HESI at your school???

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Specializes in ER/ OR/ PACU and now Occupational Health.

:nurse:Hey guys,:nurse:

A few of our 4th level (graduating in a month) RN students are having a MAJOR problem right now and would like to poll other students to see how everyones school uses HESI.

Here is a short rundown of how our school is using it:

We have taken a HESI after each level...med surg, OB, Pedi, etc. We have always been told that it is a way to see how we are doing. When we took them in the past our instructors didn't even really make us pay attention to them and everyone would be joking around and playing during the test. THEN in January 2008 when our last level started they decided to spring on us that we have to take the HESI as not only 15% of our critical care grade but have only 2 tries to pass it with an 850 or we don't get our degree. This would have been OK if our program had not decided to change critical care and smush it into 7 weeks instead of the 12 or 16 weeks that they had done before. SOOOO....we had class 5 hours a day 4 days a week and a test every Thursday. Which leaves no time to study for HESI. All we really had was spring break and even then, we had an outline for a paper due so we could not devote all time to HESI prep.

We took it as a class last Thursday and only 22 of us out of 80 passed it. :madface: Our class average was right at 825. We had NO PREP for this test. When we had Critical Care orientation we were told we would be doing HESI prep all semester to get us ready but it NEVER happened. If the rest of the class does not pass the second time..in 2 weeks, then they are making them repeat 4th level. I passed the HESI myself so I don't want anyone to think I am upset and trying to get back at the school. We are just curious as to how other schools are using this.

My question to all of you is: What does your school do to get you ready for HESI? How many times do you have to take it? What do you have to make to pass? Can you also include the type of program and your state in the post.

We are from an ADN-RN program in South East Texas.

Please let us know how you feel about the entire HESI issue!!!:uhoh21:

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I know how frusterating this can be. At our school we do not take the HESI, but we do take the ERI exit exam. Iam in a BSN program and all throughout school we were not exposed to the ERI (having to take a test after each theroy class etc.). Just last semester they implemented the requirement of having to pass the ERI at three points above the national average to graduate. We get 2x to take it and make the 3 points above or we do not graduate. Out of a class of 36 only 10 people have 'passed'. It is extremely difficult to pass this test when we have not been exposed to it throughout nursing school. I think the reason they have implemented this is because about a year ago our program was put on probation due to a low NCLEX pass rate. I feel that the real problem is how the program is ran, and not how 'smart' the students are. I feel that part of the problem is packing so much projects and research papers and 'busy' stuff into our last semester which does not leave us with ANY time to study for the ERI or the NCLEX.

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I am in a BSN program in Northern Michigan and they recently switched our testing services over to HESI within the last year or so. It is mandatory that we pass every test after each semester Fundamentals, Assessment, Psych, Med/Surg/, peds/ob ect. We can not graduate and get our degree until we pass with an 850 at least on all of our tests. They don't prepare us for the tests at all, instead they tell you that you should know this and this but never go over the material. They expect that we will just know it. My sister just passed her NCLEX and told me the HESI is very hard compared to the NCLEX. As for how they prepare us, they really don't we are just expected to do well or retake them until we pass.

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We take HESI once each semester, but at this time it doesn't count for anything! More of a marker to see how your doing and prepare for the NCLEX

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We took a Hesi after the 2nd semester. But we also take one as a exit exam we have to get a 900 in order for the school to approve us for NCLEX. We have to keep taking it till we pass. I found out today that the average has been 1/3 of graduating classes pass it first time, 1/3 2nd time the others they have to weigh weather it would be best for that student to take the NCLEX anyway. They have had many student do bad on the HESI and still pass NCLEX first time. Go figure.

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Specializes in Orthopedics.

We have to take Hesi in order to graduate. We have to get a 900. It is a BSN program. we have to chances to take it b4 grad. and then we have to take a bridge over summer then you get 2 more times to take it in fall. We have the hesi study guide to read. We have clinicals 4 times a week for 8 hour and classes the fri and sat.We aslo have to do 150 practice questions each wee and turn them in plus 3 hours of recorded questions from medspub program(NCLEX prepared questions I have been told by previous classmates to read the book and do practice questions to prepare. I have the saunders book and it is simular to hesi. STUDY hard

GOOD luck. I will be taking it next month graduation in MAY!!!!!!!

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In our program we take the HESI at mid-curricular and again at exit. A passing grade is 850. If you fail the mid-curricular then you have to do case studies in the areas you did poorly in. If you do not pass the exit HESI, then you get two chances to repeat and pass. You have to pass the exit HESI in order to graduate (no matter what your grades are in class).

This is a school in north Texas with a very high pass rate on NCLEX. It's a tough test but I feel it just prepares you well for boards!

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Specializes in AGNP.

Our program has us take the HESI the week before graduation. We do not have to pass it to graduate, they use it more for a way for us to know where we stand as far as retaining information. I am glad the grade doesn't count in anyway because we have been given no information about the test! We have just been told show up on May 6 at 8:00 to take the HESI, nothing else.

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Specializes in Emergency.

What does your school do to get you ready for HESI?

A week before the HESI we took practice tests that were divided up into Med-Surg, Peds, Management, etc to see what areas we needed more work in. Then a week later, we took the real test. In addition to that, we have been turning in about 30 NCLEX questions a week. It has mainly been a "study on your own" type thing.

How many times do you have to take it?

We only take it once.

What do you have to make to pass?

If you score 900 or above you "passed". Otherwise you have to do an extra 200 NCLEX questions and turn them into the professor. For our last class in the program, our HESI score is worth 13% of our grade. A 900 equals a 90, an 873 equals an 87, and so on.

Even if you do very poorly, you can still graduate as long as the HESI doesn't bring your grade down past a 78% average.

Can you also include the type of program and your state in the post.

ADN program in southern Ohio.

I took the HESI test last week and did pretty well. I made a 957 and I didn't study one bit for the test. I figured I either knew the information or I didn't. I have been doing well in my classes though and reading the text books A LOT. I also take really good, organized notes that I can go back to if I need to brush up on a topic.

Good luck everyone who is taking it soon! Eat a good breakfast and try to relax the day before the test :)

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Specializes in Cardiac, Critical Care, LTC.

Hey PirateRN I think we attend the same school :yeah:

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Specializes in Cardiac, Critical Care, LTC.
In our program we take the HESI at mid-curricular and again at exit. A passing grade is 850. If you fail the mid-curricular then you have to do case studies in the areas you did poorly in. If you do not pass the exit HESI, then you get two chances to repeat and pass. You have to pass the exit HESI in order to graduate (no matter what your grades are in class).

This is a school in north Texas with a very high pass rate on NCLEX. It's a tough test but I feel it just prepares you well for boards!

Hey PirateRN think we attend the same school :yeah:

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Hey PirateRN I think we attend the same school :yeah:

WE DO! And I bet if you think about it you will know who this is!

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