The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) surveys which group to better assess current nursing practices?

• A. Newly licensed Nurses
• B. Nurse Practitioners
• C. Nursing Students
• D. Registered Nurses

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that NCSBN uses input from those who are most representative of current entry‑level practice to shape licensure content. Newly licensed nurses have recently transitioned from education to real-world work, so they can accurately report what tasks they perform, what challenges they face, and what competencies are needed in today’s practice across various settings. This fresh perspective helps ensure the licensure exam and related standards reflect what entry‑level nurses actually do and need to know now, not what was true only a few years ago.

Nursing students haven’t started practicing, so their experience doesn’t yet capture actual practice realities. Nurse practitioners operate at an advanced practice level with a broader scope, which may not represent entry‑level responsibilities. The broader group of all registered nurses includes many with substantial experience, whose day‑to‑day, long‑term practice patterns might differ from initial practice needs. Focusing on newly licensed nurses provides the most direct lens on current practice as new graduates enter the workforce.