Camille Little, a junior nursing student at Florida Gulf Coast University, is just over a year away from taking the NCLEX exam to officially become a registered nurse and start her career.
"I've always known that I wanted to help people. I think that's every nurse's answer," Little said. "I like the idea of mixing science and then that human connection."
Little is preparing for the exam not just by studying 10 hours a day but also through mentorships and hands-on experiences.
"It would be normal for me to be nervous for this because it's such a big exam and it kind of determines my future," she said. "I saw that their NCLEX pass rate, their scores were really good. And I thought, you know, this is somewhere I want to be. This is somewhere I want to continue my education."
Joshua Bridge, a representative from FGCU, explained that the students' success starts in simulation labs equipped with the same kind of equipment found in Lee Health hospitals.
"We're not just learning to memorize things and just to pass an exam," Little said.
FGCU has achieved a 100% pass rate for its nursing graduates for two consecutive years and four times in total, pushing out 78 new nurses into the field.
"We look at where are the gaps, what do we need to change in our curriculum. So it's continually evolving to be the very best it can be," said Brenda Hague from the FGCU School of Nursing.
FGCU boasts the highest NCLEX pass rate among nine schools in the state university system, passing well above the national average.
The Florida Center for Nursing's annual state of education report shows that Florida schools have fallen below the national passing rate for the last 10 years, with a state pass rate of just 84%, ranking last among all 50 states despite having the highest number of test takers.
"I think there should be some robust conversations because we need to explore why that's happening," Hague said.
FGCU credits its success to nearly $4.5 million in state line and pipeline funding, which has helped grow its nursing program.
Lee Health officials added in a statement, "An exceptional pass rate ensures a steady pipeline of highly skilled, timely licensed graduate nurses ready to join our residency program. Maintaining this pass rate also sustains eligibility for continued LINE grant opportunities."
"The funding makes a difference. And I hope that they feel that we have used the taxpayers' monies properly and we've had the good outcomes that they're hoping to see," Hague said.
"We really want to be able to understand the things that we're learning so that when we're in the real world, we are very competent and competent nurses," Little said.