News Article

NORTH EAST, Md: Cecil College’s nursing program continues to be one of the most prestigious in Maryland, with its graduates in high demand in the nursing field. For the fourth time in seven years, the program achieved a 100 percent pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), allowing all its graduating students to earn their registered nursing license.

According to the Maryland Board of Nursing, Cecil College’s nursing program has consistently been among the highest-performing schools in Maryland, with the highest pass rate in 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2024.

“Community College nursing programs are critical to meeting the workforce need for nurses in Maryland. Such an outstanding pass rate indicates that Cecil College is preparing nurses to meet the challenges of today’s healthcare environment,” said Cecil College President Dr. Mary Way Bolt.

Cecil College, Chesapeake College, and Prince George’s Community College were the only two-year nursing programs to achieve a 100 percent pass rate for 2024. These pass rates were higher than those for the other 12 community colleges in Maryland and all the four-year Bachelor of Nursing programs. For the entire State of Maryland, the pass rate average was 93.78 percent compared to the national average of 92.18 percent, according to the Maryland Board of Nursing. Maryland ranked No. 1 nationally.

“We have a lot of support for our program at Cecil College. The Board of Trustees, Administration, faculty and staff, and the Cecil College Foundation ensure that we have the most up-to-date equipment and supplies by providing financial support for the students and professional educational opportunities for our nursing faculty,” said the Dean of Health, Human, and Business Sciences Dr. Nancy Norman-Marzella, D.N.P.

Cecil College’s key to success is the faculty’s dedication, including Assistant Director of Nursing Dr. Roxanne Rash, Tyesha Rodriguez-Gist, Dr. Catherine Jordan, Mary Knarr, Ashley Scott, Amy Smythe, and Stacy Weiser. In addition, many of the clinical instructors who hold advanced degrees are full-time practitioners in health care.

“Our faculty’s commitment to the program and students is a magical formula,” said Dr. Norman-Marzella. “The faculty know the curriculum and can help students because they understand the rigorous demands of the nursing program and nursing practice. They know where students traditionally are stressed, and they provide additional learning resources and extra time for topics that have proven to be more of a challenge.”

The second ingredient in this formula is the addition of a nursing student success coordinator, who performs one-on-one and small group study sessions to prepare students for exams or clinical preparation. The faculty and nursing student success coordinator works with students on test-taking techniques, stress management for nursing school, and various other proven success strategies.

The final ingredient is the curriculum, which incorporates theory and practice in each nursing course. Our program works closely with the hospitals and clinical partners in our region to ensure that students have support for the clinical portion of their program. This learning formula provides students hands-on training and experience beginning in the first semester.

Cecil College’s nursing program is fully approved by the Maryland State Board of Nursing and nationally accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). Cecil College is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).