My school Sucks!

I think that's a poor attitude. Nurses pay a LOT of money to schools to teach them how to be a nurse. If the students are failing, it is often because the school, as you stated, "sucks." The fact that they are willing to give them remedial classes and help them out tells me that you go to a GREAT school. They are willing to put in the effort to make sure their students are ready to go before grad. To kick someone out after years of hard work, just because of one test? Pathetic!

I doubt you intended it, but I felt you came accross as a bit "snobish" and "entitled." I'm sure you worked your butt off to pass, but I bet every single person that failed worked their butt off as well. Instead of looking down on them, and feeling as though you deserve your degree more, try supporting them and helping them out. This attitude will help you out a great deal when you hit the floor!

Imagine if you didn't know a skill in your new job, and instead of finding someone to help you and walk you through it, they just fired you? Insane!

If a new nurse, or student nurse that you're supervising doesn't know how to do something, are you going to run to your manager and demand that they are fired?

Remember, nursing school is a competition with yourself, NOT with the rest of your class. You aren't winning anything by being happy if your classmates are kicked out of school, or pissed off that they weren't.

Think "us" rather than "me"

just saying....

And my attention wasn't to offend, even if I did.

Sean

:angryfire Well,

I graduate in a couple weeks and my school sucks. We took the comprehensive HESI a few weeks ago and I scored over 900. About half the class scored below 800. Instead of failing, they had to retake it today. If they still have below 850, they still get to walk in graduate but have to come back to remediate in the summer before they get their degree. I think they should just be thrown out. How many free lunches should a peraon get anyway. It seems to me it just cheapens our degree to keep giving people second and third chances. I need someones unbiased opinion here?

Medic

I think that's a poor attitude. Nurses pay a LOT of money to schools to teach them how to be a nurse. If the students are failing, it is often because the school, as you stated, "sucks." The fact that they are willing to give them remedial classes and help them out tells me that you go to a GREAT school. They are willing to put in the effort to make sure their students are ready to go before grad. To kick someone out after years of hard work, just because of one test? Pathetic!

I doubt you intended it, but I felt you came accross as a bit "snobish" and "entitled." I'm sure you worked your butt off to pass, but I bet every single person that failed worked their butt off as well. Instead of looking down on them, and feeling as though you deserve your degree more, try supporting them and helping them out. This attitude will help you out a great deal when you hit the floor!

Imagine if you didn't know a skill in your new job, and instead of finding someone to help you and walk you through it, they just fired you? Insane!

If a new nurse, or student nurse that you're supervising doesn't know how to do something, are you going to run to your manager and demand that they are fired?

Remember, nursing school is a competition with yourself, NOT with the rest of your class. You aren't winning anything by being happy if your classmates are kicked out of school, or pissed off that they weren't.

Think "us" rather than "me"

just saying....

And my attention wasn't to offend, even if I did.

Sean

Well said!!

MediGa, if you were on the other side of the fence, you would think differently. Just because they did not pass the HESI does not mean you will be a bad nurse. Some people are just not good test taker.

OP: I suspect you would think my school "sucks" too. My school recently got rid of the requirement to keep students from progressing or graduating who do not pass the ERI/ATI/HESI type exams each semester. In fact we are still required to take them but the exams results are to let us know where we are in our learning so we have the time and opportunity to correct ourselves before we graduate and sit for the NCLEX. I really really like my school's attitude about this and I feel, as the others, your school is a good one too.

By the way, I am an excellent test taker and have not had any trouble passing any of the standardized exams on my first attempt. However, many of my peers who are very good and very bright students have had trouble passing the exams. They re-mediate (relearn the information) and pass during one of two additional attempts.

My school does a very good job giving opportunities to learn, display skills, show critically thinking abilities, and prove knowledge without the need to use standardized exams. I am sure this is the case with your school as well.

