Hesi Exit Test

I understand where you are coming from Dorimar but also thinking about it a test or a grade should not have to decide on how good of a nurse you are or will be. I can have the best grades in class and do excellent work with my patients during clinical time and by not passing the Hesi it will not let me be a nurse and help other and than we wonder why there are not enough nurses out there.

First off the HESI Mid-curricular test is based off the nursing programs syllabus, The exit is a test that HESI designs. I agree with HESI being used, but in the way that my school uses it. I've seen some schools factor into there final grade, that's a much batter approach. The student gets the info needed out of HESI and still is able to move on with graduation, and the much easier NCLEX. The HESI people taught us a BS 3 day review before HESI and they stated that the HESI exit is designed to be 10x harder then NCLEX to guarantee a passing score. At my school if you don't pass HESI you don't graduate reguardless of how well you did in the program.

WITH THAT SAID,
I Scored an 1105 of HESI Yesterday!!!!!!
The highest in my class
We lost 6 out of 40 which really isn't that bad a fail rate. I'm 100% confident that they will pick it up on the 2nd attempt.

excellent!!! you should be very proud!

What we are doing at our college beginning next August is:
Will give our ADN student's the Customized Hesi at the end of the 1st & 3rd semester and the standardized Hesi at the end of the 2nd and 4th semester. They must score an 850 for progression at the end of the 2nd and 4th semester. If they don't they must remediate and retest. We will test them early so they have about 4 weeks to remediate and retest. At the end of the 1st and 3rd semester they will get the equivalent test score to the score they make on the Hesi added into their other test scores. It will count the same as any other test.
We have a career-ladder program that is integrated not blocked.
Until we gave a value to Hesi or incentive for the 850, students did not take it seriously. We had been using it a little differently by giving them a percentage point for the score they received on the HESI and next Fall we will be using it as described above. Already we have seen improvements in the test scores over previous years. Our 1st year students just took the Hesi. About half need to remediate and retest, however many of them have scored in the low 800's. This time there is no consequence should they not make the 850 as long as their GPA equals 80 % or higher. But already we are seeing the students seeing the importance of doing well on the HESI.
Our students can test for their LPN at the completion of their first year so doing well on the HESI is important before the 4th semester.

After reading this thread, I was Sooooo scared of the HESI. So, I have worked very hard this year, not just to pass my tests, but to deeply understand all the nursing concepts throughout my program. I was also worried about being able to pass HESI because of getting mainly Bs in our program. I have been using the HESI prep book as a study guide throughout the year, making sure that I understand all the main concepts presented in each area.

I took HESI this week, being required to get an 850 to progress on to graduation from 1st year and go to 2nd year of my 2 year RN program. I scored in the 95th percentile. I thought that the test was going to be much harder than it was. I was pleasantly surprised.

I still have areas that I need to work on, as a few of my areas scored under 850, but those will be remedied in short order. I was also shocked to see some of my smart classmates leave the testing room with unhappy faces.... but as far as I know, only about 20% of our class has to re-test to pass.

I really have to tell you though. My ego has really taken a beating in nursing school, but the HESI wound up being very very good for me. I know that I'll pass my nclex-pn easily.

Jane

Congratulations!
I am happy to read that some students have found errors in the Hesi, as I will keep that in mind should any of our students have problems.
The bottom line: we need students to be able to pass the NCLEX as all their money will be lost if they cannot pass "that test".

So Cochise is requiring students to pass the Hesi now?! I'm so glad that it wasn't required when I graduated... I don't remember what my score was, I guess I didn't take it seriously!, but I did do excellent in my studies and passed my NCLEX at 75 questions. I would have been so upset if I wasn't allowed to graduate because I didn't pass a great "testing tool", but money-driven, college pass-rate protecting Hesi exam! Use the Hesi as a tool, or maybe even factor it into a grade so it's taken seriously if you must, but let the NCLEX do what it's supposed to do, not the Hesi!

RC2007 - a community college in Illinois

the community college i attend also uses the hesi to determine pass or fail. they also have the insane policy ( i assume it is state wide) that if you withdraw or fail a class twice you are out of the program for 2 years, can not apply to any nursing program in the state in that time. so if you fail the hesi and you previously failed or with drew from a class sometime in the past 2 long years of your life you are out for 2 years and have to restart the program from the first semester. I am in that situation now only i didnt make it to the end and take the hesi. i am not going to retake classes i already passed and paid for. they are suppose to review this policy this summer and possibly do away with the hesi or only use it for a guide for the students. if they do not change this policy and the hesi test i will be staying at this college only to get my prereqs for my BSN because the tutition is cheaper and then transefer to a 4 yr university. the hesi test is for the college to make money off of . I also am fed up with the teachers they get side tracked during thier lecture and start telling stories from thier nursing career or about getting drunk and i am sitting there waiting for the lesson... that are simply power points and almost word for word from the book but that is a whole new thread.............

I think the hesi should be given only to see if a student needs remedation and not be given at the end of the program and prevent graduation. I have talked to students that have taken it as an exit exam and the answers where not what they were taught in the program and they proved it to the teachers.. nursing schools do not need exit exams the nclex should be plenty to show the ability of the school for accreditation.. hence the reason my school has the hesi because they almost lost thier accreditation a few years ago before they started using the hesi because alot of people were not passing the nclex.