All in first cohort of dual-degree JCC/SBU Nursing program pass national licensure exam

ST. BONAVENTURE — Every student in the first cohort of St. Bonaventure University’s dual-degree Nursing program has passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses.

The students – Mason Parks of Friendship, Emma Mikolajczyk and Regina Tkacik of Portville, and Sophia Ragonese of Rochester – became eligible to take the NCLEX-RN after completing the Associate of Applied Science portion of the program in May at the Cattaraugus County Campus of Jamestown Community College in Olean.

The exam is a computer-adapted test redesigned in 2023 to focus on clinical judgment and features real-world case studies to measure a nurse’s ability to think more critically and make safe decisions about patient care. The national pass rate is 90 percent.

“I am beyond proud of our students for this accomplishment,” said Dr. Connie Perkins, founding director of Nursing at SBU. “We appreciate the hard work they put in and the orchestrating that our partners at Jamestown Community College also put in. We know that these students will make wonderful nurses and now they can start entry-level practice while they finish their coursework here this year. This is a win for our program and our community.”

In the unique 1+2+1 program, St. Bonaventure partners with JCC to offer a blended campus program in which students take freshman classes at SBU, earn an associate degree in Nursing from JCC after year three, and a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from St. Bonaventure after year four.

Learn more about the program here.