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NCLEX pass rates are rising.1
Practice readiness is falling.2

This isn’t about covering more content. It’s about developing clinical judgment.
And it all begins with how we teach.

The 6 Rs of Clinical Reasoning
The 6 Rs of Clinical Reasoning

Teach How Nurses Practice

Get the 6 R’s of Clinical Reasoning, a practice-based teaching framework based on Tanner’s CJM to help students recognize risks and prevent failure to rescue.

Percentage of Graduate Nurses with Entry-Level Clinical Judgment Competence

Percentage of Graduate Nurses with Entry-Level Clinical Judgment Competence

Del Bueno, Dorothy. A Crisis in Critical Thinking. Nursing Education Perspective 26(5):p 278-282, September 2005.

Kavanagh, J.M., Sharpnack, P.A., (January 31, 2021) “Crisis in Competency: A Defining Moment in Nursing Education” OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 26, No. 1, Manuscript 2.

The Dilemma in Nursing Education

Despite passing the NCLEX, which measures minimal competency, only 9% of new nurses meet entry-level practice expectations for clinical judgment.

New nurses are entering practice unprepared, and patients are paying the price, sometimes with their lives. (3, 4)

Hi! We’re Keith and Maria

Too many students pass the NCLEX but struggle in practice.

For Keith, a preventable patient death due to a colleague’s error highlighted the need for change. In 2012, he created his first unfolding case study, combining his 25 years of experience with his passion for teaching.

Alongside Maria’s extensive background in education and consulting, we help educators develop confident, compassionate, practice-ready nurses.

Read Our Story
Keith & Maria

Preparing Educators to Teach the Way Nurses Practice

At KeithRN, our mission is to restore practice readiness to the center of nursing education, the foundation of our profession for over 2,000 years.

We provide educators with engaging, time-saving tools to prepare students for licensure and real-world practice.

And here’s what educators discover:

When you teach for practice, NCLEX success follows.

Explore Our Solutions

Used by hundreds of programs and thousands of educators.

Classroom Educator

Think Like a Nurse Membership

Boost engagement w/access to 100s of authentic unfolding case studies + application worksheets + faculty CEs.

Get Program Quote

Clinical Educator

Bridging Teaching & Practice Course

Teach clinical with confidence using dozens of evidence-based tools to develop clinical judgment + 13 CEs.

Get Program Quote

Student or New Nurse

Think Like a Nurse Workbooks

Interactive workbooks that emphasize application to prepare students to transition successfully to clinical practice.

Program Adoption Info

What Educators Are Saying

Bridging Teaching and Practice isn’t just helpful-it’s transformational. A must-have, comprehensive resource for every clinical educator.

— Tiffany Condren, PhD, RNC, CHSE

Thanks to KeithRN, we have truly transformed our classroom, lab, and clinicals. My program has shown a complete turnaround as a direct result of using your case studies inside the Think Like a Nurse membership.

— Hutch Hutchinson, RN, BSN

Your Think Like a Nurse workbooks are a transformative teaching resource that instills confidence by prioritizing compassionate care and professionalism to nursing practice.

— Stacy Thibodeau, DNP, MSN, RN

Want to lead this change at your school?

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References
  1. National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (2025, July). 2024 NCLEX® Examination Statistics (Vol. 94). Chicago, IL.
  2. Kavanagh, J. M. (2021). Crisis in Competency: A Defining Moment in Nursing Education. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 26(1).
  3. Williams, N., & Qian, H. (2024). The importance of entry‑level nursing clinical judgment through the lens of experienced nurses [Conference presentation]. NCSBN Scientific Symposium, National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Retrieved from https://www.ncsbn.org/public-files/presentations/2024scisymp_williams-qian.pdf
  4. Elder, E., & Muir, R. (2024). Failure to rescue: optimising nursing assessment and surveillance has the potential to improve outcomes for deteriorating patients. Evidence-Based Nursing. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1136/ebnurs-2024-104029