Regents College

jude11142 · Aug 20, 2002

I am enrolled in Excelsior and it's too soon for me to "judge it", but I have heard mostly positive remarks about their program. I am an LPN going for RN, and you needed to be in the medical field in order to enroll(they have a list of occupations that apply). Several of the nurses that I work with went on the get their BSN through Excelsior and they stated that in no means is it a program to "look down at" as it was difficult at times. There is no way that one can judge "a nurse" based on what school she/he went through. Well enough said, I am looking forward to taking the A&P exam and Micro exam...........wish me luck......

Bye for now,

JUDE

lliley · Mar 18, 2004

I graduated from Regents in '99 with an ADN. Before that I worked as an LPN for 7 years--5 on step down from ICU, 2 in surgery. I purchased study guides from The College Network. I
CLEPed 7 classes -- Micro and 6 Nursing classes. The total cost for me was around $5,000. The most difficult part was the clinical performance test (the 3 day clinical). It cost 1,250.00. It was overseen by very professional nurses who were all MSN. I took my clinicals at Ohio State, and Children's in Columbus, Ohio. It was extremely nerve racking because perfection is expected.
They leave very little room for error. I think it would be very hard to pass without alot of practical clinical experience. Anyway, I believe it is the only distance learning program for the LPN to RN that is NLN accredited. I had no trouble with the state board. I am sure there were those at work who may have said things behind my back about getting a "mail order" license. I took and passed the same boards as all other RN's in my state. I don't worry about what others say, I let my work speak for itself. I am confident in my abilities as an RN.
As for those who would group all Regents grads together in one incompetant lump, please don't generalize, as those kind of comments can really come back to bite you in the rear. You may eventually have a supervisor who, without your knowledge, be a Regents grad-- be careful what you say that may be overheard!
This program is not for everyone. It takes a lot of self discipline and determination. I set a goal of finishing in one year and it took me 11 months to graduate, 13 months until I had my license. I found the folks at Regents very helpful and encouraging. Every time I got a letter from the nursing department it had a handwritten note of encouragement or praise at the bottom of the page. They acted like they really wanted me to succeed, and when I did they were happy for me.
Sorry to ramble on so long, send me an e-mail if you want more information. [email protected]

wondering if you have heard anything negative about Excelsior graduates or difficulty passing the NClexx.

Debbs · Mar 18, 2004

wondering if you have heard anything negative about Excelsior graduates or difficulty passing the NClexx.

With 10 years prior experience as an LPN, I had no difficulty passing the boards or any of their tests (1996). Remember that passing the boards is just an indicator of beginning or novice proficiency and knowledge. :)

The clinical was so stressful that I would not go there again when I went for for my BSN or MSN. I saw several ADN's (already RN's) fail the clinical. If you fail, you must retake and pay again. :crying2:

The really good thing about the program is I could work full time and get credit for nursing courses without a ton of busy work (as in the traditional nursing programs). I challenged the nursing courses in about 6 months by taking 6 tests over two weekends. :)

The bad part was I had to wait 11 months to take the clinical AFTER PAYING more than $1000 (I don't recall the exact amount). The fastest place I could get in to take the clinical was Long Beach CA and I live in TN. :uhoh3:

Everyone I took clinical with was an RN or LPN, one Paramedic successfully took and passed the clinical by memorizing the clinical syllabus/study guide word for word. Five people out of 14 failed when I was there. The Evaluators did try to be objective. They expected you to know the material, it is spelled out exactly in the syllabus what you will be tested on and if you didn't know it or could not demonstrate those skills under pressure you were out! Most people failed for compromising patient safety, ie not washing their hands before speaking to the patient.

I believe it is difficult to judge the proficiency of an individual based on what program they graduated from. I know some highly skilled nurses who went to crappy schools and I know some borderline nurses from Ivy League schools. It boils down to learning the content you need not only to pass the boards, but to be a competent and responsible nurse. Competency is not spoonfed from the institution. Competency is something that we must attain ourselves by constant evaluation, experience, and continuing education.

Once you find the program that is right for you, GO FOR IT. Let nothing get in your way. :)