Who else thinks that this is unfair?

[EternalFeather]

I swear they're hyping up NCLEX too much that they're forgetting the actual NCLEX.

It is not fair to be denied graduation just because a software which is supposed to be used for studying is used as a tool to determine who graduates nursing school.

HESI is even harder than the NCLEX and its just not fair.

Is it really even 100% evidenced based that people who did at least 850 on HESI exit passed the NCLEX? Every NCLEX review company says that!!

I would ask a faculty member and their response would be that students who used this software have the tendency to pass the NCLEX. Yeah, thats great so are other study sources!

There are other softwares for studying with exit tests. And people who took them regardless if they passed or not, got to take the NCLEX and still passed the NCLEX. They dont even ask for a high score to pass. This "850 predictor" is just absurd!!

I know I sound very bitter mad, but I have the right to be. I spent so much time studying for this elitist type and judgmental testing.

My school, 2 months before graduation decided to switch to HESI. We werent oriented on how to use the software and materials. And they sent us a paper basically saying "You're gonna take this company's exit exam. Pass it to graduate. You get 2 chances or you fail the class. Oh, and since they're saying their national average score is 850, you need an 850 to pass."

Also, they have some peculiar scoring system. Like, 2 people could get the same percentage score but different hesi score. Like 2 people could have 77% but only 1 of them got the "passing score."

My class just took the hesi exit today. only 5 out of 40+ people passed... So, more than a third of the class is going to NOT graduate... We were all depressed, I'm super depressed! It really did a good ******* job of making me and maybe my classmates feel like failures, like stupid, after all the time and effort spent to study for it.

The test was horrible! 160 questions and timed 3hours. It takes at least a minute just to read and comprehend the questions and choices. there are questions with audio and video that are around 1 minute in length and there is loading time to consider. So, do we really get enough time? heck no!

Don't get me wrong. It is a great tool for studying and preparing for the NCLEX, and thats it! Yet, why are schools using it determine who graduates and it seems like every nursing school is jumping the bandwagon - just like my school? This trend is utter crap.

I mean if a faculty or a clinical nurse takes it, they're not gonna get a high score but you know that they are knowledgeable nurses.

I am very frustrated and disappointed due to this issue.

I refuse to let my HESI score determine me.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Yet, why are schools using it determine who graduates and it seems like every nursing school is jumping the bandwagon.

Because nursing schools depend on their NCLEX pass rates to be competitive, and they want to weed out anyone who has a statistical likelihood to not pass the NCLEX. It does seem unfair, though. The way my school did it is that we all had to take the HESI exit exam, and anyone below a certain score had to take the 2-day NCLEX prep class or they couldn't graduate. Anyone who scored above that cutoff, the prep class was optional (but many of us went to the class anyway - why would you not??).

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I had to pass an exit exam prior to graduating an LVN program in 2005. I also had to pass one prior to completing an LPN-to-ASN transition program in 2010. The concept of exit exams is not anything new or novel.

Nursing programs are tightly regulated by respective state board of nursing. Students who fail NCLEX negatively impact the school's first-time pass rate. If the first-time pass rate is too low, the state BON will punish the nursing program progressively. It starts with censures, formal warnings, probation, suspension, and possible forced closure of the nursing program altogether.

Like it or not, nursing school exit exams are here to stay. Too much is at stake when the school sends unprepared graduates to the testing center.

[seriouslyserious, LPN]

taking a break from my NCLEX studies... this is what i had post a couple months back.

"i'm not sure how to articulate this, but here it goes.

i either read this here or a faculty member disclosed this. they implemented the HESI to keep borderline students from continuing their nursing education. this means, the 80% grade student (prior to the HESI) fails because the HESI brought their grade down to a 79.9%. ultimately, a college/university/etc... is a business. from what i remember, there are statistics correlating NCLEX passing rates and campuses. these figures dictate their accreditation, enrollment, etc... i'm not sure how much (if any) relation there is between the HESI and NCLEX. i know people assume they reflect one another."

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

thread moved for best response

[ChooSoul]

It is unfair. They dont give enough time. An extra 20 minutes for a 120 item question is not right at all. Probably not even extra 20 since there are questions that have long audio and video context.

The schools should at least lower the passing score from 850 to 700.

But like what they said, nursing school dont care. they just want business. they want people to pay the tuition and pay the application fees and whatever... it sucks.

[llg, PhD, RN]

A lot of classes have final exams. In fact, many college level classes have final exams that you have to pass in order to pass the course. Other programs have "comprehensive exams" that cover all classes you have taken that you have to pass before you can graduate. It's routine.

Your school chose to purchase a standard test rather than make up its own exam. If they didn't use HESI, they would have made their own test -- which might have been worse. It also sounds like they didn't prepare you well for it. That stinks, I admit. But it is better to find out now that you have some deficiency to make up than to graduate and fail the NCLEX. If you don't find out about your weaknesses until NCLEX, it is too late for the school to help you. At this point, the school is probably still in a position to give you some help. Use that opportunity to work on your weaknesses so that you can pass the NCLEX.

[dymondindaruff01]

We are going through the same thing. I just think when they set these requirements , they're having the school's reputation in mind instead of the student's best interest at heart. After all we do pay thousands of dollars to achieve what we work extremely hard for. All that just to be told we have to jump over another mountain. They don't consider that if we are all having a hard time passing maybe they should prepare us better.

[RnH15]

In my program we have to take a subject specific HESI in addition to our comprehensive final in each semester and pass it in order to move on to the next semester (I haven't taken exit HESI yet, thats in April for me) and I always feel like the NCLEX practice questions that I do are way easier than the HESI we take!!

[Nienna Celebrindal]

Sorry but this passing to graduate thing is not new. I had to get an 85% on Saunders to graduate my LVN in 2002.

I do think springing it on you 2 months before you graduate is BS though.

[seriouslyserious, LPN]

taking a break from my NCLEX studies... this is what i had post a couple months back.

"i'm not sure how to articulate this, but here it goes.

i either read this here or a faculty member disclosed this. they implemented the HESI to keep borderline students from continuing their nursing education. this means, the 80% grade student (prior to the HESI) fails because the HESI brought their grade down to a 79.9%. ultimately, a college/university/etc... is a business. from what i remember, there are statistics correlating NCLEX passing rates and campuses. these figures dictate their accreditation, enrollment, etc... i'm not sure how much (if any) relation there is between the HESI and NCLEX. i know people assume they reflect one another."

meant to include...

if the minimum passing grade was 80%... hope that makes sense.

[haliib]

I think you are not upset about actually having to take the HESI or any exit exam, but more about how you were 'prepared' for it. I go to a school where we take a HESI after every class, so I feel very prepared for when I go into my exit HESI, but I remember my first HESI (for Health Assessment) was terrible!

I completely understand why you are upset about being thrown this for an exit without any preparation.

The grading system is weird, but I actually like it because it more closely simulates what happens in the NCLEX, by giving more credit for answering harder questions correctly.