ADN program in Pennsylvania

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I start my ADN courses January 6th and recently found out that several PA residents who completed the program are having issues getting the BON to approve their ATT so they can test. Does anyone have any idea why? Is there something that is holding them back?

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Specializes in EMT since 92, Paramedic since 97, RN and PHRN 2021.

  What school are you going to?

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emtpbill said:

  What school are you going to?

Excelsior. Sorry I thought I posted this in the Excelsior thread.

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Specializes in EMT since 92, Paramedic since 97, RN and PHRN 2021.

  When I graduated from Excelsior in August of 2021 I forwarded my transcripts to the state and waited, and waited, and waited.  I finally had to get my local state representative to contact the BON to get my ATT letter.  Got it within a week of them getting involved.

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My daughter graduated LPN to RN Excelsior Oct 24'. She moved to Pennsylvania for boyfriend. PA BON is stalling on allowing PA graduates from taking NCLEX which is alarming. I believe going on 4 months. She passed NCLEX in NY in Nov. 24'. A hardworking Pediatric LPN nurse. She left her job to study for test. PA BON is "Not" allowing her perm or temp RN transfer license. So she's unemployed!! Neither Excelsior or PA BON offering any solid reason for stall. PA has a severe nurse shortage. Unbelievable. I believe all PA residents collectively get local Govt rep involved. 

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Specializes in EMT since 92, Paramedic since 97, RN and PHRN 2021.
Vicki Pechar-Babcock said:

My daughter graduated LPN to RN Excelsior Oct 24'. She moved to Pennsylvania for boyfriend. PA BON is stalling on allowing PA graduates from taking NCLEX which is alarming. I believe going on 4 months. She passed NCLEX in NY in Nov. 24'. A hardworking Pediatric LPN nurse. She left her job to study for test. PA BON is "Not" allowing her perm or temp RN transfer license. So she's unemployed!! Neither Excelsior or PA BON offering any solid reason for stall. PA has a severe nurse shortage. Unbelievable. I believe all PA residents collectively get local Govt rep involved. 

   I don't think The PA board is singling out Excelsior graduates, they are just slow in general. I had to get my state Rep involved and bam, got my ATT letter. I graduated in August of 2021 and took the NCLEX-RN in October of 2021.  

 

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Excelsior is under review with PA BON. The October 24' graduating class from PA still not able to test NCLEX yet as of today January 20th 25'. This is 4 month waiting. My daughter applied for both perm @ temp license as she passed NCLEX NY. Both on "hold" pending Excelsior review per PA BON. A temp license of endorsement should only take 2 weeks. It's the school. 

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Specializes in EMT since 92, Paramedic since 97, RN and PHRN 2021.

  any further update on the Pennsylvania BON and your situation?

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In your spare time, check out this link.  Scroll down the page once you open it.

https://www.excelsior.edu/about/transparency/state-authorization-disclosures/

I truly wish I would have come across your post before January 6th.  I would have warned you then.  

The Excelsior University Associate Degree in Nursing program has faced significant criticism, with some users strongly advising against it, citing concerns about program legitimacy and state board approval. A major point of contention is the program's CPNE clinical exam, with some reporting that outside workshops are needed for success. Additionally, some states are reported to have restrictions or outright denials of licensure for Excelsior graduates, due to the program's accreditation status. 

Key Issues and Concerns:

Accreditation:

  • Excelsior's Associate and Bachelor's in Nursing programs lost ACEN accreditation, and while the MSN and RN-to-BSN programs are accredited, this may impact the recognition of the ADN degree. 

State Board Approval:

  • Some states have denied or placed restrictions on licensure for Excelsior graduates, citing concerns about the program meeting educational requirements. 

Clinical Exams:

  • Excelsior's clinical exams, have been criticized for using unfair, unstandardized grading practices.
  • Some states give lack of concurrent clinical experience with all the theory components as reason for the school not meeting the state's educational requirements.

Program Reputation:

  • Some employers may not recognize or respect the Excelsior degree, potentially limiting job opportunities. 
  • Positive Perspectives (though less frequent):
  • Some graduates, including those with prior experience (like LPNs), have found success and increased opportunities.
  • Excelsior's flexibility may appeal to those who need to work while studying.
  • Some individuals have been able to transition into graduate programs like NP programs. 

