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Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) Caylor School of Nursing (CSON) has a solid reputation for educating highly skilled, compassionate nurses that employers seek out. Students in LMU-CSON’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program continue to reflect these qualities by achieving 100 percent first-time pass rates.

MSN students who graduated in May from LMU’s Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (FPMHNP) program passed the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) national board exam on their first try. The ANCC reports that in 2017, the national pass rate was 87.9 percent. This is the fourth year in a row that LMU’s FPMHNP students have earned a 100 percent pass rate.

Jennifer Darby, PMHNP-BC, MSN, BSN, a recent graduate from the FPMHNP program said, “In the program they give tests that resemble the questions you can expect, and the classes prepare students for success on the certification exam.”

Darby also appreciates the class size that LMU offers. “You are treated as an individual, and the instructors are easily accessible and go out of their way to help you. The brick and mortar classes at LMU allow the opportunity to get to know fellow students and professors,” she said. Darby was hired shortly after graduation by TeamHealth as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.

In addition, the December 2017 and May 2018 graduates from LMU’s Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program passed the national board exam on their first attempt. These students included graduates from the main campus in Harrogate, Tennessee and from extended learning sites in Cedar Bluff and Kingsport. FNP students can choose to take the ANCC certification exam or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) certification exam. In 2017 nationally, only 79 percent of those who sat for the AANP exam passed it on the first try, and only 82.9 percent of first-time candidates who sat for the ANCC passed the national exam.

“I was very well prepared for the national exam upon graduation,” said Amanda Bell, APRN, MSN, FNP-BC. “I felt my instructors at LMU focused on key subjects to study as well as resources to find further information. The most valuable part of the program at LMU was the individual support I received from my instructors to succeed in the program.”

“These are very difficult and challenging programs. I commend the students for their hard work and determination,” said Dr. Mary Anne Modrcin, vice president of extended sites and CSON dean. “Earning a 100 percent pass rate on national board exams reflects the commitment our faculty have to preparing students to succeed in their field.”

Another point of pride that LMU nursing students celebrate is their employment rate upon graduation. Students in both the FNP and FPMHNP concentrations have a 100 percent employment rate, achieved within three to six months following graduation.

“I was offered a position upon graduation from the program, and am currently practicing as an FNP at Maltman Medical Center in Knoxville, Tennessee,” Bell said.

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who serve as primary and specialty health care providers under a physician. Both family nurse practitioners and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners work with patients diagnosing illness, conducting exams and prescribing medication, and can serve as a patient’s sole health care provider and run a private practice.

Nursing is the largest undergraduate major at LMU. Enrollment in the CSON has increased exponentially over the last decade with the addition of new programs and concentrations. The CSON offers a variety of degree options to meet nurses’ career goals including the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN), the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), the RN-BSN, the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).

Lincoln Memorial University is a values-based learning community dedicated to providing educational experiences in the liberal arts and professional studies. The main campus is located in Harrogate, Tennessee. For more information about the undergraduate and graduate programs available at LMU, contact the Office of Admissions at 423.869.6280 or e-mail at admissions@LMUnet.edu.