rizagirlRN

yep, i got it all figured out! in the real world nobody cares whether you graduate from excelsior or any other nursing schools. the patients will all be grateful as long as you do your job as you should. the only sickening reality is-- you have to abide by the rules (endorsement procedures), no matter how ****** it is, if you want to get a license and eventually work in the place you want to be. then afterwards just cross your fingers and hope you'd be happy with what you did... and get well compensated with the job you get to pay for all the extra expenses you incurred in doing the process!

...as they've said, nothing's for sure until you get the official result by mail or if you cannot wait pay a price and check it online. but until then all you can do for now is to kneel and pray! pray that you pass and pray that all the negative aura goes away and that you'd be left with positive attitude whether or not you fail. i was sick with cough and runny nose on the exam itself :oand was given 265 questions! the computer just would not stop giving me questions!:angryfire my head was throbbing and i was almost mad coz it felt like eternity not knowing if i'm getting the correct answers or not! i had to endure all those and still got a 'fat' official envelope by mail--- meaning i did not make it. a lot of but i had to stop being depressed and moved on. took kaplan review and it definitely helped boost my confidence. passed the exam and now on my way to job interviews . you just have to be positive in whatever happens coz you'll be needing it to move on. good luck to you!

hi there! i'm a graduate of excelsior college who lives in fl. the school itself is ok. i did not have any problems with it within the 2 years i took the course to be an rn, except for the waiting part on the practical exam (cpne) coz it takes a few months to get scheduled... and of course, it is a bit pricey:twocents:! after the nclex out of state (since currently the fl board of nursing does not accept excelsior graduates) the only major problem is getting endorsed to be able to work here in fl . they changed some rules in nursing endorsement after i graduate that's why i'm having difficulty right now. i have no nursing experience and an online nursing graduate that's why i was advised to take another state's nclex. but if you're an lpn with experience then they would probably let you sit for the fl nclex in the future then you'd have no problems with endorsement. good luck with your studies! let me know if you need any other info.

thanks everybody for your input :wink2:. i tried applying online for a labor and delivery technician position and might be up for an interview next week already . i think this is a good way to start since i plan to do nursing in ob department in the long run. the only questions i still have is about the salary . if the manager asks me what i expect to get from being a l&d technician (having a nursing and medical diploma but no nursing experience)-- i still don't know what i'd say. any suggestions on a start pay for a tech?? riza:nurse:

hi! i'm a new grad still in the process of waiting for endorsement papers so i can work as a nurse. it's been a long time since i worked and i'm scared of starting immediately on the floors. i'm interested in ob nursing but in doubt how to start and where. i have no nursing experience. my questions are: 1) do i need or is it advisable to have labor and delivery 'training' (if there is such) before i go apply for work? 2) is it required to know ob ultrasound or do i need to get certified on this before i get the job? if so, where can i get this? 3) volunteering perhaps so i can get the 'feel' of things?? 4) what's the average starting pay for a new grad in ob anyway? i need your advice! thanks for taking time to read! riza

I understand the FL board of nursing requiring clinical experience from those who want to be endorsed and this is a very valid reason for changing their rules. A respiratory therapist or emt would not have comparable clinical skills as compared to lpns. I'm a foreign medical graduate and still they don't see much comparison with regards to nursing experience. It is as if they are questioning the validity of licensure of those coming from Excelsior when the fact is that there is a test on the clinical level skills before you can graduate. The clinical exam Excelsior offers involves a 3-day gruelling test on real hospitals with real patients. A student is evaluated in taking care of patients and documentation as real nurses do for a period of supervised time by a clinical examiner who is a licensed nurse in FL. If this is not enough for FL then they should at least offer online graduates other options like facilities where training can be provided before endorsement can be approved than just saying work out of state or in a VA hospital for 2 years which is very limiting. I don't live near the border of FL, I live way south in Palm Beach county so it is very unlikely that I can do this specially with kids around... The fact that graduates of Excelsior who passed the nclex already proved themselves somehow should have a bearing to endorsement in any state. I don't see why other states approve online graduates while FL BON gives us a hard time. Or at least give sufficient time before certain laws can be passed so the students can be warned beforehand and be prepared. Rather than making/changing laws and just announcing to the world this is what we want now if you want to work here. At any rate, I don't have much choice now, do I?

i'm an excelsior nurse grad, non-lpn, rn licensed in another state, still no nursing experience, who live in florida. i came upon a memo dated july 2007 in the fl board of nursing website regarding endorsement of excelsior nursing graduates. i gathered they will accept experienced lpns for endorsement but for all other excelsior nursing graduates they will require 2 years experience out of state or work from a local veterans hospital. i have contacted the endorsement unit at the board and they said it would be best to give an application for endorsement with a 'variance'. (variance as i understand is like a petition to the fl boards to accept your endorsement-- for which i was advised to seek legal assistance or lawyer to draft it). i think it would not matter at this time if i graduated prior to their released memo in july 2007. that would not be enough to exempt me from the 'variance' rule because i am still an excelsior graduate. it's just so disappointing that fl boards did not give enough time for students like us or for excelsior to prepare for this kind of situation--that they suddenly changed the rules on online graduates. and the options they're suggesting is very limiting: 2 years experience out of state, or 2 years experience at a local veterans hospital. in my case, i cannot just move and practice elsewhere because i have kids and i cannot practice in a va hospital because i'm not yet an american citizen. besides, what are the chances of a newly graduate/no experience rn getting accepted??.. so my option right now, after spending so much time and money to become an rn, is to take my chance (and spend more money!) to apply for endorsement with the variance. my question is: anybody with a similar situation?? knowing a lawyer who handled same case will be very much helpful:typing i just want to know that i'm not alone in this mess and i want to warn the current fl excelsior nursing students of what they may have to face in the future should they apply for endorsement in fl.