HESI exit exam as a requirement to graduate from the Rhode Island College Nursing Program

[Rachel1001]

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!!!!

Stop the HESI exit exam at Rhode Island College! Petition

[gatorgirl8888]

I just graduated with my BSN on May 1, 2015 and we all had to successfully pass the HESI. The higher the score on the HESI, the better transition assignment we were given. I think it's pretty standard.

[Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM]

For what it's worth, this is almost word for word the argument against licensure exams themselves when they were first proposed. "I already did(the old way), so I think it's wrong to have to prove it(the new way)." "Passing a state board exam doesn't mean somebody will be a good nurse, so why do it?"

Wrong-headed then, and wrong-headed now.

[h=4][/h]

Notice the topic isn't Boards but HESI and many professions require licensure exams.

I stand by my comments.

[Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM]

**Facepalm**

So you think it's perfectly acceptable for someone to have a 4.0 and not be granted their degree when HESI is not 100% proven to be a predictor?

What other profession do we do this with? Oh that's right, we don't.

So why don't you give us your plan of how Boards of Nursing should identify substandard nursing programs if schools are only granting degrees to those that pass a test that has not 100% proven to be a predictor on the NCLEX?

Facepalm all you want but that's a far easier response than coming up with an actual plan.

Students deserve to know what the true rate is. That makes a difference in admissions. Maybe schools should start posting the number of graduates that finished all coursework that they refused to give degrees to. I believe quality nursing programs should be transparent.

[springchick1, ADN, RN]

So you think it's perfectly acceptable for someone to have a 4.0 and not be granted their degree when HESI is not 100% proven to be a predictor?

They shouldn't be granted a degree because they didn't meet the requirements of their program. It doesn't matter what their GPA is. I'm not sure why so many people have a hard time understand this.

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

Your thread has been moved to the Nursing Schools and Colleges forum where the other school specific discussions are. We hope you will receive additional responses in this new location.

[Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM]

They shouldn't be granted a degree because they didn't meet the requirements of their program. It doesn't matter what their GPA is. I'm not sure why so many people have a hard time understand this.

Go back and read my posts and you'll see why I have an issue with it.

It's far deeper than just the test.

[S. Dogg]

If you didn't want to sign the petition, just don't sign it. No one ask if you believe it's unfair. I attend a totally didn't school and it wasn't told to us that it is a requirement of graduation until half way through school. Having to pass this test is unfair because the schools are saying it predicts how you will do on Nclex, which is not the case.

[S. Dogg]

I can't believe what I am hearing from most of the people on this site. If you don't want to sign her petition...DON'T!!!!!!! All of the reasons why you feel her petition is invalid is irrelevant. She did not ask any of you for your opinion on whether she should start a petition. She is stating her problem and her solution. None of you are in a position to tell her she shouldn't receive her degree.

"Rachel1001" ignore the negativity and the meaningless opinions. If it isn't constructive criticism, ignore it. Ignorant people will always have an irrelevant opinion.

[WilMarsh]

Wow- I've been a nurse in various capacities (ICU/CCU, PACU; full time, part time, per diem) for 35 years. I am appalled at the caustic, demeaning & extremely unsupportive "comments" posted to this nursing student who probably would be an outstanding nurse, given the opportunity by the nursing school who failed her. We have all seen the hazing that nurses do to new hires- give them the worst assignments, first admit, total care patients. You all complain about mandated overtime or weekends, holidays, call, etc. However, we eat our young, we are our own worst enemies- we should be ashamed & disgusted. But we continue to bash the new nurses, this nursing student who had her dreams dashed. And it very likely happened not because she didn't read the fine print, but because the school changed its policy mid course because it's program wasn't performing well on the boards. The college needs to regroup, start at the freshman level & correct the flaws in the program. Support the students caught in the middle. Having a passing score on the Hesi exam should not prevent one from matriculation; it should count as a percentage of the grade. And if the student is not passing the Hesi, when said student & her family have invested thousands of dollars in her education, that school has a commitment to that student to support her, to earn her BSN. What a racket otherwise.

I am sickened by those of you who posted that this nursing student screwed up. Blame the program. We all have an obligation to support our young nurses & those who belong in the profession but are robbed when these programs are trying to save face. We are supposed to advocate for others; a great number of you are kicking her to the curb. Shame on you; I hope that in your time of need, you'll be cared for by a nurse that deserves to be there. No one should be denied their degree, after a lot of work and money, based on a program's desire to look good. We need to support these students; God knows we've been supporting the colleges financially without guarantee of them changing their requirements based on whim.