Hello, I am a nursing student at Rhode Island College in Providence, RI. I have just recently been denied graduating and receiving my degree from the RIC School of Nursing due to being unable to reach a set cut-score, or benchmark, set by the college on a Progression Policy, high-stakes, standardized comprehensive exit exam called the HESI. I made it all the way to the end of the four-year program, with honors in Sigma Theta Tau and a 3.527 GPA, just to be told that I cannot receive my degree because I didn't reach this benchmark set by the college. This is not a national exam, and in some literature, the HESI exit exam has been proven to be an inaccurate predictor of who would pass or fail the NCLEX examination. It has also been said that schools who use the HESI as a requirement to graduate from their programs are just using this measure in order to "protect their NCLEX pass rate". In my opinion, the schools should be providing a sufficient education to their students for them to be able to pass the NCLEX and not have to rely on a third-party vendor test making company to prepare its students for the NCLEX. This is an injustice being done to myself, other students at the college, and many other students throughout the country. We have all spent thousands of dollars and years of our lives devoted to these nursing programs, just to be denied our degree and graduating due one test that has nothing to do with the curriculum provided by the program. Not to mention, myself and all of my classmates were completely unaware of the HESI until we were at least half-way through the program. This sneaky, underhanded practice needs to stop, so I have attached the link to a petition that I have just started to stop the HES exit exam as a requirement to graduate from Rhode Island College's Nursing Program. Maybe if I can make a difference at my school the effects will reach other schools and we can all put an end to this problem. We all deserve a chance to fulfill our dreams of becoming nurses and don't deserve to be robbed of this right by these nursing programs. Thanks for reading and please help by signing my petition!! You can be anonymous, and its free!! Thanks!!!
Stop the HESI exit exam at Rhode Island College!
This is the link to the petition. Thanks for signing!!!!
The HESI has nothing to do with the curriculum provided for the program? I sure wouldnt want to attend your nursing program if thats true. The HESI is very similar to the NCLEX and scores above a certain mark do indicate your likelyhood of passing NCLEX (>900). Schools should prepare students for passing the NCLEX and I dont see why using a third party testing company is wrong considering they have research to back up their claims. I dont know if the cut off score for your school is unrealistic, but I think that your school didnt prepare you well enough if you couldnt pass. A high GPA doesnt guarantee that you'll pass the NCLEX nor will simply graduating. I do think your school should give multiple attempts or have some sort of remediation but I see nothing wrong with it being a requirement.
I'm guessing, like the majority of nurses out there, that you didn't have to take a third-party vendor progressive, high-stakes exit exam like the HESI in order to receive your degree and sit for the boards...
I think you guessed wrong. I think you will find that these tests are quite common, your predicament is not all that unlike what others face. In my program we had to take either a HESI or Kaplan exam as a final exam and it would count anywhere from 25-70% of our grade. Before graduation we also had to pass a final exit exam by Kaplan and score over a 70% to continue. We had 3 chances and if we did not pass them we had to retake Med/Surg 3 again next year.
I don't see this as such a problem and I applaud nursing schools trying to maintain passing standards. I am sorry you have not passed but I would spend my energy discussing the issue with the nursing faculty and determining what you need to do to earn a passing grade.
All that I was aware of upon starting the program is that there would be an exit exam at the end of the program. I assumed that it was made and given by the college, since nowhere in the handbook, application, or any documentation or paperwork pertaining to the program did it state otherwise. I just think the school needs to be more transparent about the HESI being given as the exit exam, that's all. For the people out there who's school's gave the HESI exit exam, were you aware of it before your entrance into the program? It's kinda hard to just drop out of a program after years of hard work put in and thousands of dollars spent... And Mikki, I wish that they would have introduced us to the HESI in previous courses like your school did, maybe I would have known how to study for it.
And for anyone out there who had to take the ATI, I took the ATI comprehensive exam at the beginning of the last semester of the program in which HESI was given at the end (which doesn't make any sense) and it predicted that I had a 97% probability of passing the NCLEX on the first try. Also, rob4546, I heard that Kaplan was one of the easiest programs out there, but I never had any experience with that company's products.
Also, rob4546, I heard that Kaplan was one of the easiest programs out there, but I never had any experience with that company's products.
This is a matter of personal preference. I took the Kaplan and the HESI and felt neither was terribly hard. I also felt the NCLEX was much easier than either Kaplan or HESI, but again this is my experience.
