[lvnandmomx3]

I know this topic has been discussed many times again and again and in many threads. I just confuse my self the more I read about it.I get that TCN is a publishing company that contracts with both Excelsior and ISU. I also read that with Excelsior you do not have clinical you just test out at the end. I talked with someone yesterday (another LVN) that is doing LPN to RN (bsn) with TCN (according to her she is not with Excelsior or ISU only TCN) I know that this can't be a true statement, she said she will be doing actual clinicals and she gets to pick where she will do them and her preceptor. MY question is in another thread someone said that they have the study material through TCN are taking pre rec's through ISU but the nursing through Excelsior. If this is true do you just test out in the end? Is there a distant learning program that you do have actual clinicals. I have been an LPN since March and I want to continue on to get RN but I do not want to go back to a classroom based program, and I do not have the hands on clinical experience with my current job to go the Excelsior route. Any advise or clarification.

[Suesquatch]

There are other LPN to RN programs with which TCN aligns itself.

TCB is not officially affiliated with Excelsior, and Excelsior tells you to beware publishing companies. TCN actually snagged a domain name with excelsior in it to make them look more like they are really part of Excelsior. THEY ARE NOT. Neither is Rue.

Excelsior does not have clinicals. You do simply test at the end.

[lvnandmomx3]

Thanks I knew that they were not "connected" just that TCN provides the "study" material. Do you know of any distant programs that have clinicals. Or if I go the Excelsior route and pay for the workshops would they be enough to pass the CPNE? And does ISU work with Excelsior for the nursing portion of the BSN?

[Suesquatch]

Tracy,

California does not accept Excelsior.

I would go into Distance Learning and ask specifically that California distance learning students/graduates respond to you. The CA BON is a special case.

HTH.

[NC Girl 35]

Hi was confused just like you and even had a TCN representative come and talk to me. Education is the key and calling and asking questions. This is what I know because I called around and asked:

1. If you do the LPN to BSN with ISU. Kim the director over the program said that TCN has exculsive right to the exam materials that you must clept out of in the second stage of the program. It will cost $3000 through TCN to get the materials and start to study for the 4 exams.You have a year to place out of them. If you don't go through TCN, she said you had to come to the college(ISU) to take the 4 lower division exams because they do not offer them online.Once you complete the 4 lower division nursing classes,then you apply to the upper division of ISU and take nursing online classes per semester. The clinicals have to be set up by you depending on the area that you live. In my state there is only 2 sites that are approved so I decided not to go the ISU route because it would be too much work to coordinate site and wait around for someone to approve them. The whole program would cost me $14000 because I have all but 2 prerequisites finished. The more prerequisites you need, the more it cost.*The only positive reason for going this route is that you go 1-2 times a week to an approved site and practice clinical skills under a preceptor and they give you a pass or fail grade.

2. Second option is Excelsior. I decided to go through them directly. Here is why:

TCN charges $500 per course and then charges $160-200 to set the test up through Person VUE.
Total cost: $660-700 per course.

Going directly through Excelsior cost $205 per course + the cost of books and this includes the cost of taking the exam. Final cost $ 290 because I bought the book on ebay for $20 and paid $60 for the practice test.

*Negative side of going through Excelsior is they don't offer clinicals. Once you finish all your nursing classes though self study, you sign up for the CPNE. This is a weekend long clinical skills check off. You either pass or fail it. You are expected to know the skills when you get there. There are several workshops offered at a cost to help you prepare and let you practice these skills.

If your still confused email me a private message and I will try to answer more questions.

[txspadequeen921]

Just to clarify the cost of the EC exams are $235

Originally Posted by NC girl 35

Hi was confused just like you and even had a TCN representative come and talk to me. Education is the key and calling and asking questions. This is what I know because I called around and asked:

1. If you do the LPN to BSN with ISU. Kim the director over the program said that TCN has exculsive right to the exam materials that you must clept out of in the second stage of the program. It will cost $3000 through TCN to get the materials and start to study for the 4 exams.You have a year to place out of them. If you don't go through TCN, she said you had to come to the college(ISU) to take the 4 lower division exams because they do not offer them online.Once you complete the 4 lower division nursing classes,then you apply to the upper division of ISU and take nursing online classes per semester. The clinicals have to be set up by you depending on the area that you live. In my state there is only 2 sites that are approved so I decided not to go the ISU route because it would be too much work to coordinate site and wait around for someone to approve them. The whole program would cost me $14000 because I have all but 2 prerequisites finished. The more prerequisites you need, the more it cost.*The only positive reason for going this route is that you go 1-2 times a week to an approved site and practice clinical skills under a preceptor and they give you a pass or fail grade.

2. Second option is Excelsior. I decided to go through them directly. Here is why:

TCN charges $500 per course and then charges $160-200 to set the test up through Person VUE.
Total cost: $660-700 per course.

Going directly through Excelsior cost $205 per course + the cost of books and this includes the cost of taking the exam. Final cost $ 290 because I bought the book on ebay for $20 and paid $60 for the practice test.

*Negative side of going through Excelsior is they don't offer clinicals. Once you finish all your nursing classes though self study, you sign up for the CPNE. This is a weekend long clinical skills check off. You either pass or fail it. You are expected to know the skills when you get there. There are several workshops offered at a cost to help you prepare and let you practice these skills.

If your still confused email me a private message and I will try to answer more questions.

[NC Girl 35]

Originally Posted by txspadequeen921

Just to clarify the cost of the EC exams are $235

No the cost of the exams are $205. I'm under the new curriculum.

[chaxanmom]

You don't have to set the clinicals up yourself for ISU. Mike Mehl does that. He's working on mine now. You just have to send him the contact information and he does the leg work. Once its approved then they give you contact info for a few preceptors at that site and you decide which to work with based on schedules and such.
Also, sometimes the ISU modules are part of a special with TCN. I got mine for $1000. ISU doesn't work with Excelsior, they are their own program. I chose ISU because I have a huge gap in time since I last worked as an LPN and I needed a program with clinicals. When I chose to go this route I was homeschooling my kids and needed the flexibility.

[txspadequeen921]

The increase in cost was a across the board change months before the new changes took effect. So why are the new enrolled students paying less per test than the existing students. I have been paying $235 per test and I have all of them paid for.

Originally Posted by NC girl 35

No the cost of the exams are $205. I'm under the new curriculum.

[NC Girl 35]

Originally Posted by txspadequeen921

The increase in cost was a across the board change months before the new changes took effect. So why are the new enrolled students paying less per test than the existing students. I have been paying $235 per test and I have all of them paid for.

Well the way I see it. They are not penalizing the new students because of the new changes. We have to take 8 exams as opposed to 7. So if you calculate
the $205x8=$1640 and $235x7=$1645. We all are paying basically the same amount. Give or take 5 dollars.