PITTSFIELD, MA — The Practical Nurse (PN) program at Berkshire Community College (BCC) was recently ranked number one in Massachusetts and number one in the United States for its fall 2023 cohort. The ranking is based on a semi-annual reporting of the percentage of graduates passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) on the first attempt. At BCC, 100% of 2023 graduates of the PN program passed the exam on the first try.
The 2023 cohort at BCC comprised 17 first-time NCLEX test-takers, 100% of whom passed on the first attempt.
Associate Professor of Practical Nursing Katherine Polchlopek chairs the PN program at BCC, which BCC Dean of Nursing Lori Moon calls "a critically important program to our community."
"BCC's Practical Nurse program strives to educate students to become nurses with excellent communication and assessment skills, and the ability to critically think. Our goal is to graduate students who will provide compassionate care to our community and are dedicated to patient advocacy," Moon said. "Our graduates far exceed expectations. We are so proud of them and of our program."
The PN program at BCC is the only accredited Practical Nurse program in the Berkshires. The goals of the program, Moon explained, include supporting students in successfully completing the program; a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX boards on every PN student's first try; and 100% job placement for each student after they are licensed.
Lori Moon, Dean of Nursing