After a survey of the program’s campus, materials, and exam pass rates, the Ohio Board of Nursing has decided to once again grant Belmont College’s Practical Nursing program a full five year approval.
Belmont College's Practical Nursing (or PN) program has been granted a full five year approval by the Ohio Board of Nursing (or OBN) once again. The approval was granted to Belmont at the board’s regularly scheduled meeting at the end of July.
For a school to gain approval in this area, it must first undergo a required OBN survey visit where an appointed Education Regulatory Surveyor meets with officials from the school, such as Belmont’s President Paul F. Gasparro and Director of Nursing Karolyn Fox, as well as other faculty, staff, and students. The surveyor also conducts a tour of the PN program’s facilities such as the school’s simulation classrooms and laboratories. Once the survey has been completed, the OBN then reviews the surveyor’s findings to determine whether or not the program meets and maintains the requirements it has previously determined.
In an article posted on Belmont College’s website, the school’s Director of Nursing, Karolyn Fox, was quoted about the continued approval of the OBN, saying, “receiving full approval status for another five years indicates that our nursing program continues to meet the highest approval rating. This approval is an important achievement for our program and is a reflection of the high quality of work from our faculty and support staff. We had a perfect survey visit from the OBN. This is a great accomplishment, as less than 20% of the programs surveyed each year achieve a perfect score.”
The OBN also takes into account the student pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (or NCLEX-PN) when considering a college’s approval status. The graduates of Belmont’s PN program for 2022 received a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX-PN; so far in 2023, Belmont has graduated 13 PN students, and so far of the eight who have tested, all have passed. The OBN requires a pass rate for nursing students in the state of Ohio to be at least 95%. Currently the pass rate of the NCLEX for Ohio nursing graduates is 77.04%, with a national average of 83.62%.
Fox noted the high pass rates at Belmont are likely due to post graduation mentoring from college faculty, state of the art simulation lab software and other facilities, and small class sizes.
Belmont College’s Practical Nursing program prepares students to take, and pass, the NCLEX-PN. The course only takes 12 months to complete, and PN graduates are able to take the exam as long as they have met the requirements set by the Ohio State Board of Nursing. Students who take and pass the NCLEX-PN can then go on to continue their education through Belmont’s Associate Degree of Nursing Program. The PN program allows students to transfer those credits to the Associate Degree program once they pass the NCLEX-PN.
Belmont College Associate Degree Nursing graduates have exceeded both state and national pass rates for the NCLEX every year for the past four years.
Fox talked highly about the college’s ability to prepare students for the exam, saying, “We are incredibly pleased with our graduates and their NCLEX success rate. These graduates are currently caring for those in our community, and I am so honored to have had the chance to watch them succeed.”
The Associate Degree Nursing program also underwent a virtual survey visit by the Ohio Board of Nursing back in September of 2020. In that survey, Belmont’s program was found to be totally compliant with all rules and laws for conducting a nursing program, and therefore also received a five year approval by the Board.
The Ohio Board of Nursing is an agency of the state government and a regulatory board that was created through the Ohio General Assembly. The OBN is made up of 13 people, one consumer appointed by the state’s governor, four licensed practical nurses, and eight registered nurses. The OBN approves training programs for community health workers, medication aides, dialysis training, and pre-licensure nursing education. It also oversees licensure exams for nurses, and takes disciplinary action if it finds that a certificate holder or licensee violates the law.
More information about the Ohio Board of Nursing can be found at its website.
More information about the nursing programs at Belmont College can be gained by emailing Director of Nursing, Karolyn Fox, at kfox@belmontcollege.edu, or by phone at 740-699-3910.
More information about all the courses available through Belmont College can be found at the school’s website.