hi,
i am about ready to take my final exit hesi exam. to prepare for the exam i have the following materials/resources:
1) hesi study book from evolve
2) hesi case studies from evolve
3) hesi practice test cd which comes with the hesi book
4) hesi practest 2009 questions from evolve
5) hesi related flashcards, not from evolve
6) hesi study notes compiled by faculty and previous adn students (lab values, meds, etc.)
7) hesi related powerpoints for remediation and instructional purposes, not from evolve
to prepare for the test itself:
1) become an expert at the nursing process r/t questions, answers, and related processes
2) determine my optimum learning style
3) practice visualization and guided imagery
4) practice and refine test taking skills
5) stress relief and coping skills developed and utilized
6) determine areas of weakness in previous hesi exams (via the statistical report provided after taking the test)
7) i practice the practice tests on the computer until i memorize/understand the questions and related material (until i have it down cold via repetition)
8) i review the rationales on the practest questions, case studies, and practice test cd relentlessly (usually start with this first... essentially reverse engineer the questions starting with the rationales and working backwards)
9) memorize hints, meds, lranges, lab values, etc. as outlined in the hesi study book (with an intent to not be caught off guard by material i haven't seen before and to not forego any easy points)
10-a) block off two weeks or more to constantly review the hesi book
10-b)alternatively, study the hesi book as the semester progresses.
11) foregoing studying from other non-evolve resources such as the saunders book temporarily (rationale: hesi test comes from hesi/evolve related products, normally).
12) host/goto hesi review sessions with other students about to take the test (rationale: if you can teach it, you get a better understanding=proficiency, eventually)
where to get some of the above resources:
austin community college. test taking strategies. available at:
http://www2.austin.cc.tx.us/adnlev2/tutoring_web/documents/testtaking.htm
link for the hesi book + practice test 2009:
[color=#0000cc]http://portals.elsevier.com/portal/hesi/productaction?isbn=9780323055710
hesi online case studies only:
[color=#0000cc]https://evolve.elsevier.com/productpages/s_994.html
hesi case studies + practice test 2009:
[color=#0000cc]https://evolve.elsevier.com/productpages/s_1641.html
thoughts and opinions? what have you used, tried, and or using to prepare?
