the Elsevier program was very helpful after they took the NCLEX. It helped them feel very prepared for the style of questions and the stamina that you need for the length of questions and the length of the test that the NCLEX is.”
Elissa concluded by saying: “They were ready and weren’t surprised by anything. In hindsight, our students have given me all positive feedback.”