Furthermore, as other posters have pointed out, nursing school is not a competition! It does not matter how others do in nursing school because the performance of others does not have any impact on your success or your failure. Keep in mind, the people who pass with a "C" (barely) to become RNs will be your future co-workers and/or supervisors, so the empathy you show now may help you in the future. Just some thoughts...

Very old nurse with a question here--what's a HESI?

To me, if students are able to pass all the other exams and requirements of the program and then fail the HESI, it reflects more poorly on the program than the students.

I really don't understand why some people get so competitive about school, especially nursing school. Do you think it makes your degree more vauable if others fail? There's a nursing shortage going on. Let's graduate more competent nurses -- which means I don't think that HESI does a very good job or testing competency, at least not compared to every semester of nursing school and clinicals that these students managed to pass.

Come on now. If they passed every test and every clinical, how can they fail the HESI? Must be a reason, like the school really does suck and didn't teach them what they were supposed to know, didn't grade all those tests right, or passed students in clinicals when they shouldn't have.

I also am in clinicals in Louisiana. I just took the Level 1 Hesi and scored an 862. I was so happy! The test was very difficult in my opinion. My final grade was 92. I had a lot of friends who did not make the required 750 and I am so happy that they are able to retest. These were good students and I think they deserve another chance. Your required scores are the same as mine. I wonder if we attend the same school.

I have a very bright friend who is kicking butt in her internship right now. She does not do "brilliantly" on each test because she is not a good test taker.

I, on the other hand, do okay for tests I study for. I take a little more time in the clinical setting learning new things (but they stick, once learned).

I am sorry you feel personally "cheapened" that others are getting special help. I think the HESI is a crock. I want to go through school, take my exams that instructors give me, who I trust to test me on the right stuff (and teach me what I will need to know to pass the nclex).

I have one more year, and I've had a love/hate relationship with school. The HESI is a waste, unless if I take it, then I can have my RN once done with my education. Why give yet one more test?

Very old nurse with a question here--what's a HESI?

It's a comprehensive exam that is often given to students as they enter or exit nursing school, as a gauge of how they might do on the NCLEX exam. I don't know what it looks like on entry, as obviously the student hasn't yet HAD nursing education, but I know there are components that are general ed and therefore predictors. Supposedly.

There are schools that don't allow a student who successfully navigates all of the school's curriculum to graduate that school UNLESS a passing grade is achieved on the HESI. Unfortunate, really, since I don't believe it's the business of the school to base their entire graduation leverage on one exam. And that exam isn't even the SCHOOL'S exam, but rather, a standardized one that one would suggest the SCHOOL is responsible for getting the student through. After all...who taught them?

Most schools, however, are rather focused on the passing rates on the NCLEX for their graduates. If they can "weed out" those who are less likely to pass the NCLEX on the first try, they can claim higher passing rates for each year simply because they haven't allowed anyone they feel might not pass that exalted exam. Creates an unnatural, overblown image of the school's quality of education, but there it is.

Thankfully, my school had nothing whatsoever to do with this process. Do the academic work required, stand up to the scrutiny of instructors during clinicals and evaluations, and pass. Or don't, and fail. Whether you EVER sit for or pass the NCLEX is not their call.

The graduating student who started this thread is missing that vital point: it's none of his or her business, either. Did he (or she) get enough out of that school to feel successful in passing NCLEX and eventually become successful in the first job? Good. Then that's it. How "everyone else" is doing is not her or his issue, and certainly the attitude looks petty as it was presented in here.

thanks RNsRWe and Angel75. "back in the day" (I graaduated in 1986) there was no such test that I'm aware of. Sounds like a pain.

To the OP-just be glad you passed the 1st time and do't have the stress of taking it again. Some of the best nurses I've ever worked with have had to repeat some classes or retake nclex. Relax

MedicGA (the OP) I'll be expecting a post from you in a few months talking about all the mean nurses who eat their young at your new job. You have a lot to learn about the value of your peers.