Span-of-Duty Grades and Students’ Regional Examination for Nurse Registration (RENR) Outcomes in Jamaica

The Regional Examination for Nurse Registration (RENR) is the licensure examination for registered nurses in Jamaica and other Caribbean Community and Common Market CARICOM territories. However, qualification to sit for this examination must be preceded by the successful completion of four years of nursing education in an approved nursing institution and successful completion of the nursing practicum, commonly known as the Span of Duty (SOD) in Jamaica. The purpose of this cross-sectional retrospective study, guided by Kolb’s experiential learning theory and Benner’s from novice to expert theory, was to examine the relationship between SOD clinical intensive examination and first-time RENR outcome between 2017 and 2019. Archival data were collected from the files of 46 first-time test-takers from one baccalaureate nursing school in Jamaica. Binary logistic regression analysis was carried out to examine the relationship which indicated that first-time pass rates were directly related to higher SOD averages. The model indicated that 83% of failures were accurately predicted based on SOD grade/score, while 80% of passes were predicted based on SOD grade/score. The overall accuracy percentage of observed and predicted outcomes attributable to the predictor variables was 82%. Further cross-sectional studies with current and retrospective data are needed to unearth the full impact of SODs on RENR outcomes. There is need for greater partnership between the Nursing Council of Jamaica, schools of nursing and researchers who are all seeking to bring about change in the delivery of nursing education and ultimately health care which affects positive social change.