Originally Posted by sunshine23
I am a lpn currently lookin into excelsior college for the lpn to rn degree. Does any1 know how their clinicals work? How do they run & when & with who? is it like a regular school with the instructor & ten other students & 10 page long care plans? Does any1 recommend the program?

The clinical part is given over a weekend once you have completed the nursing concepts exams (it is a performance exam that gives credit of pass or fail upon completion..no teaching involved) and are within 9 credits of completing the generals. It is given at one of many regional hospitals the school has contracted with. I know they have them in New York, Wisconsin, Atlanta (I went there), Texas, California, and soon to be Florida (Tampa). I am unsure of the exact cities, other than Atlanta and Tampa. The clinical is something that provides NO teaching. You are observed giving 1:1 patient care with a clinical evaluator. The clinical evaluator observes you carry out the patient care assignment...you must do it with complete accuracy or you will fail. You can fail one adult situation and one pediatric...you must pass two adult and one pedi situation. They also have a lab portion of the exams that includes IM/SQ, IVPB med, IV PUSH, and packing/sterile dressing of a wound. Should you fail a lab you may repeat it once...but again it is done with complete accuracy. The school sends a big study guide to assist with prep. They also have workshops and internet classes. You must write a perfect patient centered care plan for each patient, implement it, and evaluate it. I will tell you the truth...this is a tough exam! (but it can be done)...
Karen