Students’ Demographic, Academic Characteristics and Performance in Registered General Nursing Licensing Examination in Ghana

Abstract

The decreasing performance of student nurses in the professional licensure examinations (LE) in Ghana is a major concern to stakeholders, especially at a time when the nurse-patient ratio stands at 1: 1500. The study sought to determine the effect of students' demographic and academic characteristics on performance in the Registered General Nursing (RGN) LE. A descriptive retrospective study was conducted using a researcher designed checklist to review the administrative and academic records of 324 nursing students who wrote the RGN LE between 2007 and 2012. A stratified sampling method was used to select the participants for the study. Chisquare statistics were used to determine the effect of the predictors: demographic characteristics, entry grade and Final Grade Point Average (FGPA) on the dependent variable (LE performance). The study revealed a relationship between gender and LE performance, residential status, entry grade and students' FGPA at the college. However, no significant relationship was found between the age of participants, subject background at high school and LE outcomes. We conclude that students' socio-demographic and academic characteristics such as gender, campus residential status, entry grade and FGPA influence the outcome of the final LE of RGN students. Consequently, priority should be given to applicants with high pre-entry aggregate during recruitment and on campus accommodation should be provided for all trainee nurses. Furthermore, weak students with low FGPA should be given special tuition before they are registered for the final LE to improve their outcomes.

Predictors of Students’ Performance in Nursing and Midwifery Technician Licensure Examination in Southern Malawi

“…In a related study in the United States of America, Mitchell 15 , discovered that a combination of nursing program academic outcomes predicted NCLEX-RN performance. Similarly, Doe et al 16 in their study found that performance in the licensure examinations seemed to increase with an increase in Final Grade Point Average (FGPA). There was a positive relationship between the final grade point of students and licensure examinations outcome at a 0.05 confidence level.…”

“…In a related study, Truman discovered that students who passed the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) possessed statistically higher pre-admission Grade-Point Average (GPAs) (p=0.011) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) verbal scores (p=0.009), than those who failed 13 . Similarly, Doe et al, 16 established an association between entry grades obtained in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and performance in the licensure examinations. It was discovered that 45.5 % of students with an entry aggregate between 20 and 24 failed licensure examinations, while the majority (76.9%) with an entry aggregate of 11-14 passed the examinations on the first sitting.…”

“…It was discovered that 45.5 % of students with an entry aggregate between 20 and 24 failed licensure examinations, while the majority (76.9%) with an entry aggregate of 11-14 passed the examinations on the first sitting. Chi-square statistics indicated that the higher the grade point a student attained, the better performance he or she achieved in licensure examinations 16 . The results from this study suggest program entry qualification especially MSCE performance plays an important role in determining the students' success in the NMT licensure examinations.…”

“…There was a positive relationship between the final grade point of students and licensure examinations outcome at a 0.05 confidence level. The study revealed that only 5 % of students with a Final Grade Point Average (FGPA) between 3.6 and 4.0 failed the licensure examinations whilst the majority of students (83 %) with a Final GPA of 1.5 to 1.9 failed the examination on the first attempt 16 . Furthermore, Amankwah etal 10 , also established that college final Cumulative Grade-Point-Average (CGPA) had a strong positive relationship with performance in licensure examinations (AOR = 15.27; 95% CI = 6.28, 27.11).…”

“…It was discovered that 45.5 % of students with an entry aggregate between 20 and 24 failed licensure examinations, while the majority (76.9%) with an entry aggregate of 11-14 passed the examinations on the first sitting. Chi-square statistics indicated that the higher the grade point a student attained, the better performance he or she achieved in licensure examinations 16 .…”