The Use of Discriminant Function Analysis to Predict Student Success on the NCLEX-RN

Predicting whether a student will be successful on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN ® ) has been an important endeavor for faculty in schools of nursing for the past 2 decades. Extensive documentation exists in the literature concerning research aimed at exploring the academic and nonacademic predictors of success on the NCLEX-RN. Reviews of the findings of these studies indicate that various factors emerge as academic predictors of success. The results of this study suggest that first-time success on the NCLEX-RN can be predicted with a high level of accuracy using existing student data. The findings also support the belief that it is possible to identify students who may be at risk for unsuccessful first time performance on the NCLEX-RN. Early identification of at-risk students will promote timely intervention strategies to optimize the students' potential for success.