All that I was aware of upon starting the program is that there would be an exit exam at the end of the program. I assumed that it was made and given by the college, since nowhere in the handbook, application, or any documentation or paperwork pertaining to the program did it state otherwise. I just think the school needs to be more transparent about the HESI being given as the exit exam, that's all. For the people out there who's school's gave the HESI exit exam, were you aware of it before your entrance into the program? It's kinda hard to just drop out of a program after years of hard work put in and thousands of dollars spent... And Mikki, I wish that they would have introduced us to the HESI in previous courses like your school did, maybe I would have known how to study for it.
So what's the problem? You knew there would be an exit exam and that's what the HESI is. And I guarantee you that somewhere in your handbook or on a syllabus it says that it is subject to change. You are trying to blame the fact that you failed on someone else.
You say you are trying to bring awareness to the situation...many of us have had to take and pass the exit HESI to graduate, plus HESI exams at the end of each quarter or semester, and the majority us were perfectly aware of that fact. I am not sure how raising awareness is necessary. Your school has every right to make you pass an exam to pass the program.
When I graduated from my nursing program 4 years ago we had to take the HESI exam as our final exam, and had to pass the exam in order to successfully complete the final semester. It was stressful! I am sorry you are in this position after 4 years of studying!
Specializes in Occ. Hlth, Education, ICU, Med-Surg.
You were aware that an exit exam was utilized. The college doesn't have to specifically detail which exam...that would lock them into a "contract" with current and future cohorts. It would not allow the flexibility the staff needs to utilize, review, discard, etc. an exam that did not fit the curriculum needs.
The fact that you knew there was an exit exam requirement is enough. It was your responsibility to prepare throughout the program for the exam by understanding, knowing, and being able to critically analyze and apply the information you've been given throughout your course of study. Passing an exit exam demonstrates that you have successfully synthesized the material....failing is an indication that you did not and that you need further preparation before attempting the NCLEX.
I did know there would be a comprehensive final from the beginning. I went over the handbook and the catalog with a fine tooth comb before starting nursing school. I didn't specifically know that it would be HESI, but considering my school's relationship with Evolve/Elsevier, it would be surprising if it wasn't.
You study for the HESI exam the same way you study for the NCLEX. You must have a firm grasp of the content, you must understand test taking strategies that help you pick the correct answer (can help even if you have no idea), and you must do practice questions. Many of my classmates did the Hurst review before it was time to take the HESI.
All that I was aware of upon starting the program is that there would be an exit exam at the end of the program. I assumed that it was made and given by the college, since nowhere in the handbook, application, or any documentation or paperwork pertaining to the program did it state otherwise. I just think the school needs to be more transparent about the HESI being given as the exit exam, that's all. For the people out there who's school's gave the HESI exit exam, were you aware of it before your entrance into the program? It's kinda hard to just drop out of a program after years of hard work put in and thousands of dollars spent... And Mikki, I wish that they would have introduced us to the HESI in previous courses like your school did, maybe I would have known how to study for it.
And Mikki, I wish that they would have introduced us to the HESI in previous courses like your school did, maybe I would have known how to study for it.
I understand your frustration since you have gone through 4 years of schooling, only to be denied sitting for boards due to a single exam. However, knowing that you did have a HESI exam coming up, there are many resources you could have used to explore how to study for it, including this website. In fact, a Google search gives numerous study materials and information about the exam.
I had no idea what HESI was when I was accepted into a local nursing program. Instructors included information about HESI exams in the syllabi presented at the beginning of each semester, but they didn't tend to yield tons of information. You bet that the class researched each upcoming exam via Google and Allnurses to assess how to best prepare for it. While HESI exams were not my favorite way to spend time, it did have its uses, and showed me what I needed to work on.
My school requires that we take a exit HESI at the end of the program. With the exit HESI we also have to take "specialty" HESI and the end of each course (funds, pharm, med/surg, etc). You fail the specialty exams you fail the class. You don't pass the exit HESI you don't graduate. Plain and simple.
All of that was explained to me BEFORE i even took the entrance HESI and enrolled in my first courses. Ignorance of the rules is not a valid defense.
Nursynursenurse, ADN, RN
114 Posts
The HESI has nothing to do with the curriculum provided for the program? I sure wouldnt want to attend your nursing program if thats true. The HESI is very similar to the NCLEX and scores above a certain mark do indicate your likelyhood of passing NCLEX (>900). Schools should prepare students for passing the NCLEX and I dont see why using a third party testing company is wrong considering they have research to back up their claims. I dont know if the cut off score for your school is unrealistic, but I think that your school didnt prepare you well enough if you couldnt pass. A high GPA doesnt guarantee that you'll pass the NCLEX nor will simply graduating. I do think your school should give multiple attempts or have some sort of remediation but I see nothing wrong with it being a requirement.