Need help with Hesi

[JordanfromGa]

I am in my first semster of nursing. Taking pharm, physical assessment, and fundamentals. I have done right at 80% in all my classes except pharmacology. I had to take microbiology and microbiology lab along with my classes because it was a prerequisite I didn't do. My problem wasn't passing the classes. I am having trouble with the hesi. I failed the pharm with a 797 and physical assess with a 790, my school requires 850. My school gives us topics, which I did with a study group, and I knew the topics well. I knew the study guides better than half of my group. But the problem is the hesi wants nursing interventions or what would the best action be, and that just isn't covered in our book! Where can I get some help to find the type of answers they are looking for? I have to take my pharm on Dec. 2nd, and physical again on Dec. 8th. I worrying sick that I will fail them.

[mrsboots87]

This is entirely what nursing school is about. Learning interventions and best actions. Hesi uses NCLEX style questioning and if that style of question came as a shock to you then your program is doing you a great disservice by not using that style of questioning for tests. You need to learn the appropriate interventions and best actions for more than just passing the tests, but for actually practicing as an actual RN. This is critical thinking. You need to see signs and symptoms or a disease or a med or whatever and use what you have learned to find the best action to take. Memorizing facts won't help you. Most books don't spell out these things for you. You need to think about it.

As as for how to practice this style of questioning just get an NCLEX test prep book. It will help you in class and in preparing for NCLEX. NCLEX prep doesn't wait until you graduate. It starts your first day of school, and from the sounds of it, you have not been prepared. GL

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

Do you have practice books? I just took my ATI which is similar to what you are taking but ours are on levels. We had to score a level 2 which I did. We have ATI books for each class. I went through the fundamentals one and many questions came from our study books.