Hesi Exit Test

Nursing Students HESI

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Hello fellow educators....I am dealing with a dilema which I have no control over as I am a staff member, not administration, but it is just eating away at my concious. My community college uses the HESI exit exam for the ADN and LVN programs. Regardless of how good your GPA is, clinical performance and so on....along April or so, you have to pass a "exit exam" with a score of 850 or better in order to "Walk with your diploma". If you fail to pass the test you are allowed to take it again. If you fail again, you are out. Don't pass go, don't collect you monopoly money!!!! The problem I have with it, and I am not alone in this, IS>>> a couple of students each year per program, fails the HESI, despite being quality nursing students and according to the census of most instructors would pass the NCLEX with no problems. Other schools in our area use the HESi,but as a tool to help the students focus on their areas of weakness. I feel we should not leave it up to a third party vendor to make or break these kids, who have put their lives on hold, pawned everything they own, just to be one of us.

Am I normal to feel this way? I have discussed it with other staff and told it is the policy of the college network, DON'T go there...etc.

Your viewpoints would be appreciated. I just want my students to all have a shot at NCLEX after proving themselves to me, not a private vendor.

ERDude

xqi66

It did me no good to talk to La State Board. I was informed that as long as the school is following the broad range of requirements they are suppose to then they can do what they want. I sent out about 15 letters to different people that I thought could help. I did get several responses. Mostly saying that they will forward my letter to the appropriate person. But State Board called me and that was their response. Myself and 3 others just finished the LPN program here with no problems (awaiting NCLEX).

Specializes in Educator/ICU/ER.

We had a student that did not pass the HESI on the 3rd try and had to audit the Sophomore year. This student took it the 2nd month into the 3rd semester and passed it with an 850. This student has now failed the NCLEX-RN 3 times. I am not sure what is holding this student up, but we gave as much remediation as the student would allow. We were there for the student, but am not sure about the student! She did not have to pay to come to class, or for the remediation that took me hours to gather. I hope she passes soon! This is a very expensive exam to retake that many times!

My school requires a score of 900 to graduate. If the students aren't making the grade I have to wonder why. I was very Blessed to have made 1006 on my exit HESI but 875 was about the average and none of these students passed.

I have passed the HESI now with 1052 but for all that drama it wasnt worth it there is a shortage for nurses but if you really want to become one you have to endure a lot to acheive it

Have you taken the state boards, if so do you think HESI prepared you for it? Which test was the more difficult, HESI or NCLEX?

the Hesi was by far much harder because Nclex adapts to your knowledge not Hesi

Specializes in ICU, Education.

In my MSN program, this was a big discussion. It all centers on accountability and outcomes based education. As the nursing schools are accountable for NCLEX passing rates, they sometimes do everything possible to graduate only students who will pass. Many educators in my program also complained about the unfair admission requirements to thier nursing programs that excluded many potentially great nurses.

Don't feel bad at all- as a student I think I would be lucky to have you as my professor, clinical instructor, advisor, colleague, whatever... Advocating for your students when policies are blatanly unfair is something I wish other nursing faculty would consider. Or at least blogg about it like you did.:yeah:

you are so right and for some students the programs are quite expensive some like me had to go from a fulltime job to part time with no financial help and I kept up did what was required and they almost screwed me over a past fail rate this should be loked into by the state boards but again do you really think people care maybe maybe not

The Hesi test shouldnt keep students from taking boards. I finally passed Thursday. We were told that if you didnt pass Hesi then we wouldnt be able to pass boards, but for the schools that dont have to take it to graduate they are all passing boards without a problem.

that is so true I wish some one would let these schools who swear by Hesi know that and also remember what Hesi is really for and that is an evaluating tool

Exactly!!! I just finished the Paramedic to RN bridge and we had to pass to graduate and now this new class doesnt have to pass it. I counts as 50% of their grade now but we had to pass and the thing is we were not prepared for that test at all because none of our test were designed even close to Hesi.

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