[2btmanrn]

Yea, my school post last week that they have 100% NCLEX pass rate. Why? Because one of my classmates, by the way she was the only one thus far who took the NCLEX exam, and passed. There are only three of us who passed HESI. Crazy, huh?
So if you are student looking from the outside, you would say "wow, 100% pass rate, how awesome is that?" Not knowing that 97% percent didn't pass the exit exam nor that 100% meant one person.
They trick the consumer and BON.

Again, if you don't know how do you know what to ask when looking for a program.

[redefinition]

We weren't told either... we had to pass to take boards.. and they didn't tell us till our 2nd to last semester.

[2btmanrn]

I almost lost a classmate this past week. This crisis has been so traumatic for me and my classmates. We are all very close. Anyway, I found the website its on facebook. I think you need to be validated to get in it. Not sure.
Its not HESI itself that I blame. It is the school who has not fully utilized HESI as a whole. I feel that the program should have measured the students areas of weakness from the beginning, middle and end. I feel that HESI should have been incorporated in the program. I also feel that the school should have told the students in a timely manner. Most of all, I feel the students should have the degrees they have worked hard for not be punished based on proability exam. This exam accounts for the probability of whether or not you will pass NCLEX the first time but its also accounts for the nursing curriculum.
Good Luck to the rest of you. I hope you fight for the right to get your degrees and sit for boards. This is all for the students who were not told in a timely manner, and or lack preparation and or whose school punishes them for not being successful using a probability exam. Help the students strengthen their abilities to test for HESI so that they can pass NCLEX the first time. Don't just throw them away like garbage. My classmates and other students have families...children.

[studymom39]

The Hesi is used for the school's accreditation. That's what our meds pub review lady told us and she shared her opinion that the proof of what we learned should be seen in the fact that we graduated - not necessarily a Hesi test. It does not benefit the student. In fact, we were told we couldn't get cleared from the school to take the nclex until we got a 900. Some people will never get that and they are already lowering the standard and letting people stop taking it. I passed with a 942. It was given in winter quarter during critical care and I got an 804. Then you pay $35 thereafter. Everyone wishes it was given after all our quarters of school. They told us that they only expected 10% to pass the first time. So,the question of money for subsequent tests is obvious. One good thing is that is kicks your butt into gear asap to study, study, study. For that, I am glad. I originally approached it as a litmus test for nclex but this woman said they were two totally different tests - Hesi is pickier, more micromanaging, more college textbook stuff and NCLEX is "the big picture".

The Hesi didn't appear to be a concise logic. For example, in our meds pub review we were told to use certain approaches. These work in Mosby's, for example, but they don't work for many of the Hesi questions. The only thing I can recommend to people is to study as many questions as possible in another book, study the book - line by line, memorize the questions on the cd because some of those may show up (as do some repeat questions from the first test) and just think about what the question is that's being asked. I can't site examples because I agreed to a confidentiality agreement. But I think what helped me was doing over 3,000 Mosby's questions and just going over the Hesi book repeatedly, word for word. The practice questions develop a "sense" of things - you're more likely to make an educated guess.

Our reviewer for meds pub, the one I told you writes questions for the boards, didn't have much positive feedback for Hesi. She said it would confuse us. She said it's pickier than the Boards - more a reflection of what you can prove you learned in college. Whereas, the boards are more global, the "big picture" as she put it. Again, it's for college accreditation.

Good practice though! Do 100 questions a day for at least 30 days before the test. One thing they should be doing differently is preparing students at least 6 weeks in advance on how to prepare for these tests.

[studymom39]

The passing score for Hesi is on average, 800-850 across the country per the meds pub review lady. The Hesi says 850 is the standard they push. The school can choose another number. UC sets the magic number at 900.

If we only had to score and 800 or 850, many more would have passed.

So, when you hear people say the Hesi was so 'easy', make sure you ask what was required of them. It's a difficult test but not undoable. Just keep practicing. I worked very hard to get my 942. Very hard. If I only needed an 800, I had that back in February before I even finished Critical Care with little effort. To get that 942 mark, I studied a lot more.

One thing, because some of the questions seem poor in terms of logic, it's easy to over-read into the easier ones. I caught myself thinking, "this is too easy" but went with the sense of what the answer was. There is a mix of common sense and oddly-logiced questions that still don't make sense to me.

