Perceptions of nursing educators and alumni of an effective preparation programme for the Indonesian national nursing licensure examination

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Licensure examination is a tool to gauge the nursing competency level. Efforts are made to prepare nursing graduates effectively to improve their pass rate in this examination. Aim To describe the components of an effective preparation programme that would enhance the pass rate in the Indonesian national nursing licensure examination (NNCE). Methodology A content analysis method using interactive semistructured in-depth interviews to interview randomly selected course coordinators (n\xa0=\xa07), clinical instructors (n\xa0=\xa07), and nursing alumni (n\xa0=\xa06) of the faculty of nursing of a private university in Indonesia. Findings The study extracted eight themes perceived by the participants to be the components of an effective preparation programme: (1) preparation programme is integrated into the curriculum, (2) improvement of competency process standard and evaluation, and (3) holistic approach to preparation, (4) active involvement and participation, (5) knowledge and skills specialty, (6) sharp examination-taking skills, (7) strong motivation and confidence, and (8) time commitment. Discussion Preparation process is a significant determining factor in the success of the exam takers. The nursing faculty management and educators need to work together to provide a good preparation process. Conclusion A proposed effective preparation programme is to be carried out by the educators with the support of the faculty of nursing, as a programme integrated into the academic and internship programmes, and as an intensive programme after the completion of the internship programme. It is recommended that the programme be implemented to evaluate its rigor in real situations.