SM Nursing and ExamSoft by Turnitin Partner to Advance Nursing Education with New Clinical Judgment Assessments

The NursingVitals by ExamSoft suite combines original, nurse-developed content with secure assessment technology to help nursing programs identify learning gaps and prepare students for the NCLEX and clinical practice.

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- SM Nursing, part of Blueprint Test Prep, announced a partnership with ExamSoft by Turnitin to introduce a new suite of benchmark exams built for nursing programs. The NursingVitals by ExamSoft (NVE) assessments are designed to help nursing faculty assess clinical judgment, identify learning gaps, and support students' readiness for the NCLEX and clinical practice.

The partnership comes amid growing attention to the gap between nursing education and clinical practice. As newly licensed nurses face increasingly complex patient-care decisions, educators are being challenged to assess not only what students know, but how they apply that knowledge in clinical situations. This shift helped drive the introduction of the Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) in 2023, which places greater emphasis on clinical judgment and decision-making. An August 2026 study published in the Journal of Nursing Regulation also found that nursing assessments incorporating clinical judgment demonstrated stronger relationships with end-of-program performance.

The new benchmark exams are designed to address this need by giving nursing programs opportunities to assess clinical judgment throughout students' education, rather than waiting until they approach graduation.

"Preparing the next generation of nurses requires more than helping students memorize information or pass an exam," said Anna Miller, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, Senior Director of Nursing Content, SM Nursing. "Educators need meaningful insight into how students are developing clinical judgment while there's still time to address learning gaps. Our partnership with ExamSoft helps make these assessments more accessible to nursing programs, supporting both licensure preparation and the transition to clinical practice."

Original Assessment Content Developed by Nurses, for Future Nurses

Developed by SM Nursing, the NVE suite features entirely new content written by practicing nurses with clinical and academic experience. Each question underwent multiple rounds of review, including checks for bias and sensitivity. The assessments are also tailored to the distinct scopes of practice for registered nurses (RN) and practical nurses (PN).

Delivered through ExamSoft, the NVE suite allows institutions to assess students at multiple points throughout their education. These insights help educators make more informed decisions about curriculum and student interventions throughout the nursing program, rather than relying solely on end-of-program outcomes.

For students, the exams provide opportunities to practice applying nursing knowledge to clinical scenarios, become familiar with NCLEX-style questions, and assess their progress as they advance through their education.

"Partnering with SM Nursing allows us to securely deliver original, standards-aligned benchmarking assessment to nursing programs," said Eric Connelly, Vice President, North America at Turnitin. "NursingVitals by ExamSoft pairs the clinical expertise of the SM Nursing team with the security of the ExamSoft platform, giving nursing programs a trusted and meaningful measure of NCLEX readiness."

The new NVE suite will be available to institutions in November 2026.

To learn more, visit turnitin.com/products/examsoft/nursing-vitals

About SM Nursing / Blueprint Test Prep

SM Nursing is the undergraduate nursing team behind Sarah Michelle NP (SMNP) Reviews, a Blueprint Test Prep Company. Building on years of experience developing nursing preparation content and resources, SM Nursing specializes in creating high-quality nursing assessments grounded in clinical expertise, rigorous item development standards, and evidence-based test preparation practices.

About ExamSoft

ExamSoft by Turnitin, builds digital assessment solutions that provide exam security to increase learning for every student in the age of AI. ExamSoft's comprehensive reporting and instant insights help faculty and administrators improve student and program performance with flexible category tagging of key learning objectives. ExamSoft currently serves more than 2,400 prominent academic, certification, and licensing programs and has successfully administered over 163 million exams.

SOURCE Blueprint Test Preparation