HESI question: Please Read all the way.

[jollydogg_RN]

Ok. My HESI scores have been as follows: (I recently just "finished" an ADN program this month

1.) 600 (I took the first one when we had three weeks left of our third semester. I admit, I was totally unprepared)

2.) 724

3.) 764

4.) 838. And this is where my question comes into play. (We took this during FINALS WEEK.)

We signed a contract to our student hand book at orientation during the summer before we started. I got a copy of the part about the Comprehensive Exit Exam (we didnt know the name of the exam at that point, or what the passing rate was.) and it states on the 5th time if the student does not pass, your grade changes from an 'I' to an 'F'. Ok.. so its in the handguide. All along, during our first and especially our second year, we hear that we get more than 5 times. We hear that we wont fail, we will just keep taking it until we pass. So here we are, a week before we graduate this month, and theyre like "well, you might as well get another attempt in before graduation, because you'll have more chances". SO, not thinking anything, we took it during busy graduation week, and there are still 17 of us who have not passed it. Now we just found out yesterday that we will be failed out of the program if we fail this next HESI. We wouldnt have taken it so close to the third attempt and during FINALS week had we have known our 5th attempt wasnt our last! I know, I know.... we signed a handguide saying we "knew" this... but all along we were told we weren't really limited to 5 attempts.

Also, we had technical problems with two of the medication administration questions during our fourth attempt (which happened to be V-1 retake... so one of the questions on V-1 was screwed too). It was a question about sliding scale insulin where the chart would not pop-up.. therefore no way to correctly answer the question. Also, another question did not give complete information and was determined that it was messed up too. I know myself, and several other students were in the mid to upper 840s, and one person even got a, no joke, 849.

IF A TEST LIKE THIS IS SUPPOSED TO DETERMINE OUR FUTURE AS NURSES, ISN'T IT WRONG THAT SOME OF US COULD POTENTIALLY PASS IF THESE QUESTIONS WERE ABLE TO BE ANSWERED?? This test is already ridiculous as it is, why should we also be having to deal with TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES on the test?

We talked to our DON, and she said "it wouldnt have mattered, those questions could be worth tenths of a point" She said it wouldn't have even mattered for the girl who was an 849. This is ridiculous. I've only seen whole number scores on HESI results.

Im not trying to be like "wah wah i didnt pass the HESI". We've taken Hurst review, we've studied our asses off. We're being hurt because of inability to PHYSICALLY ANSWER the problem. A technical difficulty. Yet our DON is "no longer entertaining questions about the exam"

Is this right? I know, some might say "well would you sue the school if you failed the NCLEX?"

THIS ISNT THE SAME THING. IM LEFT IN THE DARK, 30K IN DEBT, WITH **NO*** DEGREE. It would be different if i had a freaking degree to show for it. Now Im left with one chance, and several us could possibly pass due to these TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.

This is just so irritating and insane. Do I have a case here? Im so sorry if my post is annoying, Im just trying to get input here. It's very upsetting that people could care less.

It seems we should be rewarded a re-take, and not only that, my computer shut off at 152, so i had to wait 20 minutes while we got my test back up, then i missed 4 from 153-160. just very upsetting.

Any advice on this and who we should contact or what we should do?

[jollydogg_RN, ADN, BSN]

by your logic, i guess that half of the nursing student forums should be cut out then.

[Bicster]

by your logic, i guess that half of the nursing student forums should be cut out then.

If you are failing a test 4 times, then maybe you need to do the cutting yourself.

[jollydogg_RN, ADN, BSN]

If you are failing a test 4 times, then maybe you need to do the cutting yourself.

im glad you passed your HESI the first or second time. Im jealous, actually. but unfortunately for you, im not cutting myself out of anything. im here to stay, so the world might as well get used to me, lol.

so... however you want to think about it is your opinion =)

if an exit exam is determining my future, i have every right to have a COMPLETE and ERROR FREE exam. i should not have points deducted due to technical difficulties with the exam. i should not be penalized because content is missing from the question.

[DaFreak71]

If you are failing a test 4 times, then maybe you need to do the cutting yourself.

Sounds like someone is having a bad case of the "Monday's".

[Bicster]

im glad you passed your HESI the first or second time. Im jealous, actually. but unfortunately for you, im not cutting myself out of anything. im here to stay, so the world might as well get used to me, lol.

so... however you want to think about it is your opinion =)

if an exit exam is determining my future, i have every right to have a COMPLETE and ERROR FREE exam. i should not have points deducted due to technical difficulties with the exam. i should not be penalized because content is missing from the question.

my point is that it should not have to come down to a question or two. you should have so much padding thats its a non-issue.

[NoviceRN10]

So what was the result of your meeting with faculty over this issue? You never said whether you benefited from it or not.

[jollydogg_RN, ADN, BSN]

Were not sure yet. We sent in a typed documrn yesterday. Ugh. Document. We will most likely find out next week. I'm pretty sure the issue will be resolved

[Scorpio,LPN]

We havnt had any tech. diff. but maybe you could call the 800 HESi number and go at it that way. As far as getting a higher score the next time around, dont you get the rationales (excuse the spelling) and remidiation? We have taken many HESI's focused ones, and a practice V2 and my numbers have been way above 900, but as far as preparing call HESi and find out where you remediation is, maybe it will help. I'd be frustrated to, over the whole situation honestly though in my experience arguing with faculty just makes you more frustrated. A couple of girls I go to school with had issues and they found that faculty generally sticks to together and backs each other up. It sucks to say but it's a "It Is What It Is" type deal, my heart goes out to you! Try to focus on what you can change:) Good luck on your next one, I'm sure you'll be ok, your scores keep going up:)

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

my point is that it should not have to come down to a question or two. you should have so much padding thats its a non-issue.

I have to agree. It really shouldn't come down to one or two questions. That's why I said, Go get studying. I know you are angry OP, but like the PP mentioned, you need to channel that anger into studying.

History has proven on these boards that schools don't usually change their mind on HESI issues.

Forget about the past, and start studying for the future-now.

[jollydogg_RN, ADN, BSN]

why should i forget about the past if we can take action as students and possibly change something for the better for students who might will be going what we went through?

im studying at the same time. but also, im going to be an advocate for those who are possibly going through what our class has gone through.

we've been taught for two years to be a patient advocate. we cant just sit by and let our administration treat us like this. constant disrespect, a lack of commitment on their end. an exam that determines our CAREERS as nurses that is riddled with errors and unanswerable questions.... if our class stands together (which is what we have done) then yes, we CAN make a difference.

we fully plan on passing this next hesi, like someone said, my scores always go up. but still, i dont want future students to go through the garbage that we are going/went through. no one should have to do that.

[Bicster]

an exam.......that is riddled with errors and unanswerable questions....

according to whom? failing the hesi 4 times gives those claims very little credence. the hesi, while i consider it unnecessary, is actually a very well written test. this is especially true compared to the garbage that many of our professors put forth as "exams."

[jollydogg_RN, ADN, BSN]

when there are graphs associated with the questions that dont pop up when they are supposed too, leaving you to guess how much insulin to give based on a sliding scale. would you ever, EVER guess how much insulin to give a client? no. this is why you double check insulin administration with another RN. thats ridiculous.

or when half of the question doesn't appear on the screen for whatever reason god knows why.

stuff like this has happened *each* exam that we've had. we've told the proctors and they say to write the questions down and turn them into elsevier and to our instructors, which we do.

does it help? no. and then our dean says "well this is the first time ive heard of this"

this is whats frustrating.