Any Respiratory Therapists Doing Excelsior?

BSRRT · Jun 23, 2007

That is exactley my path!

I have my RRT and thats how I was able to begin the excelsior program. As far as CRNA qualifications my BS degree is in Bio/Chem and the CRNA school that I have have been in communication with says that is great.

I finished the 7 nursing concept exams in about 6-7 months and ended up with a GPA ~ 3.5. I am lucky enough to be sponsered by the hospital I work for so cost hasn't been an issue with me, but in my opinion I would not purchase anything from excelsior other that the practice tests which would be worth every penny (the study guides they provide were free). I took one test a month and only used a single workbook per exam. The workbook I used was from chancellors and I borrowed those from a friend in the excelsior program.

Couldnt tell you much about the CPNE as I just finished the final nursing concept exam and currently am in the process of registering for it

Once the RN degree is completed (good Lord willing) I will split time between cvicu (which does between 6- 10 hearts per week) and msicu ( to get a little more well rounded exposure) untill I have enough hours to take the CCRN and formally apply to CRNA school.

I am blessed to work with great nurses, docs, surgeons, CRNA's, rt's, and directors that have been and continue to back me which is ridiculously helpful. So If I can return the favor feel free to ask.

The road seems long but you gotta do something because time passes by regardless (as a friend of mine who is starting his CRNA clinicals says "short time for a lifetime!" And that has been my adopted creedo for this adventure.

Sorry, that ended up being longer than I planned.

Zack

geo124 · Jun 25, 2007

Hello,

I saw your post. I'm getting ready to start the respiratory therapy program with Independence University. Can you give a soon to be student any advice regarding the career/study tips etc. I'm both nervous and excited about it.

How does it compare to nursing?

BSRRT · Jun 25, 2007

Not sure what Independence University is. Let me know and I can hopefully give you a better answer...

geo124 · Jun 26, 2007

Not sure what Independence University is. Let me know and I can hopefully give you a better answer...

Independence University (formally California College of Health Science) is the only school in the US that offers respiratory tech via distance learning. You have to do your clinicals at a local hospital (a little over 700 hours).

ECMOismygame · Jan 19, 2008

That is exactley my path!
I have my RRT and thats how I was able to begin the excelsior program. As far as CRNA qualifications my BS degree is in Bio/Chem and the CRNA school that I have have been in communication with says that is great.
I finished the 7 nursing concept exams in about 6-7 months and ended up with a GPA ~ 3.5. I am lucky enough to be sponsered by the hospital I work for so cost hasn't been an issue with me, but in my opinion I would not purchase anything from excelsior other that the practice tests which would be worth every penny (the study guides they provide were free). I took one test a month and only used a single workbook per exam. The workbook I used was from chancellors and I borrowed those from a friend in the excelsior program.
Couldnt tell you much about the CPNE as I just finished the final nursing concept exam and currently am in the process of registering for it
Once the RN degree is completed (good Lord willing) I will split time between cvicu (which does between 6- 10 hearts per week) and msicu ( to get a little more well rounded exposure) untill I have enough hours to take the CCRN and formally apply to CRNA school.
I am blessed to work with great nurses, docs, surgeons, CRNA's, rt's, and directors that have been and continue to back me which is ridiculously helpful. So If I can return the favor feel free to ask.
The road seems long but you gotta do something because time passes by regardless (as a friend of mine who is starting his CRNA clinicals says "short time for a lifetime!" And that has been my adopted creedo for this adventure.
Sorry, that ended up being longer than I planned.
Zack

time to resurrect this thread

question: on average how many hours of studying did you put in to complete the program in 6-7 months?

1hr north of here is a 3 semester (fall, spring, summer) RN bridge program for EMTPs, LVNs, RRTs, etc. the bridge program would be a total of 24 credit hours for me since i have all nursing pre-reqs from my RT prereqs. (9hrs fall, 9 spr, 6 sum) lecture notes would be online, tests would be on campus as well as clinicals 2 days a week. there are also labs on campus, which fall on awkward times that would really cut into my work time, so perhaps the Excelsior program may be a better fit.

