Do Excelsior grads have a hard time being hired?

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Feb 7, 2013

NJ only approves programs in NJ. However NJ BoN accepts Excelsior AS/AAS graduate's education for licensure as an RN without restriction or additional requirements.

chiromed0 · Feb 13, 2013

So far my experience is not the degree itself (Texas) but trying to explain why no clinicals. It's just such a cookie cutter response by other new grads where they did their clinicals, what departments...blah, blah. They will ask the question and just draw a blank stare as you try to explain EC's program. Although I will say I did have a 1 positive interview where that wasn't the biggest factor...I think they might have hired me but they just couldn't justify hiring a new grad with an abundance of seasoned nurses around. That's the biggest factor I believe...area and inside contacts. If you have a rural area and know somebody the degree won't matter unless it's one of those "clinical preceptor" exception states.

stevefl · Mar 17, 2013

I have been planning on posting a reply to this for a while, but right now I am working night shift at a large Mental Health Facility in Central Florida, and if I am working my assigned unit I have 30 patients and 2-3 techs that I spend the night redirecting, some nights it's kind of like herding cats... and then other nights I have to work in Central Admissions, where I have more time but there are more things for ME to get into. The LPNs will not allow me in the med room any more, I think it may have something to do with shuffling the med blister packs and it really messed with their morning count, that and you cannot inject 15 ml of air into a insulin vial, only 5.

Now to the original question, the answer is yes and no. Yes it is hard for an Excelsior grad to find a job right out of school, then again it is hard for most new grads to find a job right now, even harder if there are several nursing programs in your area. So, they do not exclude you because you graduated from EC.

The best answer for clinicals is "where did you do your clinicals?" "Grady" every time I attempted to explain the CPNE I never got a call back, but never a problem with the simple answer.

The job I currently have, the hiring process was interesting. I sent them my resume through Career Builder, I got a call, "you have an impressive resume, come in for an interview, your hired". I went in for my interview, was given my pay scale, and PPD and finger print information, once everything was complete I was placed on the schedule for orientation. I found out later that the Nurse manager , an LPN, attempted Excelsior and could not complete it because it was to hard. Which is the major reason my resume was so impressive.

Well a lot of useless information, but I hope it helps some.

Good luck to you.

Steve

Editorial Team / Moderator · Mar 17, 2013

Take a look at this thread, it's in the "sticky" area at the bottom of the forum: https://allnurses.com/excelsior-college-online/excelsior-grads-where-217472.html

vokaybo · Mar 17, 2013

Excelsior is a great college and if you can pass Excelsior, you can pass anywhere. It is fully accredited by the NLN and offers superior services. The advisors are great! I graduated from Excelsior in 1996 when it was USNY Regents College and I am about to obtain my BSN as well. Five more classes to go... I am a Nurse Manager over a 40 bed Med/Surg unit; Our facility encourages Excelsior College to it's employees. We are located in North Carolina. Great school! Excelsior paved the way for the hundreds of online nursing programs that are present today. Gone is the stigma of an online school. Most large universities have completely online nursing degrees available and Excelsior excels at the top of the list!

tnmarie · Mar 21, 2013

@stevefl: Great tip about just answering the hospital name instead of trying to explain the CPNE. I'm hoping I won't have too much trouble because I'm in a rural area with very few RN programs. I have to pass the CPNE first though. Congrats on your job and thanks again for the advice!