Candidates' First-Time Performance on the Certified Nurse Educator Examination.

AIM: This quantitative study examined the first-time pass/fail performance of 2,673 academic nurse educators who took the certified nurse educator (CNE) examination between September 28, 2005 and September 30, 2011.

BACKGROUND: This is the first research study designed to analyze candidates' first-time pass/fail performance on the CNE examination.

METHOD: Descriptive statistics, chi-square test of independence, Pearson's r statistic, and binary logistic regression were performed.

RESULTS: The chi-square test of independence revealed the lack of a statistically significant relationship between study participants' eligibility option and first-time pass/fail performance. Binary logistic regression revealed that a one-year increase in full-time experience resulted in a 1.05 times greater likelihood of passing the CNE examination (OR = 1.05; 95 percent CI [1.03, 1.06]; p = .00).

CONCLUSION: This study verifies the need for faculty development and mentoring for nurse educators with less than five years of full-time experience and supports recommendations for doctoral preparation.