Hesi Exit Test

thanks! I've been using a variety of sources but mainly Saunders. I do wear earplugs but seem to still get distracted when people are moving around and talking loud right next to me. I seem to have problems with the questions that 2 of the answers are right but chosing the BETTER answer is my weakness.

I can understand how you are feeling...We were told towards the end of the nursing program that we were require to particpate in an assessment/predictor before we were able to sit for the state boards. When we started with the review ERI...I did very poorly on my first predictor...then, after the third try I finally got a 850. The school should not impose that in order to graduate is to pass the predictor however, this wasn't the case for us...Our educator gave us many chances because it would look good for the school and, she knows that we can do it....It should not be that a test is the only indicator which saids you can be a nurse. You must find what your weaknesses are which i did and, You should study a few hours a day. I am studying Lippincott, Saunders and Kaplan which will show you how to use strategies to answer questions. I know it is ssooo frustating but keep studying...You all can do it!!!

thanks! Ive been studying...I can do it!!!

No- they will not let us graduate or sit for boards. We will have a "D". Some of us talked to the LPN school & they are considering letting us start in the 4th level & graduate in Dec., which is great, but it doesn't make up for all the time, money, etc. that was just given to the RN program. The school is Southern University Shreveport Louisiana.

We give the HESI but only for guidance for the student- areas they need to study in order to pass NCLEX. Another local school who had to increase their board pass rate by board of nursing mandate also gives the HESI and are requiring a certain score in order to "pass" nursing and sit for the board. I've had students do poorly on HESI and pass boards first try- did they go study, were they having a bad day on HESI, was it a wake-up call.....don't know!
During the LPN exit course I spend a few minutes during each class period using an LPN NCLEX review, do some questions- the students think it is helpful.

Everyone that I've told the situation to are just outraged- most of them are nurses or former nurses. They, too, said that we need to contact someone because it just doesn't sound right. So, I typed a letter & sent it certified mail to 8 different places: La. Governor, State Representatives, NLN, State Board, Board of Regents. By the end of it, I wasn't sure I wanted to sign my name! I'll let you know the outcome.

In the mean time, 4 of us (we are the only ones that looked into it) did get accepted into an LPN program. It's about a 45 minute drive, but it's just until December. Not what I wanted to do, but that's 1 step closer to my RN.

Where have you guys been????

I thought I was the only one who has been feeling this way?
This has been a taboo topic. No body especially nursing educators want to talk about it. I guess it will make them look bad.

We were not told about the HESI Exit Exam until 2 months prior to graduation. It was not on our handbook, either. I and two other classmates were fortunate enough to have passed HESI but the rest did not. I think most freaked out when it came time to taking it. I mean, here you are ready to graduate than they tell you "Oh by the way, we are giving you a HESI test if you don't score 870, you cannot get your degree or sit for boards." That will scare the living daylights out of any nursing students. We all know how hard the program it to begin with.

Well, about the money we spent? What about the 100 or so college credit hours? We completed the program. Why were we used as guinea pigs for this exam? Doesn't this exam mirror the nursing curriculum? Why are the students the only ones being punished?

We need to posts the attrition rates of some of these schools. I agree. There is no reason why 98% of my classmates can't sit for boards. They deserve their nursing degrees. If we weren't good enough to sit for boards, than we should've never matriculated through the nursing courses and completed it.

Now, I have classmates who have no job, no degree, and no more money to go back to school. Besides that, these nursing courses are NOT transferrable to other nursing schools. Lets not talk about the waiting list of the schools. I almost lost one of my classmates because of this. She is traumatize.

Mind you, I don't have any quarrel about using standarized exams. Its a good idea. But, use is appropriately, NOT maliciously. If you read the HESI website it states that faculty must be held accountable.... that this exam is based on remediation...this exam through practice, will decrease students' anxiety upon taking NCLEX.

