KLAMATH FALLS — Klamath Community College congratulates the college’s 2020 registered nursing graduates for earning a 100 percent pass rate on their national board exams.
This is the third consecutive year KCC registered nursing graduates earned a 100 percent pass rate on their first attempt for the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse, which is an exam that must be passed to become a licensed registered nurse in the United States and Canada.
The nine students in the Class of 2020 were: Abigail Yates, Aubrey Westfall, Debra Esparza, Holdyn Polley, Karina Lagunas-Zarate, Leslie Starr, Rachael Sasser, Talythah Pena, and Tatiana Tanner.
“I am so proud of the dedication and the perseverance these students showed throughout the program. The hard work they put in has absolutely paid off,” said Dean of Health Sciences Allison Sansom.
The students started KCC’s seven-term nursing program in 2018 and completed the program in August 2020. The program provides more than 1,000 hours of hands-on training in the on-campus skills lab and simulation lab, and in clinical settings, which includes 270 hours of on-the-job training at Sky Lakes Medical Center or Lake District Hospital.
“One thing that sets our program apart is the amount of clinical time we program to make sure our students have enough practical experience to enter the workforce, and we could not do that without the cooperation of our clinical partners, Sky Lakes and Lake District Hospital,” Sansom said.
Vice President of Academic Affairs Jamie Jennings noted that KCC’s nursing program is a result of the collaborative efforts of KCC and the Lake Health District, which has generously sponsored KCC’s nursing program since its inception in 2013.
“Congratulations to KCC faculty, staff, and students and a special thanks to our rural health partner Lake Health District,” Jennings said. “It is exciting and rewarding to see our graduates help meet local needs for high quality healthcare providers in both Klamath and Lake counties.”
Sansom said since graduation four graduates have entered the Sky Lakes residency program; one was hired at Lake District Hospital, and one was hired by Pelican Pointe Assisted Living and Memory Care.
Sansom explained that faculty begin preparing students for the NCLEX-RN exam as soon as they start the registered nursing program. She credited the students for often going above and beyond program coursework to ensure they are prepared to pass the exam.
Sansom also noted that much of the students’ success in the nursing program is due to the education they receive beforehand. Students must complete 45 prerequisite credits before they can apply for the nursing program. “A lot of the students’ success is rooted in the preparation they receive from general education faculty, who prepare our students in general reading, writing, and arithmetic so they can handle the rigors of the nursing program and successfully pass the state licensure exam,” Sansom said.