[studymom39]

In response to the person who wrote about the likelihood of passing nclex based on Hesi - that's what's on the web - but the woman who gave us our Meds Publishing review (and writes questions for the boards) said that is simply not true. She said, repeatedly, they are two totally different tests. That said, everyone that I know who passed hesi has passed nclex but some really struggled and answered the average number of questions (120).

Again, Hesi is reported by her to be pickier, and the NCLEX is supposed to be "big picture".

I will definately let you know - I'm waiting on a NCLEX test date. Here's another random hint she told us. When you memorize the Digoxin toxicity - early vs late - group it into GI and Neuro. GI is early - nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite; Neuro is later - green, yellow halos. For CHF - remember the 3 D's - Diet, Diuretic, Digoxin Digoxin -think 60,80, 100. These are pulses. Right? Check apical pulse for 1 full minute and hold if below 60 for adult, below 80 for school age child and below 100 for baby. In school, we were only told the 60. This was helpful for us! And know the dig lab range. She said that Glascow is not on boards per say - just to know that 15 is perfect and below 7 is coma I believe. That was it. Save temperature for last on vital signs for infants - she said that's big on boards. On central line, always end with heparin. She gave us something on "SASH" - saline flush, aspirate or antibiotic, saline, heparin. I just used this on a test I took and it worked. Only once choice gave heparin.

Hope this helps.

[futurecnm]

Originally Posted by studymom39

In response to the person who wrote about the likelihood of passing nclex based on Hesi - that's what's on the web - but the woman who gave us our Meds Publishing review (and writes questions for the boards) said that is simply not true. She said, repeatedly, they are two totally different tests. That said, everyone that I know who passed hesi has passed nclex but some really struggled and answered the average number of questions (120).

Again, Hesi is reported by her to be pickier, and the NCLEX is supposed to be "big picture".

I will definately let you know - I'm waiting on a NCLEX test date. Here's another random hint she told us. When you memorize the Digoxin toxicity - early vs late - group it into GI and Neuro. GI is early - nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite; Neuro is later - green, yellow halos. For CHF - remember the 3 D's - Diet, Diuretic, Digoxin Digoxin -think 60,80, 100. These are pulses. Right? Check apical pulse for 1 full minute and hold if below 60 for adult, below 80 for school age child and below 100 for baby. In school, we were only told the 60. This was helpful for us! And know the dig lab range. She said that Glascow is not on boards per say - just to know that 15 is perfect and below 7 is coma I believe. That was it. Save temperature for last on vital signs for infants - she said that's big on boards. On central line, always end with heparin. She gave us something on "SASH" - saline flush, aspirate or antibiotic, saline, heparin. I just used this on a test I took and it worked. Only once choice gave heparin.

Hope this helps.

I have taken HESI exams throughout school and NCLEX last month. NCLEX was definately NOT easier at all. I passed both and did not find one more "big picture" than the other. NCLEX also asks some very specific questions. They are not all general. And I think HESI was very helpful as far as what a student's strong points are and where to study. All these schools would not be using HESI if it were not helpful in some way (or required).

[studymom39]

I'm envious that schools actually test students with hesi throughout. We got it at the end with little "big picture" preparation.

I will give an honest assessment when i take the NCLEX. But, that is what we were told and the lady who told us writes questions for the boards so I will judge it when I take it. That is what we were told.

I have heard of school saying that students get 2 tries and that's it but I imagine they'd be up for a lawsuit. I think the bark is sometimes worse than the bite. UC, for example, says you have to get a 900 to pass but already people gettign 866 or somewhere in that range are getting emails saying they're passed through. It appears that the higher the numbers are, the better the school looks as well as higher numbers for nclex.

If i don't pass nclex after scoring a 942 on Hesi - there will be some serious advertising of that fact!!!!!!!! Luckily, I have a job waiting across the river in Kentucky and there isn't much pressure per say. Some people, however, have pressure from their jobs to get it passed and get going. That is hard, very hard.

[piel_canela26]

I think its sad that they make the HESI a requierement to graduate, i think its a waste of money and time to take since the nclex in nothing like it.

[studymom39]

...but when you do pass, especially with over a 900 which was my school's requirement, it feels really good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing about nursing school has been easy for me. I worked very, very hard each step of the way. It was the final test for me with this college and I met their high requirement. How can that not feel good?

(Our school keeps working with students if there's a problem...)