Recommendations:

  • Check with your state's Board of Nursing:
  • This is crucial to determine if the program is recognized for licensure in your area. 
  • Consider alternative programs:
  • Community colleges and traditional nursing programs may offer a more recognized and potentially better-supported education. 
  • Be prepared for potential challenges:
  • If choosing Excelsior, be prepared for the possibility of additional costs, a potentially lengthy process, and potential limitations in some states. 
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Specializes in EMT since 92, Paramedic since 97, RN and PHRN 2021.
Science771 said:

In your spare time, check out this 

The Excelsior University Associate Degree in Nursing program has faced significant criticism, with some users strongly advising against it, citing concerns about program legitimacy and state board approval. A major point of contention is the program's CPNE clinical exam, with some reporting that outside workshops are needed for success. 

Clinical Exams:

  • Excelsior's clinical exams, have been criticized for using unfair, unstandardized grading practices.

   The CPNE was removed completely from Exceslsiors program.  This was done about 2-3 years ago.  
   When I graduated in Augustbif 2021 the only issue I had was that Pennsylvanias BON required a flame thrower to be put behind them to send me my ATT letter for the NCLEX-RN. I actually had to get my local state representative involved to have their contact in Harrisburg contact them to see why it was taking so long. Once they helped I miraculously got my ATT within 2 weeks after that.

    I do agree with the statement about the CPNE administered using unstandardized grading practices. But since that was eliminated and additional classes with more clinicals I believe it made their program better. 
 

   After going through excelsiors program successfully I would 1000% pick an excelsior grad to be as competent, if not more so, then graduates of other online or brick and mortar school offering the same degree level.

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emtpbill said:

   The CPNE was removed completely from Excelsior's program.  This was done about 2-3 years ago.  
   When I graduated in August in 2021 the only issue I had was that Pennsylvania's BON required a flame thrower to be put behind them to send me my ATT letter for the NCLEX-RN. I actually had to get my local state representative involved to have their contact in Harrisburg contact them to see why it was taking so long. Once they helped I miraculously got my ATT within 2 weeks after that.

    I do agree with the statement about the CPNE administered using unstandardized grading practices. But since that was eliminated and additional classes with more clinicals I believe it made their program better. 
 

   After going through Excelsior's program successfully, I would 1000% pick an Excelsior grad to be as competent, if not more so, then graduates of other online or brick and mortar school offering the same degree level.

As far as the additional classes with more clinicals in place of the CPNE, students have reported that those are also an evaluation of clinical skills similar to the CPNE and still use unstandardized and unfair testing practices.  Regarding the quality of Excelsior's clinical or theory content itself, I thought it was excellent. And, after going through Excelsiors program successfully myself, I would also 1000% pick an Excelsior grad to be as competent, if not more so, then graduates of other online or brick and mortar schools offering the same degree level.  LPNs or military corpsman would not need to go back to basic clinicals to learn entry level skills as they already have that clinical experience.  Excelsior is a bridge program to expand your knowledge and practice to the next level.  I work with some nurses from brick & mortar schools that I would not trust to take care of a fish, let alone a human being.

 

However, when it's all said and done, the number of states that will not license Excelsior nursing grads is on the rise.  Check out this link.  You may have to cut and paste it.  Scroll down once you click on.  

 

https://www.excelsior.edu/about/transparency/state-authorizations-disclosures/

 

For starters, you should not have to scroll down once you click on the link.  It should be at the top of the page and the message itself should be on the main page of their website, readily available for all potential students to read.  So, I can't give Excelsior a passing grade for transparency.  Also, the degree also may not be respected by employers and coworkers, which could make or break your career.  When I went to Excelsior, the online world was not nearly advanced as it is now as it was fairly new & primitive, and information was not always readily available.  But even now, it still seems to mainly come from outside sources, as Excelsior does not seem to go out of their way to communicate this to potential students.  Future students should enter the program as informed consumers and not find this out years after graduation as I did.

 

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For some reason, the link will not even paste correctly.  So, go to Excelsior University's web site and on the main page, click on "about", which is next to the magnifying glass search icon.  Then click on "regulatory transparency".  Once you've done that, click on the "Accreditation, Approval, Licensures, and Disclosures" option.  Then click on "Required State Disclosures".  Then scroll down the page and you will see the list of states that are not licensing Excelsior nursing grads.

 

Simpler search option, type this link in a Google search: "https://www.excelsior.edu/about/transparency/state-authorization-disclosures/."

 

God bless.

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