Are all Excelsior Grads "Super Smart" ?

RochesterRN-BSN, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2009

Don't know anything about the program but I can't imagine you gotta be a "rocket scientist" ! LOL Nursing school is not easy anywhere but it's do-able...yeah you have to be fairly smart but...... However how does that even work? How do you do clinicals??? Just my opinion but I would never do a nursing program on -line--MAYBE an ASN/RN to BSN/RN but not LPN to RN....

zoeyzoe · Feb 16, 2009

Hi doug, No u don't have to be a rocket scientists, to pass excelsior, but you do have to be a motivated, dedicated and able to study and learn on your own. If you pass your LPN boards, and did pretty well throughout nursing school, you should have a great foundation in which to build from, in order to pass the nursing program with EC. I highly suggest, you work in the field, while taking, courses. So you can get some hands on experience. If you go to excelsior.edu , you can find out exactly how many nursing courses and what books you will need. You'll have to let a EC advisor look over your records, to find out, about any pre recs, you may need. There is no comprehensive final, other then the ones you take after you study the material. Each test is the equivalent of a comprehensive final, over what you've study for that course. As far as the CPNE, that is a comprehensive clinical skill evaluation.

Doug, I see you mentioned not wanting to give up your spot in a traditional RN program. Well I know I don't speak for all, when I say this, but I'm sure alot would agree, with me. Most people go to EC, because we for what ever reason can't attend a traditional program, at this time, but still want to peruse our RN degree. If you have the time and the money to attend your traditional RN program, in my opinion you should surly do that. The reason I say this is because, EC is having alot of problems with some board of nursing not granting licensure, to EC grads.

dbarnes2 · Feb 16, 2009

I am checking with the boards in my State of Missouri. I really would like to leave my traditional RN setting for two reasons. 1) because my school, ( I will not name names) is in the middle of many changes/repairs and is trying to figure out the best way to do better. This has resulted in a very disconnected group of teachers with attitudes and a big-time lowering of board pass rates over the last two years. All of the current RN students HATE their environment and are telling us all to go elsewhere to get our RN, even if we have to skip a year to do this. Even many of our instructors acknowledge the problem that we are having.

2) My wife, who is super compassionate and loves people is also just coming into the LPN class this Fall and may or may not need more time to study than I do. She has excellent study skills, (better than mine) and is growing in all areas at a really fast pace. That being said, I do not know if she can cut the overnight cram schedule of our nursing program. I believe that she would surely benefit from added time to study. I gotta be honest, I hate the 1-2 day cram it all in just so you can forget most of it and cram more for tommorrows test way of learning. It seems to be more about checking off the boxes than really learning the information so that you can remember it and use it later when it counts. I am hoping that the Excelsior way allows you to really get it memorized, whether it takes a day or a week, then to go on to the next thing. Am I wrong. Does this fit with those of you who have done it? Doug

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2009

You don't need to be brilliant. You do need to be able to grasp material solely from the reading with no lecture, and to actually set your own schedule and adhere to it.

My understanding of Missiouri is that you need to work in Kansas (or another close state) and endorse in.

I wouldn't give up a traditional spot if you plan to move around a lot. Most states are fine with EC; some are nigh unto impossible for an RN grad to get licensure.

dbarnes2 · Feb 16, 2009

I am assuming that endorsing it in another state means to work in a state that accepts EC, and then transfer the degree to Missouri. I woud have to check Illinois, as I am pretty close to that border. If you have worked for a couple of years as an RN, don't other states then accept this?

Editorial Team / Moderator · Feb 16, 2009

Actually, Missouri is fine with EC. This is a pretty good list:

http://www.istudysmart.com/content.asp?cid=70

As to your other questions, hit https://www.excelsior.edu/Excelsior_College/Publications_Before_Login and download "How much will your Excelsior College Associate Degree in Nursing cost," the nursing viewbook, and the nursing catalog. I'm not sure if all the statistics are in there, but they might be. I do know that EC grads have a higher-than-average NCLEX-RN pass rate.

As far as other states accepting EC if you've had some experience, the answer is no, they won't always accept you anyway. There are states where I will never be able to work, as things stand now. EC always seems to be working for acceptance, so things can change.

If you have access to a traditional program, I'd go that route. EC is a great alternative for those of us who couldn't/can't do traditional school for one reason or another. Just my opinion, of course. Good luck!

Editorial Team / Moderator · Feb 16, 2009

However how does that even work? How do you do clinicals??? Just my opinion but I would never do a nursing program on -line--MAYBE an ASN/RN to BSN/RN but not LPN to RN....

It's actually a distance learning program, not truly "online." It takes a very motivated student! Acceptance into the program is based on already being a licensed or certified healthcare provider (LPN, Paramedic, RT, etc.) who has had clinical experience, or students who have finished at least 50% of a traditional program with clinicals. The EC curriculum does not have clinicals in the traditional sense, but has a very strict and rigorous 2.5-day clinical exam that covers what a student would learn in traditional clinicals. And trust me, those of us who have survived the clinical exam would probably have rather had traditional clinicals than do that ever again! It's not easy.

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · Feb 16, 2009

Don't know anything about the program but I can't imagine you gotta be a "rocket scientist" ! LOL Nursing school is not easy anywhere but it's do-able...yeah you have to be fairly smart but...... However how does that even work? How do you do clinicals??? Just my opinion but I would never do a nursing program on -line--MAYBE an ASN/RN to BSN/RN but not LPN to RN....

https://allnurses.com/distance-learning-nursing/excelsior-grads-where-217472.html

There are many, many EC grads here who have had very well-rounded, successful careers as a result of the education they received in this established, accredited program. I know, because I am one of them.

See link above for more.

ougreene · Feb 16, 2009

hi

are you guys rocket scientists? no, however you must be highly motivated and self driven to complete the program.

do only the smartest of the smart make it through and then pass? no, organized, ocd (obsessive complusive disease) yes and making the right choices is a key.

if local college lpn school was fine, will i be able to do this? yes, i am a lpn, ec grad, testing tomorow for my state board.

what percentage of students who start, finish and pass boards? don't know the numbers but, you must be self driven and i have only heard of one person never going back to complete program.

can someone give me an idea of how many books and tests that i may have to go through if i have all my pre reqs and start my rn year? contact ec. buy used books that helps.

how many hours give or take may i have to study and prepare for each unit or module? depends on your life, if you work full time like i did and have 3 kids, etc etc, it took me 7 years to complete this program and you have to make time.

do you ever take more than 1 course at a time? you can.

is there a comprehensive final, other that the cpne? no cpne is it.

can i get this info somewhere? ec.

i will say one thing that, ec rn students are resourceful and self driven. you do all the work, you find the answers and you pass the test. allnurses.com is a great resource for ec cpne etc. being ec is a distant education, you sometimes feel "alone" in your quest to finish the ec rn program, this www, gives us ec grads, students and interested folks a huge matrix of support!

good luck!

gail

JDA64052 · Feb 17, 2009

I thought Missouri was one of the states that accepted EC. Has that changed, since I last checked with the state board of nursing?

dbarnes2 · Feb 17, 2009

I just recieved an e-mail from the Mo State Board and they said that after completing EC, we could sit for their boards. Doug