UNM-Gallup Nursing and Human Services Division Chair Jonathan Lumibao, center, addresses the New Mexico Legislative Health and Human Services Committee during a meeting at the McKinley County Courthouse in Gallup on Aug. 20, 2026. Interim Dean Joe Kee, left, and former Applied Technologies and Allied Health Sciences Division Chair Lucia Guerrero sit beside Lumibao.
UNM-Gallup nursing bounces back
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Program focuses on improved licensure exam performance, better access to testing, and enhanced student support
By Richard Reyes, Friday, August 28, 2026
GALLUP, N.M. — 鶹Ƶ-Gallup nursing program experienced a dip in licensure exam pass rates in 2025, but it is bouncing back this year with improved testing results and a fully-staffed faculty, according to a report delivered to state lawmakers.
UNM-Gallup Nursing & Human Services Division Chair Jonathan Lumibao shared with legislators that 11 out of 16 students, or 68.75%, passed their first attempt at the national nursing licensure exam in 2025. That number was down from 92.1% in 2024.
However, 2026 data show that the first-time pass rate for the exam is currently at 85%, which is trending back up toward the program’s historical performance.
“I am happy to also report that at the beginning of this academic year, we actually have a full complement of full-time nursing faculty,” Lumibao said. “We are very happy because, for the longest time, we were desperate for full-time faculty instructors and we now have one. And because of this change we have transitioned one of our senior faculty members to be the assistant director or nursing, so we have additional support and leadership in our program.”
New Mexico state Rep. Eleanor Chávez asks a question during a meeting of the New Mexico Legislative Health and Human Services Committee at the McKinley County Courthouse in Gallup on Aug. 20, 2026.
The exam is known as the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Lumibao noted that after students graduate, UNM-Gallup continues to provide support for the exam through a collaboration with the UNM College of Nursing.
Lumibao delivered these updates to the New Mexico Legislative Health and Human Services Committee during a meeting in Gallup on Aug. 20. The committee met for four days from Aug. 18-21 at the McKinley County Courthouse.
Nothing but the I-BEST
Lumibao talked about other nursing program updates, including improved access to competency testing, enhanced student support services, and a new track for high school students interested in nursing.
UNM-Gallup is establishing a partnership with Red Rocks Care Center, a Genesis HealthCare facility that specializes in rehabilitation and care services in Gallup, to bring certified nursing assistant (CNA) competency testing to campus. Red Rocks will provide proctors while UNM-Gallup will provide a testing area.
“This is important because having a test site here in McKinley County will support the students or the graduates who are wanting to sit for competency testing,” Lumibao said. “Currently, we don’t have one here in our area.”
To better support students over the past two years, the nursing program implemented I-BEST instruction in its courses. I-BEST stands for Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training.
Funded by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the I-BEST program embeds a secondary instructor in core nursing classes to provide students with additional support. The instructor assists students with dosage calculations, pharmacology and clinical reasoning in addition to study skills, coaching and early alerts.
UNM-Gallup Nursing and Human Services Division Chair Jonathan Lumibao, center, delivers a report to the New Mexico Legislative Health and Human Services Committee during a meeting at the McKinley County Courthouse in Gallup on Aug. 20, 2026.
UNM-Gallup is still working on launching a licensed practical nurse (LPN) program for high school students in partnership with Gallup-McKinley County Schools. The program is expected to launch in the fall semester of 2027, depending on funding and the hiring of additional faculty.
To learn more about the UNM-Gallup nursing program, .
Allied health programs
UNM-Gallup Interim Dean of Instruction Joe Kee and former Applied Technologies & Allied Health Sciences Division Chair Lucia Guerrero also addressed the legislative committee to share updates about other health related programs at the branch.
Guerrero delivered her report during her last week with UNM-Gallup, sharing information about the branch’s emergency medical services (EMS), dental assisting and medical laboratory technology (MLT) programs.
She noted that all three programs maintain national accreditation and all three report high retention rates. She said the MLT program qualified for the highest national accreditation allotment of 10 years during its 2024-2025 academic inspection.
Guerrero highlighted that the EMS program uses a modeled stationary box ambulance inside the nursing building to give students realistic experience in a simulated environment.
“These types of ceremonies are extra special, especially in our rural area,” Guerrero said. “It not only helps showcase the students, but it also allows their loved ones to celebrate with them.”
Former UNM-Gallup Allied Health Sciences Division Chair Lucia Guerrero, right, addresses the New Mexico Legislative Health and Human Services Committee during a meeting at the McKinley County Courthouse in Gallup on Aug. 20, 2026. UNM-Gallup Interim Dean Joe Kee, left, and Nursing & Human Services Division Chair Jonathan Lumibao join her.
To learn more about UNM-Gallup’s allied health programs, visit their program websites below:
From left, New Mexico Rep. Elizabeth Thompson, Sen. Linda López, and Sen. Linda Trujillo listen to a report from UNM-Gallup academic officials during a meeting of the New Mexico Legislative Health and Human Services Committee at the McKinley County Courthouse in Gallup on Aug. 20, 2026.
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