THE PROFESSIONAL Regulation Commission reported a 79 percent overall passing rate of graduates in the June 2008 Nurse Licensure Examination. The figure represents 72 passers of 91 examinees from the university.

The national passing mark was 43.07 percent.

The 72 passers were composed of 58 graduates from Batch 2008; 3 first-takers from Batch 2007; and 11 second-takers from Batch 2007.

Specifically, the first-takers (58 from Batch 2008 and three from Batch 2007) registered a 91 percent passing rating while the second-takers (11 from Batch 2007) recorded a 46 percent passing mark.

Of the 91 examinees, 61 belonged to Batch 2008 while 30 (6 first-takers and 24 second-takers) were members of Class 2007.

According to CHS Dean Teresita Ann O. Tinio, the high performance of the graduates in the recent board examination may be partly attributed to the opening of the MMSU Review Center for Nursing in May this year where the examinees took their review course. The center is located at the new University Function Hall which sits at the former Chua property infront of the University Mansion.

The Commission on Higher Education on May 19 granted the university a permit to operate a review center through Permit No. 045, s. 2008. The permit is valid for four years.

Aside from MMSU alumni, graduates from other nursing schools in Ilocos Norte and in neighboring provinces have also come to enroll in the review center.  Together with the existing nursing faculty members of CHS are off-campus reviewers tapped to help prepare graduates for their licensure examination. At present, the center has started holding review sessions for the November 2008 licensure examination.