Board requests DPH on-site review after Porter & Chester Bridgeport reports low NCLEX pass rates

The Board of Examiners of Nursing asked the Connecticut Department of Public Health to conduct an on-site review of Porter & Chester Institute's Bridgeport day practical nursing program after quarterly materials showed low pass rates on licensure measures and described ongoing turnover and remediation efforts.

Board Chair Gina Reiners and board members discussed a quarterly progress packet from Porter & Chester staff, who reported recent Mountain Measurement and internal HESI testing data and described faculty professional development, remediation efforts and changes to program curriculum and scheduling. The board noted an annual pass-rate figure cited in the packet (65.38 percent) and quarter-level pass rates cited in Mountain Measurement extracts of 33.3 percent and 35.71 percent for prior quarters.

Why it matters: The program is on one-year conditional approval, per a memorandum of decision dated Nov. 21, 2024. The board said it must ensure the program is producing graduates who meet state licensing expectations and that conditional-approval monitoring be meaningful.

Board members raised specific concerns about the recent pass-rate figures and the fact that cohorts affected by earlier curriculum and faculty turnover may still be completing testing. Several members, including Mary Dieteman and Cindy Arpin, urged an immediate on-site review rather than waiting for later quarterly results. Board member Mary Dieteman said, "I would like to make a motion, that we request DPH to make an on-site visit, and report back to us, and then we can go from there." The board did not hold a formal vote to compel a visit but asked DPH to arrange a site visit and to clarify the scope of that review.

Porter & Chester representatives told the board they are conducting faculty development sessions, expanding remediation resources and seeking hard-copy textbook options to complement existing e-book and Elsevier/SharePath resources that some students reported finding difficult to navigate.

Board direction and next steps: The board asked DPH to plan an on-site visit focused on classroom observation, an unannounced clinical site review, private student interviews without faculty present and meetings with faculty and leadership to confirm supports and teaching strategies. DPH staff noted they will need specifics about the scope to shape the visit and report. The board will review the DPH site report and receive the next quarterly update (with results from July 2025 graduates) at its August meeting.

Context: Porter & Chester stated it held limited enrollments during program changes and that cohorts graduating earlier may not have experienced the revised curriculum and remediation steps. The board reiterated the range of possible outcomes after a special review, per regulation, including return to full approval, an additional year of conditional approval, or recommendation for program removal.