To all those school adminstrators, help your students succeed. Use the exam after each rotation, examine their areas of weakness before they matriculate onto the next course.
Until then, what about my classmates, and many more others out there?
I passed my NCLEX, the other two did not. So much for HESI's probability.
They will be re-taking it after a review course, therefore I don't want to bother them with this stress.

Please tell me what I could do to help them? Who do I write to? Someone had mentioned a class action lawsuit. Is that possible.? I know someone out there has the answer. One step I am doing is creating a petition and having doctors and nurses where I started working sign it. I had one doctor write his own letter.

My classmates are competent enough to take state boards. Let state boards be the deciding factor of their competence.

Someone had mentioned that we will need close to 2 million nurses in three years. Yipes!

I really think this needs media coverage. I don't have enough resources to do that. I think its a great assest to combine doctors, nurses, nursing educators, alongside with the nursing students who completed the programs to get together with someone. Reporter, State boards, Higher Education? This needs to be exposed.

God Bless you all for doing whats right. Its not about not wanting to take the test. Its about mis using the test in away that punishes the students who have been successful with the program and are not being given their nursing degrees or sit for boards. Its about the programs using the students as escapegoats for their curriculum's deficiencies.

We need more exposure. This requires a team effort.

Thanks for not making me feel alone.

No response? Did I offend anyone? I hope not. I am frustrated just as much as you guys. I looked on the hesit website yesterday. They offer various types of HESI exams. Entrance, specialty, midcurricular, and remediation. Why couldn't our school utilize any of these? Instead, they abandone my classmates, left them with nothing. Not even a degree. I saw one of their college transcript. Where it states Degree type, the school left it blank. Meaning... she did not recieve any type of degree. However, she did have 112 college credit hours. Most are nursing. Which we know are not transferrable.
I am so deeply concern with this form of punishment. I can't understand why the school does not want to help.

Well, if anyone wants to help this cause that is fine. That would be the most honorable thing to do.

I am thankful to read your advocacy in the manner.

2btmannrn,
The people who failed HESI and subsequently were denied graduation need to go to the college as a group and ask the nursing department for any remediation opportunity. If they are denied this, then they really need to see an attorney and explore filing a class action lawsuit so that they might be able to force the school to make some sort of accomodation so that they might be able to remediate, graduate and go on with their careers and lives. I feel very sorry for them in their situation.

It's really rotten that this happened, I wish I could help you more, but I am not a nurse attorney, and will have my hands full when the school starts in the not too distant future. Perhaps they should gather all of their pertinent information and see a nurse attorney. If there are a bunch of them, like you say, then they should be able to split the cost of a consultation (or it could be free) to talk to one of these, to see about any possibilities. I can't give you legal advice, just this idea.

I hope this helps them in some way.

Jane

According to HESI Scoring if you receive the below scores, it predicts by percentage if you will pass the NCLEX RN examination the first time

Greater than 900 predicts 98.3% that you will pass NCLEX the first time
850-899 predicts 94.8%
800-849 89.18%
700-799 76.28%
less than 699 49.1%

This is what the colleges are looking for. They want basically a guarantee that you will pass the NCLEX examination the first time. So, the program can continue to have their accrediation and continued funding from other sources. They do not care if you successfully completed the program, or waste your money, or any other sacrifices you've made. It's all about the program and not the student. It doesn't matter that you accumulated all those non tranferrable nursing credits, and you don't have a degree or license to show for it. The accountability is on the student and student alone.
The difference between the HESI exam and NCLEX.

HESI Exit exam is designed to determine students readiness, for the NCLEX Exam. Thats verbatim from HESI themselves. Also, verbatim from HESI is that faculty must be held accountable.

NCLEX examinations are designed to test the knowledge, skills and abilities essential to the safe and effective practice of nursing at the entry-level. That is verbatim from NCSBN.

Again, I want to state that I do not have any quarrel over the use of a standarized exam. As long as it is with good intentions, helping the students and the nursing curriculum.