RRT2RN2CRNA · Jan 19, 2008

I think for me it has less to do with time, and more to do with motivation. It's easy to slack if you don't *have* to go to class.

I get around this by scheduling my tests religiously so I have a deadline that I have to get all the material down by.

How much time it takes to study depends on how fast of a reader you are and how efficient you are at gleaning what you need from the the pile of material that is referred to. Notes help. I got some from Ebay and some chancellors outlines... and then I just do my own notes from those.... and then I re-write them a few times in a way that suits the way I study.

I will probably be done with everything except the CPNE in a total of about 6 months. I don't particularly find the material that difficult, but that's just me. My BSRT program was more difficult IMO.

I work nights and I need to sleep to function, so I can't deal with a daytime class schedule. If you can make it work then great, but honestly, I think you'd probably be better off on your own schedule if you can be disciplined about it.

Just my 2 cents --

A

BetterMeRN · Jan 19, 2008

I think for me it has less to do with time, and more to do with motivation. It's easy to slack if you don't *have* to go to class.
I get around this by scheduling my tests religiously so I have a deadline that I have to get all the material down by.
How much time it takes to study depends on how fast of a reader you are and how efficient you are at gleaning what you need from the the pile of material that is referred to. Notes help. I got some from Ebay and some chancellors outlines... and then I just do my own notes from those.... and then I re-write them a few times in a way that suits the way I study.
I will probably be done with everything except the CPNE in a total of about 6 months. I don't particularly find the material that difficult, but that's just me. My BSRT program was more difficult IMO.
I work nights and I need to sleep to function, so I can't deal with a daytime class schedule. If you can make it work then great, but honestly, I think you'd probably be better off on your own schedule if you can be disciplined about it.
Just my 2 cents --
A

Just a quick question, why are so many RRT's going into Nursing? Be honest, is it the money, job stability, room for growth and advancement...what? Thanks in avance for entertaining my questions.

ECMOismygame · Jan 19, 2008

I think for me it has less to do with time, and more to do with motivation. It's easy to slack if you don't *have* to go to class.
I get around this by scheduling my tests religiously so I have a deadline that I have to get all the material down by.
How much time it takes to study depends on how fast of a reader you are and how efficient you are at gleaning what you need from the the pile of material that is referred to. Notes help. I got some from Ebay and some chancellors outlines... and then I just do my own notes from those.... and then I re-write them a few times in a way that suits the way I study.
I will probably be done with everything except the CPNE in a total of about 6 months. I don't particularly find the material that difficult, but that's just me. My BSRT program was more difficult IMO.
I work nights and I need to sleep to function, so I can't deal with a daytime class schedule. If you can make it work then great, but honestly, I think you'd probably be better off on your own schedule if you can be disciplined about it.
Just my 2 cents --
A

What about clinicals for the Excelsior program? I couldn't find anything on the website that mentioned them.

Discipline.... thats my middle name! lol

(my BSRT program is 90hrs for the upper division RT portion)

thanks for the advice and help

RRT2RN2CRNA · Jan 20, 2008

Just a quick question, why are so many RRT's going into Nursing? Be honest, is it the money, job stability, room for growth and advancement...what? Thanks in avance for entertaining my questions.

For me- it's the money (#1) , broader scope of practice, more challenging work, the sheer number and geographic location of nursing jobs, and room for advancement.

For most who are going this route that I've spoken to, I find that most know from the start that RT is only a means to an end, and have plans for doing the RT-RN switch from the start. And of those I would say 4 out of 5 know from the beginning they want to do RT->RN->CRNA. Especially career switchers who already have a BS. (As I do.)

RT is a great way to get around all the ridiculous nursing school admissions BS. I think it's appalling that there are thousands of bright, qualified candidates who are waitlisted or denied from nursing admission every year. I'm not sure whether it is a true shortage of faculty or just a supply/demand scheme to keep nurses in high demand. I have heard both theories.

