A primary outcome measure in education is the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Many nursing education programs incorporate critical thinking as a core competency within the curricula. The purpose of this study is to
investigate the relationship between critical thinking skills and NCLEX-RN performance. This study is a partial replication of Giddens and Gloeckner’s (2005) study. The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission criteria serves as the framework. The population will be drawn from nursing students at the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio who will enroll from 2009-2012. The projected sample will consist of approximately 175 graduates. The California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) instrument will be utilized to measure critical thinking skills. All subjects’ NCLEX-RN results will be available. Permission will be obtained from the Institutional Review Board of Ball State University and the participating educational institution. This study is significant in providing nurse educators information regarding the effectiveness of curriculum development on critical thinking skills and the relationship to NCLEX-RN performance.