Anybody from Colorado finish the Excelsior Program?

SummitRN, BSN, RN · Apr 17, 2011

Why on earth would you use Colorado to do that? And where would you be able to get a 1000 hour preceptorship when several Colorado nursing schools are sending their students to nursing homes for everything but the final rotation because there are so many new nursing schools?

Doesn't CA make Excelsior grads work in another state for a year or two first? Do you realize how bad CO's job market is?

nurse2033, MSN, RN · Apr 18, 2011

Try Wyoming, as far as I know they will take an Excelsior degree. You can live in northern CO and commute to Cheyenne easily.

brenan, ASN, LPN, RN · Apr 18, 2011

Im currently doing excelsior right now. I have one more theroy exam the the CPNE (the clinical weekend). Colorado requires 350 hours of clinic hours after you graduate. My current job as and LPN will allow me to do those hours where I work. And, if you "know" people you can easily find places to take you in to do your preceptorship. As far, as endorsing into CA, I now of alot of people doing excelsior that cant get thier CA license. You can work on any military base with any state license. I might look into that first, before you start with excelsior.

SummitRN, BSN, RN · Apr 19, 2011

Brenan, read the OP again. Initial licensure RN, not LPN->RN. OP is from NV, therefor cannot do it through a CO job the OP does not have. Being from NV, the OP does not "know" people in CO to precept.

Secondly, LPNs have 350 hour preceptorships, non-LPNs have to do a 750 hour preceptorship. Check Excelsior's website if you don't believe me.

Lastly, OP: reading Excelsior's website, it sounds like CA will NEVER allow Excelsior grads to get a license endorsement except pre-2003 students who were grandfathered in.

brenan, ASN, LPN, RN · Apr 19, 2011

SummitAP,

If OP decides to move to Colorado then they CAN do the preceptorship here. Op never stated that they were or were not an LPN. I was telling my story, how I am a LPN and only need to do 350 hours! I live in Colorado and I "know" people in Texas, Cali, and MO. Just because they don't live here doesnt mean they don't have any resources!!!!

Nurse_AngelaNV2CA · Apr 20, 2011

Why on earth would you use Colorado to do that? And where would you be able to get a 1000 hour preceptorship when several Colorado nursing schools are sending their students to nursing homes for everything but the final rotation because there are so many new nursing schools?
Doesn't CA make Excelsior grads work in another state for a year or two first? Do you realize how bad CO's job market is?

I am only wishing to use Colorado to gain licensure, not to work there. I am a LPN in Nevada and if you read my post you would see that I will be locating to CA and I wish to work there. I understand that Colorado requires a 350 preceptorship before they will grant licensure. I am sure Colorados job market is just as bad as everywhere else.

Nurse_AngelaNV2CA · Apr 20, 2011

SummitAP,
If OP decides to move to Colorado then they CAN do the preceptorship here. Op never stated that they were or were not an LPN. I was telling my story, how I am a LPN and only need to do 350 hours! I live in Colorado and I "know" people in Texas, Cali, and MO. Just because they don't live here doesnt mean they don't have any resources!!!!

I have no plans to move to Colorado. I understand that the preceptorship is arranged by the CO BON so I am sure they have the facilities that they may contract with. I can live off my resources just fine if I have to do 350 hours of preceptorship in Colorado.

brenan, ASN, LPN, RN · Apr 20, 2011

When I called the CO BON they said I have to arrange my own preceptorship and when I do, then I have to call them back and get it approved. They told me it could be, acute care or sub acute care, or skilled nursing facilities. Its been several months ago that they told me that so it might have changed since then where the BON will set it up for you. I plan on doing my 350 hours in hopefully 2 months!! Good luck to you!

SummitRN, BSN, RN · Apr 20, 2011

COBON does not arrange preceptorships or clinicals for Excelsior or any other school. That is not their role. They only approve preceptorships that students or schools arrange. That is why you have to know people, because you'll be fighting against local schools who desperately want to place their students in 60-150 hour rotations versus your 350 at facilities that would rather have a local student than one from out of state. Many CO nursing schools are having to do their peds rotations in daycare centers and nearly all other rotations in non-hospital settings because there are too many new RN schools and not enough placements. In CO, new RN licensing per year is up 50% 2010 vs 2000 versus only 17% population growth and 3 new hospitals in the state in that time.

None of that matters for the OP: CA won't give an RN endorsement license to a CO RN who graduated from Excelsior. The only way for an Excelsior RN to ever work in CA would be at a federal facility or retake an RN course from a school that has clinical rotations.

Nurse_AngelaNV2CA · Apr 22, 2011

I appreciate all of your input. I am hoping that someone who actually has either been successful or unsuccessful in endorsing their CO license into CA will be able to answer some questions for me.

brenan, ASN, LPN, RN · Apr 23, 2011

Try posting this on the student distance for learning forum, there are a ton of people doing and have graduated from excelsior!