Nursing MasteryCareer companion for nurses

New grad

The first years are the hardest: residencies, landing a first role, preceptors, confidence, and building a foundation that lasts.

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NCSBN’s 2024 NCLEX numbers: 91.2% of first-time U.S. candidates passed.

NCSBN’s 2024 exam statistics put first-time U.S.-educated NCLEX-RN pass rates at 91.2%, with much lower rates for repeat and internationally educated candidates, and a decline across the four quarters.

nclexlicensure

Jul 1, 2025 · 5 min readRead

Editorial still life with new-nurse essentials for an ICU career plan

New grad to ICU: how hiring actually works right now

New-grad ICU hiring runs on residency cohorts and trajectory signals, not the med-surg-first rule everyone repeats. How to read the postings, which credentials actually move, and the honest adjacent paths.

new_gradicu

Jul 9, 2026 · 4 min readRead