Over 80 Percent of Nurses Fail 34th Nurse Registration Exam

The Nepal Nursing Council has disclosed the outcomes of the 34th nurse registration (license) examination, painting a grim picture of the nursing education standard in the country. The results indicate that more than 80 percent of aspiring nurses did not pass the rigorous test, sparking concerns about the adequacy of nursing training.

The Staff Nurse (PCL Nursing) license examination, held last Saturday, saw a disheartening performance, with only 19.34 percent of the 1,270 participants successfully clearing the exam. Sakuntala Prajapati, the spokesperson for the examination committee, cited the complexity of the questions as a major factor contributing to the high failure rate in the PCL exam. Notably, a significant portion of the candidates were not newcomers, as PCL encompasses a broad category of students in Nepal, including those who had previously struggled with the exam, resulting in a weakened performance in the current examination.

The B.Sc Nursing license examination, conducted on the same day, also witnessed a substantial failure rate. Out of 414 participants, only 49.03 percent managed to pass, indicating a concerning trend across different nursing education levels.

Prajapati elaborated on the challenges faced during the examination, pointing out that the inclusion of students who had previously failed in the B.Sc Nursing exam further impacted the overall results. This inclusion of candidates with a history of struggling in higher-level exams may have contributed to the difficulties faced during the 34th nurse registration examination.

The examination took place from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM on Saturday at the Nepal Army Institute of Health Sciences, Sanobharyang, and Bagmati College, Sukedhara. The stark results have prompted calls for a comprehensive review of the nursing education system in Nepal to address the identified issues and ensure the production of qualified and competent healthcare professionals in the future.