Joliet Junior College nursing program ranked as one of top schools in Illinois

JOLIET – RegisteredNursing.org, an online guide to nursing education, has ranked the Joliet Junior College nursing program as one of the top 10 RN programs in all of Illinois.

Researchers collected data on more than 70 nursing programs throughout the state. According to its website, each school was evaluated on several factors that represent how well a program supports students toward licensure and beyond including analyzing past and present NCLEX-RN pass-rates, weighted by year.

Programs reviewed include institutions that offer an associate in nursing (ADN/ASN), BSN or direct-entry MSN degree.

According to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, JJC graduates of the Registered Nursing Program achieved a 96 percent pass rate on the national nursing licensure examination (NCLEX-RN) for 2015.

This continues to be well above both state (86%) and national (85%) averages. Pass rates for the Licensed Practical Nursing Program are also impressive with a 99 percent pass rate on the national licensure examination (NCLEX-PN) for 2015.

Students are qualified to become licensed practical nurses (LPNs) after their first year in JJC’s nursing program. Many LPNs work in nursing homes, home health, assisted living, private duty, or in patients’ homes. After two years in JJC’s nursing program, students are qualified to take the NCLEX-RN.

Nursing is one of the country’s fastest growing occupations, and according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2012 to 2020, positions for RNs are expected to grow by 19 percent and LPN positions are expected to increase by 39 percent. Other job increases by 2022 include: 21 percent for CNAs; 48 percent for home health aides; 39 percent for sonographers; and 23 percent for EMTs and paramedics.

JJC has the biggest community college-based nursing program in Illinois, and is one of only a few that offers an evening program.

For more information about the nursing program, visit www.jjc.edu/nursing/Pages/default.aspx.