I also have heard from men that they do a lot better going the RT-RN-CRNA route. Especially if they plan on staying with the same hospital. They've already proven themselves as an RT, so their fellow nurses are *much* more supportive when they come over to the nursing side. Having an RT/RN on staff in your unit is awesome. You can pick your unit because everyone will want you.

RT is also great because while new RN's are usually steered into doing a year of med surg, new RT's get rotated EVERYWHERE. There's no requirement (or even opportunity usually) to commit to a certain unit as a new grad, so you get to see it all (without the rose colored lenses or new grad orientation) and decide what you like.

Everyone has different motivations. I just found that I didn't have the time or patience to put my career in the hands of a nursing school admissions committee, and sit on my hands for a year and a half waiting to see when I was going to get in and start. So I found another way in... and I have to say it's worked out great.

A

RRT2RN2CRNA · Jan 20, 2008

What about clinicals for the Excelsior program? I couldn't find anything on the website that mentioned them.
Discipline.... thats my middle name! lol
(my BSRT program is 90hrs for the upper division RT portion)
thanks for the advice and help

There is no formal clinical requirement for Excelsior ADN if you already have your BSRT. You have already done 1200+ hours of clinicals in a healthcare environment, and then you have your work experience on top of that. There are two clinical tests now before you graduate with an Excelsior ADN: there is a focused assessment test that is computer based and tests your assessment skills. Then there is the final CPNE test which you go to a hospital and they test you on your clinical procedure and skills.

Do not freak out about not having clinicals. You can definitely learn the procedures on your own. There are several workshops and conferences and things you can go to where you'll be given a chance to practice. If you can practice at work too, go for it. I think that's a great way to learn and gain confidence.

While working as an RT, pay attention to everything going on around you. Ask your ICU nurse friends questions about what they are doing, and look at how they go about their assignment. If you don't have a lot of ICU nurse friends, you can make them easily by offering to suction, giving help with a "boost" or turn & position for your vented patients, giving them a drop of blood from your ABG draw leftovers for their glucose if it's due, etc.

I find that the night nurses are much more helpful in this way than day ones. I have worked both nights and days, and I left days to go back to night after just a few weeks. IMO Days is extremely annoying/hectic with all the docs and administration buzzing around and you're more likely to have old crows that can't be bothered with *anything* after 25 years on the job... nonetheless explaining something to an RT. If you can get a good night RT gig in a *BUSY* CVICU or SICU/MICU- preferably in a progressive teaching hospital where you are very involved (inserting A-lines, monitoring swanns for transplants, open hearts, IVBPs, severe sepsis protocol, ARDSnet protocol with HFOV/Nitric or ECMO, IHI initiatives etc) and have medical residents on at night - that's gold.

So much going on, so many people to learn from... it's awesome. Better than anything clinical experience you could get as a traditional nursing student, that's for sure. You have a license so you can actually participate on everyone's level. Students don't have the same kind of opportunities.

And you're getting paid for it! How cool is that?

Anyway, this is such a novel, but I hope it helps.

A

ECMOismygame · Jan 20, 2008

There is no formal clinical requirement for Excelsior ADN if you already have your BSRT. You have already done 1200+ hours of clinicals in a healthcare environment, and then you have your work experience on top of that.
While working as an RT, pay attention to everything going on around you. Ask your ICU nurse friends questions about what they are doing, and look at how they go about their assignment. If you don't have a lot of ICU nurse friends, you can make them easily by offering to suction, giving help with a "boost" or turn & position for your vented patients, giving them a drop of blood from your ABG draw leftovers for their glucose if it's due, etc.
And you're getting paid for it! How cool is that?
Anyway, this is such a novel, but I hope it helps.
A

got the above checked off already. :)

how did hiring managers feel about you considering you did not have the "traditional" nursing clinicals?

how many shifts were you able to work while completing the Excelsior program?

thanks again for the help