At the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska, faculty members wanted a more consistent way to support students preparing for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX®). Although the university had already been using NCLEX prep tools, there was room to enhance its nursing program.
Students often used various test-preparation resources, making it difficult for faculty to monitor progress and provide targeted support.
By incorporating UWorld's NCLEX preparation resources into its strategy, the college's nursing programs gained greater visibility into student exam readiness and established a more standardized approach to monitoring and student support across its nursing programs.
Turning NCLEX® Preparation into a More Consistent Process
College of Saint Mary (CSM) nursing faculty have long been committed to supporting graduates as they prepare for the NCLEX. Before adopting UWorld's exam prep, Assistant Dean Christi Glesmann, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE, noted a few challenges they were facing. "Faculty needed to maintain familiarity with multiple products to coach students effectively. Second, we found that not all NCLEX preparation resources supported the development of clinical judgment and NCLEX readiness in the same way. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, faculty had limited visibility into graduates' progress, making it difficult to provide targeted support and intervention."
When evaluating their program outcomes, CSM realized that its most successful graduates were already using UWorld for NCLEX prep. They assessed UWorld and how it could be beneficial for both students and faculty.
Once the university added UWorld's 90-day Learning Platform, NCLEX QBank, and reporting tools, faculty gained a clearer view of student performance and progress. This allowed them to provide more targeted support.
Dr. Glesmann explained that UWorld helped lead to "program-specific benchmarks and indicators of readiness," giving faculty an objective way to evaluate student progress and provide more targeted support throughout the NCLEX preparation process.
Those readiness benchmarks became an important part of the college's coaching strategy. Faculty could monitor graduate performance, identify strengths and areas for improvement, and align student progress with individualized NCLEX success plans developed during each student's final semester. Rather than relying on assumptions about NCLEX readiness, educators could use performance data to understand students' progress better and identify where additional support might be needed.
Applying a Consistent Readiness Strategy Across Programs
College of Saint Mary’s NCLEX preparation strategy extends across both its Practical Nursing Certificate (PNC) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs. By creating a more standardized approach to readiness and support, faculty were able to apply a consistent NCLEX preparation strategy across PNC and BSN programs while still addressing individual learning needs.
Using data from UWorld, the nursing program established readiness benchmarks that helped faculty identify students who could benefit from additional coaching and support.
Results Snapshot
By using program-specific readiness benchmarks and performance data, the College of Saint Mary created a more consistent approach to NCLEX preparation. The following results highlight the outcomes achieved across its nursing programs.
In 2025, this structured strategy helped students achieve exceptional first-time pass rates across the college's nursing programs.
Supporting Students Beyond Graduation
One benefit of using a standardized NCLEX preparation strategy is the ability to stay connected with graduates after they complete a nursing program.
By extending students' access to the learning platform, educators were able to continue monitoring students' readiness post-graduation. "Beyond serving as a question bank, UWorld has become an important tool that allows us to maintain meaningful engagement with graduates as they transition from nursing student to licensed nurse."
Creating a More Connected Approach to NCLEX Success
Through a combination of standardized preparation, program-specific readiness benchmarks, and ongoing graduate support, College of Saint Mary's nursing programs have developed an NCLEX readiness strategy that serves both PNC and BSN students.
According to Dr. Glesmann, UWorld's combination of analytics, instructional tools, and ease of use has helped faculty focus less on managing technology and more on supporting student and graduate success. By providing meaningful performance insights through an intuitive platform, UWorld has helped the nursing program create a more consistent and data-informed approach to NCLEX preparation.
