Am I Right to be Concerned

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Hi everyone,

A some of you know, I have been considering doing an LPN program at a vocational type school. However, I noticed from the archives here that many people have trouble passing the HESI exam since it is allegedly harder than the NCLEX. My knowledge of the HESI is very limited as I always thought one only needed to pass the NCLEX to become an LPN. But it seems that many schools use the HESI (including many in my area) in order to inflate their NCLEX pass rate. Has anyone here taken the HESI? More importantly, should I avoid schools that require it? I am confident that I will pass my individual courses since I am a dedicated studier (I already have a BS with a 4.0) but never before have I taken a single comprehensive exam that determined my entire fate. All of my exams I have ever taken only covered info for one class.

Any advice? All of the CC nursing programs in my area seem to be hard to get into due to constant media stories about the "nursing "shortage." So I am stuck with the for profit schools. One idea I had (and it may sound crazy) was to do a respiratory therapist program and then use that to get into the Excelsior ADN program. My mother, an RN, did her hospice certification courses through Excelsior and they adequately preapred her to pass the test on the first try. So my opinion of the school is high.

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Specializes in SNU/SNF/MedSurg, SPCU Ortho/Neuro/Spine.

You should not avoid it! If you got a 4.0 that means you are intelligent, even though nursing is a different field it is still school. Now, regarding the HESI it's something important that kinda tests you on what you learned in school, and just to let you know, if not hesi, they will use Kaplan, or ATI, which are all basically the same type of thing. Also so you know all schools give you that test every semester so you have to take it throughout your course, then you have to take the final predictor one, once you are on the last semester. Anyways don't let this scare you at all, it's ok, just study, have fun, learn and be your self. Nursing school was a life changing experience and I would start it all over again if I needed to. You make so many true friends, you learn so much even about your self!

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Thanks for the advice, but it definitely puts a lot of pressure on someone knowing that they can't graduate even if they pass all their classes unless they pass an exit exam. I know of no other programs that do this (eg: law schools, accounting schools, etc.). Before I enroll in a program that requires the HESI, I am definitely going to give serious thought about goign the Excelsior route. At least with Excelsior, I will graduate as an RN (not an LPN) and I will have a degree that is NLN accredited (unlike an LPN diploma that is not).

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Specializes in SNU/SNF/MedSurg, SPCU Ortho/Neuro/Spine.

Hey nothing wrong with private schools! I went to one and I would recommend to anyone!

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Does anyone else have any insights about the HESI exam? After reading about all of the horror stories here and on other wesbites, I am not sure I want to attend any program that requires it. I've read stories of peopel taking it 3 and 4 times.

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The HESI wasn't that hard. I got an 85 (we need a 77 at least). Of course that's just one to get into a program. I know what you mean by being scared that you'll do all this work but if you don't pass the HESI, you can't graduate. I'm sure II'll be freaked out about it when my turn comes to take the final HESI.

But it's just a test!!! Don't limit yourself to just programs that require the HESI, you may miss out on a great program! Oh and by the way here in MA high school students have to pass the MCAS in order to graduate ( thank god I didn't attend a MA high school), so it's not uncommon to have a special test to graduate.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Check with your states BON in regards to accepting Excelsior. Many states DO NOT accept their graduates for eligibility to sit for the NCLEX. Plus, what would it matter if you have to take an exit exam, if you know your stuff, the HESI, ATI, Kaplan, etc. would be of little consequence...

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I've heard that the HESI is harder then the NCLEX. Plus, with the NCLEX, I can take it multiple times if I fail. But some schools only let you take the HESI twice.

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I agree with the previous poster that you should check with the BON about whether Excelsior would be accepted in the state you plan to practice. The other thing to consider what if sometime in the future after receiving your license you decide to move to another state that doesnt accept it??

Feels like i graduated when dinosaurs roamed the earth, so I have had no personal experience with the HESI or API,but I know plenty of other nurses who have had to take the test. Some thought the exit exam was harder than NCLEX. Others were dismissed from the program without being able to take the NCLEX. I have heard recently that there are students that are forming groups to legally stop the HESI/API exit exams. Although I dont know how successful that might be, i am thinking the test are unfair in that they are being used for a purpose that they were not intended. From what i understand these tests were created to assess and improve the nursing programs by allowing instructors to figure out where students strengths and weaknesses lie and adjusting the teaching methods accordingly.

Now the good news.....I have heard there are programs that dont use these tests, although they are few and far between. Good luck in whatever u decide.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Just wanted to shed some light on the "in order to inflate their NCLEX pass rate" comment. In order to maintain accreditation, a school's graduates MUST achieve a very specific NCLEX pass rate. Failure to do so will put the accreditation in jeopardy.

So, yeah - schools want to make sure that they have acheived the right outcome before stamping "graduate" on anyone's transcript. I would think that students would want that also - why pay for an inferior product? And - with any commercial school (for profit) you will be paying ~ 4X what you would in a traditional school . . . so you should certainly want to get your money's worth.

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I would actually practice in NY. And since Excelsior is headquartered in NY, I'm sure they are accepted here.

So unless I find a program that does not make graduation contingent based on the HESI, I will likely go the respiratory therapist route. Who knows, maybe I will like the RT profession and stick with it. Does anyone have any idea on how comparable their pay is to RNs and LPNs? From my research, it seems they make more than LPNs, but I am not sure about RNs. (pay is not my main factor in deciding on a profession).

In a worst case scenario, I would pass all of my LPN classes, pay $20k to the school, and fail the HESI. Why go down a route that can have such a horrible ending? And to add insult to injury, NONE of my nursing classes would be transferrable to any school, Excelsior included. Excelsior only accepts nursing classes from RN programs, not LPN.

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I'm very glad I found these forums before I enrolled in any nursing program. Before I joined, I knew squat about NS, other than the fact it was hard and you needed to pass the NCLEX. I never heard of the HESI until I saw a thread about it (froms someone who could not pass it) a week ago. After learning about the exam, I did some research on it and was appalled at what I found. I'm all for entrance exams, but I think exit exams are going a bit far.

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