Mandatory Practice NCLEX outrage!!!!!!!

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Hello everyone. The nursing program that I am in has just enforced a new rule. All second semester seniors have to take a PRACTICE NCLEX exam that will be given through one of our classes. If students don't pass this PRACTICE NCLEX exam, they cannot graduate and they have to sit out a whole year. Even if you have gotten all A's. Now this is not right. Second semester seniors have 4 nursing classes, major papers, a full homework load and projects to do during the semester. Now there is hardly enough time to do those things alone, especially with clinicals, but now the seniors have to study hard for this PRACTICE NCLEX. When you take the REAL NCLEX you sign up for it at a time that you feel you are prepared and a time period that will give you sufficient study time. This test is only for our nursing programs benefit. The students who do pass will graduate and take the REAL NCLEX. This will almost guarantee that my school will have an 100% passing rate which will of course make our school look good and bring in more money to our school. Those who have failed will not graduate. They have incorporated this test into one of the classes, so if you fail the test that means you fail the class. And if you fail a nursing class you have to wait until next year to take it over because classes in my school are only offered once a year. This bothers me because I will be a senior this Fall. This rule is in action right now and the seniors will be taking this PRACTICE NCLEX next week. Can they legally do that!!! It's a PRACTICE EXAM. :uhoh3:

xokelly2

150 Posts

Specializes in Telemetry.

My school started using the HESI diagnostic (last year!) test which is similar in style to the NCLEX. The harder the questions get, the more they are worth. We needed at least an 850 on that to graduate. (Equivelent of a 77%) Although it doesn't sound fair to give you such little prep time, it's pretty much you know it at this point or you don't. The only difference was at my school we could take it a second time if we did not pass it on the first try. Only 20% of the class failed it on the first try. I didn't study for my test because I there was no way I could encompass so much information from ALL of my nursing classes into the preparation for one test, but I was suprised by how much information I KNEW!! Your post reminded me of all the measures we have had to pass to continue on, 45% of the total grade finals, math exams you have to pass to continue, etc...that I wouldn't be suprised to see another step added on. Good Luck you'll be fine. I understand why your'e so fusterated though........xokell

I just took the HESI yesterday and passed. I graduate in 10 weeks (knock on wood!). I think the key to the HESI (and ultimately, the NCLEX) is to get a few NCLEX books and do questions. You'd be surprised how many questions you can go through by doing a few pages a night. I have worked my way through 3 books already.

I also kept a document in Word on my computer, and when I encounter questions that I don't know, I enter topics in this document. Then, I look up the answer and type it in. (For example, I always forget about wide and narrow angle glaucoma). Then, when it was HESI time, I studied from that sheet.

However, I do agree that nursing schools seem a little autocratic in the number of hoops they make students jump through. It seems like everything needs to be passed with a high grade, or you are kicked out of school. I have other degrees, and no other academic programs made it so difficult to get through. Frankly, I think it is a leftover from the bad old days when nurses were expected to be everybody's servants.

No other programs at my school (medicine, etc) have the high grade requirements and "Pass it or else" mentality that nursing does. I realize that people's lives are in our hands, but wouldn't it be nice to treat us a little more humanely?

Oldiebutgoodie

Specializes in Critical Care, Home Health.

We have to take the RN Assessment from ERI in 4th semester. We get two chances to pass or you fail the entire semester. The same week we took it we had to take 2 CAPS, also from ERI, the last test of the semester and our final! It was horrible! Although it is very stressful taking it, I do feel more confident about taking the NCLEX now that I passed the RN Assessment. It just doesn't seem fair to have an entire semester ride on 1 test.

When they implemented this test as a requirement 1 year ago (half way through my program) the school had us all sign a document stating we were aware of the change and accepted it. Did you sign anything?

wonderbee, BSN, RN

1 Article; 2,212 Posts

Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

We had a similar incident with the ERI CAPS testing. The school implemented a new policy for pass/fail the entire course based on that test. We had two. You failed one of them and it was see ya next semester. A group of students took it to the dean. The policy was not implemented.

2ndCareerRN

583 Posts

Can they legally do that!!!

Yes, they can. Their school. Their rules. How is the program's NCLEX pass rate? Perhaps the state board of nursing is looking at their pass rate. Or perhaps the school just wants to improve their pass rate.

Either way, it seems you have two choices.

1. Refuse to take the test, and leave nursing school, or

2. Take the test knowing that you have applied yourself during your education, and know that you will pass.

Of course, with the amount of people who seem to be failing the NCLEX these days, maybe some people aren't applying themselves, and have reason to fear a test like this.

This in no way means the OP, just a random observation I have made lately.

bob

mariedoreen

819 Posts

Specializes in Med-Surg.

Of course, with the amount of people who seem to be failing the NCLEX these days, maybe some people aren't applying themselves, and have reason to fear a test like this.

Grrr :angryfire

KrisRNwannabe

381 Posts

While no school around me has this practice, I don't really see it as a bad thing. The RN program at the school I go to has a 63% pass of the NCLEX and is getting big time pressure from the state board of nursing. This could be in response to poor pass rates. Students in the program complain because instructors try and weed out the ones that struggle. the instructors response: what good does it do if i pass you and you can't pass the NCLEX?? with the long waitlist at schools, the schools want the state board to increase the number of seats in the programs. however, the board won't increase seats at a school with poor pass rates. Some schools require entrance exams to even get into to the nursing school so I don't see the issue with requiring them to graduate.

llg, PhD, RN

13,469 Posts

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

2 of the schools in my area have NCLEX pass rates aroung 50%. I wish they would institute something like that ... and that they would fail a few students earlier in the program in order to open up some clinical spots to give some additional deserving students a chance. There is nothing wrong with having a "final exam" that sets a standard that everyone must meet to graduate. That is standard practice in a lot of educational programs worldwide.

However, I do think there should be a different result of flunking the test than the one described by the original poster -- perhaps a mandatory remedial course and a chance to take the exam again in 3 months -- or something like that. Having to wait a whole year is not good for the student's retention of the material -- and seems way too harsh.

llg

RedSox33RN

1,483 Posts

Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.

50%?!?! Yikes! Makes you wonder where the problem lies that so few students pass.....curriculum? Instructors? Administration not requiring certain grades to continue on? Or just lazy students? It's surprising they're still accredited with those numbers.

xokelly2

150 Posts

Specializes in Telemetry.
However, I do agree that nursing schools seem a little autocratic in the number of hoops they make students jump through. It seems like everything needs to be passed with a high grade, or you are kicked out of school. I have other degrees, and no other academic programs made it so difficult to get through. Frankly, I think it is a leftover from the bad old days when nurses were expected to be everybody's servants.

No other programs at my school (medicine, etc) have the high grade requirements and "Pass it or else" mentality that nursing does. I realize that people's lives are in our hands, but wouldn't it be nice to treat us a little more humanely?

Oldiebutgoodie

I couldn't agree with you more goodie. That was the hardest thing to adjust to in nursing school.

beautimouslove

60 Posts

all a part of nursing school. since my first semester i have had to take those exams and pass with a 85% or better... and have a CLASS on the nclex each semester which i have to pass with a 75% or better. it is nursing school! :chuckle

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