Hurst Review (2025): The Content Authority
Best for: Best for Content Review Updated 11/29/2025Price: from 159 USD/course
Pros
- Excellent for students who need a deep dive into pathophysiology and core nursing content
- Physical workbook provided (fill-in-the-blank style) to keep you engaged during lectures
- High-energy, engaging instructors (famous for 'Aunt Marlene')
- Focuses on 'Must Know' content rather than fluff
Cons
- QBank (2,000+ questions) is smaller than competitors
- Video lectures can be long and require significant time investment
- Less focus on 'test-taking tricks' and more on raw knowledge
The Verdict: The Foundation Builder
If you barely passed nursing school, or if you feel like you’ve “dumped” all your knowledge after graduation, Hurst is your savior. Unlike UWorld or Archer which focus on testing you, Hurst focuses on teaching you.
Hurst’s philosophy is that you can’t answer a question if you don’t understand the underlying concept. They strip away the fluff and focus on the “Must Know” core content.
The Workbook Experience
The defining feature of Hurst is the Student Workbook.
- Active Learning: It’s a fill-in-the-blank physical book that you complete while watching the lectures.
- Engagement: This forces you to pay attention. You can’t just zone out while the video plays; you have to listen for the keywords to fill in your notes.
- Retention: The act of writing while listening creates stronger memory pathways.
”Aunt Marlene” and the Instructors
Hurst instructors, particularly the legendary Marlene Hurst, are known for their high energy and southern charm. They make dry topics like fluid and electrolytes genuinely interesting. They use memorable analogies and humor to make the content stick.
The QBank: Quality over Quantity
Hurst’s QBank is smaller than its competitors, sitting at around 2,000 questions.
- The Goal: The QBank is designed to reinforce the lectures, not necessarily to be a standalone testing platform.
- Readiness Exams: You get 4 readiness exams which are decent predictors of success, though perhaps not as data-rich as UWorld’s.
Hurst Elevate
Newer packages include Hurst Elevate, a guided study plan that adds structure to your prep. It includes additional quizzes and “specialty” lectures to keep you on track.
Final Thoughts
Hurst is often used as part of a “Combo Strategy.” Many students use Hurst for the first 2-3 weeks to build their content foundation, and then switch to UWorld or Archer to grind practice questions.
- Buy Hurst if: You need to relearn the material.
- Skip Hurst if: You were an A-student who just needs to practice test-taking.
It is the best “Review Course” in the traditional sense of the word.