Job prosepects - HACC vs Excelsior

U.S.A. Pennsylvania

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Specializes in hospice.

I have a trimester off in my LPN program, starting up again at the end of April. After graduation (August) I want to get into a bridge program as quickly as possible while working as an LPN. I want to use the next few months to take care of the prerequisites. How and where I do this depends on where I want to go after I have my LPN license in hand.

Excelsior is very attractive to me because it is cheap, and it seems to be the quickest route to my end goal. I'm confident that I could get good enough grades to qualify for clinicals at the HACC bridge program but it would take sooooo long and cost sooooo much money. It just seems smarter to go through Excelsior. The deciding factor is whether I'm likely to be hired as an RN if I complete the Excelsior program.

I'm in Central PA. Feedback from area nurses would go along way towards helping me decide. How likely am I to get a job as a LPN/GN in Central PA if I graduate from Excelsior? Has anyone on this forum been down this road?

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Specializes in LTC & Private Duty Pediatrics.

Hi there:

In Pennsylvania ... no one cares where you received your degree. Note that it will take about 1.5 to 2 years to complete your LPN to RN (associates) degree through Excelsior college. I went this route, and had no trouble finding work in Pennsylvania.

Some employers want BSN (4 year degree) as opposed to ASN (2 year degree). Both Pitt and Penn State BSN programs recognize the ASN-Nursing degree awarded by Excelsior College.

On the downside. The pay rate for graduate nurses in the Pittsburgh/Central PA area is around $21/hour. UPMC, Connemaugh Hospital (Johnstown, PA), Altoona Hospital, all pay around $20-$22/hour to start. LTC facilities pay about the same.

Another negative. Neither California nor Maryland will accept Excelsior graduates. Even if you have ten years RN experience, the answer will be no. This is something to consider.

The main benefit with attending Excelsior ... you can attend while working full-time. Very difficult to do with a traditional nursing program. Timewise, again you are looking at almost 2 years to get through the Excelsior program. Yes, there are those that claim to get through in a year ... but those are the exceptions.

On a personal note ... it took me 2 years to get through. About 1.5 years for the exams + one pre-requesite (lifespan psychology), another 5 months to get ready (and get a clinical site) for the CPNE (the weekend clinical test), then another 2 months to get paperwork ready for state of PA NCLEX-RN exam.

Took about 4 weeks to find a job after passing boards. This was two years ago.

I work both in Med-Surg (hospital) and Long Term Care (agency). Pay is utterly pathetic for what we do. Am looking at possibly getting into travel nursing. Unfortunately, California is one of the states that won't recognize the Excelsior College degree ... so I am out of luck there.

Hope this helps.

Johnny

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An acquaintance moved to PA at the time she got her degree from Excelsior and told me she had no problem getting her first RN job. That was almost two decades ago and that nurse has not looked back.

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