HESI is Wrong ! Let's File Suit

[gasguy1960]

i go to school in montgomery co. texas and have done okay in the nursing program making mainly bs through out the course, but i am not good at taking nursing test. comming from a trade background i have found that when i look at the rationals to the questions i miss it is usually that i thought of things in a common sense way not a test way. that said i have suffered through and i am suppose to graduate in may and then comes hesi. i took the test monday, march 26 and missed passing by 53 points. i can take the test again on 4/27 but i don't like my chances any better at passing it then either, i just don't test well or i at least don't nursing test well. what gives collages the right to keep you from taking the boards if you have completed 2yrs of their bs? isn't the hesi about keeping the pass rate on the first try numbers up for the college? so they look good. i have decided even if i pass the hesi i am going to retain a lawyer and sue the college for it's practice and i think that if they are going to use hesi that they should just factor it into your grade and not ruin your life over one stinking test. i would like to hear some of your options on whether or not ya'll think we should bring a national class action lawsuit to stop this madness. some students in ca. sued and won the right to sit for the board even though they didn't pass hesi and i believe that we deserve that right too. (

[monkeyadale]

No need to define what fighting the system is about to me.......have done it on many an occasion.

Here is where our opinions differ: A person being denied an opportunity because of the color of their skin, etc......an offense worth fighting for.

A student who can not pass a required exit exam after the maximum attempts prescribed by their school policy which they agreed to when they signed up for their program.......not so much.

[jollydogg_RN, ADN, BSN]

well, in our case, it is worth fighting for. and apparently so does the legal system in some cases of students.

take our school.... our student policy outlines when we are supposed to take each hesi and also that remediation is to be instructor driven.... we were told after the second hesi "um.. you need to remediate on your own. we really cant help you"... strike 1.

then... from april 13th to may 27th, we took THREE hesis. strike 2. nowhere NEAR our guideline for the spacing and remediation of hesis.

im just saying if my school was like this with the HESI, chances are others are too

its worth fighting for.

[tfleuter, BSN, RN]

Just because something doesn't compare to something as far reaching as Civil Rights, doesn't mean it isn't worth lobbying for. The students feel they have a grievance, it is worth it to THEM to follow the steps necessary to make themselves heard. In fact, it's their right to do so, so why discourage it or be offended by the comparison?

I hate that so many of you have to go through this. We take a test at the end of our Senior year, but it doesn't matter if we pass it. It is just to give us an idea of how we might do on the NCLEX and give the teachers some data on how they might improve the curriculum...and that's all it should be for.

I agree with you and wish more schools were like yours. These exit examines that can prevent students from graduating from their program, even after maintaining passing grades, only benefits the school and not the students. If it were just about evaluating the quality of their curriculum, then they would allow students (who are otherwise qualified) to graduate regardless of their performance on the exit exam. But NCLEX passing rates are obviously a big deal for schools; they need to maintain a certain standard to keep their accreditation and know prospective students often seek out programs with excellent pass rates. Instead of tweaking their curriculum to ensure that it allows for the maximum amount of success (# of grads who pass the first time), they use an exit exam to weed out any students they see as potentially hurting their percentages.

[jollydogg_RN, ADN, BSN]

Just because something doesn't compare to something as far reaching as Civil Rights, doesn't mean it isn't worth lobbying for. The students feel they have a grievance, it is worth it to THEM to follow the steps necessary to make themselves heard. In fact, it's their right to do so, so why discourage it or be offended by the comparison?

I agree with you and wish more schools were like yours. These exit examines that can prevent students from graduating from their program, even after maintaining passing grades, only benefits the school and not the students. If it were just about evaluating the quality of their curriculum, then they would allow students (who are otherwise qualified) to graduate regardless of their performance on the exit exam. But NCLEX passing rates are obviously a big deal for schools; they need to maintain a certain standard to keep their accreditation and know prospective students often seek out programs with excellent pass rates. Instead of tweaking their curriculum to ensure that it allows for the maximum amount of success (# of grads who pass the first time), they use an exit exam to weed out any students they see as potentially hurting their percentages.

THIS. Trust me, they aren't using these third party examinations to HELP us, they're doing it to PROTECT their pass rate.

[tfleuter, BSN, RN]

I just went over the first 2 pages from this thread and see that my previous comment has been hashed out quite a bit! But I completely agree with post #9 and the way the whole process needs to be revised if nursing schools will continue to be forced maintain certain passing %. I think attrition is just as important as NCLEX passing ratios for indicating a quality curriculum.

[angel40]

first of all congrats on passing. I applaud you for your email. I couldn't have said it any better. Do you have any other advice.

[beachbutterfly]

Cabn you honesly say that you did everything there is to do in order do to pass Hesi?Did you study all you were suppose to and gave your best try?Now you can sit here and lies to all of us,but be honest with yourself. For some reason I feel that those complaing about Hesi didnt study enough.

What is the difference between Hesi and NCLEX? How come you not getting feisty about NCLEX and you not threatening to sue the national council of nurses?

[tfleuter, BSN, RN]

The problem is NOT the test. The problem is what the school decides to do with the results of the test. I think the HESI sounds like a great way for gadging how well soon-to-be grads will do on the NCLEX but it shouldn't determine wheather or not a student gets to graduate after 2+ years of passing grades in coursework and tuition. Seems kind of self-serving of the school to accept a person's tuition payments all through the program and wait till the end to determine whether or not the student is learning everything s/he needs to pass the NCLEX. If a school doesn't think they have the "stuff" to pass the NCLEX, this should be discovered early on (and throughout) the program, not at the end after someone has wasted $10k, $20k, $50k+ in an education they can't use. A bit scandalous if you ask me.

I don't think all schools do this to rob people of their money. Obvioulsy they are attempting to protect their program from slipping into probabtion and possibly being shut down b/c they can't maintain the minimal requirement expected. But instead of evaluating their program to ensure it is quality, they are lazy and simply weed out any students who are a potential liablity.

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

well, in our case, it is worth fighting for.

Oooooooorrrr, worth studying for?

[jollydogg_RN, ADN, BSN]

I'm just curious.... Do you get a kick out of being an antagonist?

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

Antagonistic because I suggest studying? Lol...

In that case, yes I do.

[KAYBDT6, BSN, RN]

Love the suggestion, Ride on!!:nmbrn: