Be very careful before you sign up for the Excelsior program if you plan on working in a major metropolitan hospital or even a larger hospital in a rural area.
I know of two people here in Colorado that have had problems with their Excelsior education. One spent over $5,000, passed the Colorado NCLEX and has found that major hospitals will not hire her because of the lack of additional clinical hours and real-time instruction. The second stopped taking the course after spending more than $3,000 after finding out the same information.
I signed up last April and immediately after had the RN that had taught my CNA class the year before tell me that many hospitals have problems with these types of degrees. I had already bought a bunch of books, but basically left it where it stood thinking I could always get my money back. Boy was I wrong.
I was using the istudysmart.com system to get some of the classes out of the way for Excelsior and when I wanted to get a refund, I was shocked at what I heard. If you do not request a refund within 3 days of signing up, you're out of luck. No refunds period. Am I glad I only spent $800 plus another $200 on books.
So...my advice is to try and get into the second year of an ADN program at a community college if you're an LPN (which in most states has a very small waiting list as compared to entering into it in the first year). If you're a CMA, Paramedic or whatever Excelsior currently says qualifies you for the RN-ADN program, do what it takes to get into a real-time, nursing school. I have heard three stories besides my own now and would council anyone seeking to become a nurse to seek other options than online programs. It may take me longer, but it will be better in the long run.
This thread just reinforces the fact that as with any program for an LPN or RN - you need to check with your local board of nursing to ensure that it meets your state's requirements. No matter how we become nurses, we must stick together. Have a great day everyone!
Actually, I'd take it a step further. Besides the BON, I'd call all of the local hospitals in my area and see if they hire EC grads. Find out first hand if they have a problem with the program or not.
I will get my RN this coming may. I am planning to go the ec route because i will already have 160+ credit hours of undergrad (including adn) under my belt. Anyone here of any problems with this? Since I will have my RN from a accredited school, should I worry about having a BSN from EC?
-Benny
I don't see where you would run into any problems. The people facing problems with hiring are EC-ADN's (and these are few and far between). Since you will already have your ADN through a traditional program you will not have any problems. It is the RN accreditation that can be problematic and again, I believe this is rare. I have a co-worker going through EC right now and I can tell you that her schooling is definitely more rigorous than mine, which is a traditional ADN program. Because EC is online, the clinical signoffs need to be more intense in order to prove that the work is being done as it should be.
I will get my RN this coming may. I am planning to go the ec route because i will already have 160+ credit hours of undergrad (including adn) under my belt. Anyone here of any problems with this? Since I will have my RN from a accredited school, should I worry about having a BSN from EC?
-Benny
I don't see where you would run into any problems. The people facing problems with hiring are EC-ADN's (and these are few and far between). Since you will already have your ADN through a traditional program you will not have any problems. It is the RN accreditation that can be problematic and again, I believe this is rare. I have a co-worker going through EC right now and I can tell you that her schooling is definitely more rigorous than mine, which is a traditional ADN program. Because EC is online, the clinical signoffs need to be more intense in order to prove that the work is being done as it should be.
I don't see where you would run into any problems. The people facing problems with hiring are EC-ADN's (and these are few and far between). Since you will already have your ADN through a traditional program you will not have any problems. It is the RN accreditation that can be problematic and again, I believe this is rare. I have a co-worker going through EC right now and I can tell you that her schooling is definitely more rigorous than mine, which is a traditional ADN program. Because EC is online, the clinical signoffs need to be more intense in order to prove that the work is being done as it should be.
There's 20,000 of us ADN grads from EC, Regents College, and the Regents External Degree Program. So it's not so rare!
I don't see where you would run into any problems. The people facing problems with hiring are EC-ADN's (and these are few and far between). Since you will already have your ADN through a traditional program you will not have any problems. It is the RN accreditation that can be problematic and again, I believe this is rare. I have a co-worker going through EC right now and I can tell you that her schooling is definitely more rigorous than mine, which is a traditional ADN program. Because EC is online, the clinical signoffs need to be more intense in order to prove that the work is being done as it should be.
There's 20,000 of us ADN grads from EC, Regents College, and the Regents External Degree Program. So it's not so rare!
I cannot believe people are allowed to learn nursing online, it just doesn't seem right to me. (Sorry if this upsets anyone, it is just my opinion)
I earned my first Master's degree (Community Psych) in a traditional classroom based program. I am currently finishing my second to last course for my MSN (Administration track) through the University of Phoenix. The online route has been far more challenging and I feel that I have been well prepared to take my place among other MSNs.
I agree, clinical hours do need to be addressed but from what I can tell the online programs usually do have a plan for that in their curriculum. As has been said before just be sure your chosen program is accredited and approved. Education, however it is achieved, is never wasted.
I cannot believe people are allowed to learn nursing online, it just doesn't seem right to me. (Sorry if this upsets anyone, it is just my opinion)
I earned my first Master's degree (Community Psych) in a traditional classroom based program. I am currently finishing my second to last course for my MSN (Administration track) through the University of Phoenix. The online route has been far more challenging and I feel that I have been well prepared to take my place among other MSNs.
I agree, clinical hours do need to be addressed but from what I can tell the online programs usually do have a plan for that in their curriculum. As has been said before just be sure your chosen program is accredited and approved. Education, however it is achieved, is never wasted.
Be very careful before you sign up for the Excelsior program if you plan on working in a major metropolitan hospital or even a larger hospital in a rural area.
I know of two people here in Colorado that have had problems with their Excelsior education. One spent over $5,000, passed the Colorado NCLEX and has found that major hospitals will not hire her because of the lack of additional clinical hours and real-time instruction. The second stopped taking the course after spending more than $3,000 after finding out the same information.
I signed up last April and immediately after had the RN that had taught my CNA class the year before tell me that many hospitals have problems with these types of degrees. I had already bought a bunch of books, but basically left it where it stood thinking I could always get my money back. Boy was I wrong.
I was using the istudysmart.com system to get some of the classes out of the way for Excelsior and when I wanted to get a refund, I was shocked at what I heard. If you do not request a refund within 3 days of signing up, you're out of luck. No refunds period. Am I glad I only spent $800 plus another $200 on books.
So...my advice is to try and get into the second year of an ADN program at a community college if you're an LPN (which in most states has a very small waiting list as compared to entering into it in the first year). If you're a CMA, Paramedic or whatever Excelsior currently says qualifies you for the RN-ADN program, do what it takes to get into a real-time, nursing school. I have heard three stories besides my own now and would council anyone seeking to become a nurse to seek other options than online programs. It may take me longer, but it will be better in the long run.
Hey buddy,
thanks alot for the advice. I will be done with my LVN program in June, and have been shopping around for schools like Excelsior, for my RN program. I am glad that I read your thread and will make sure to pass it along. I can't believe that the state board would allow for a school like this to operate, allow students to take the state board for RN, and then for students to be turned away from hospital jobs. Something should be done about this not tommorrow but today. Good luck and thanks for the advice.
I'm very sorry to hear that your state is having issues with EC. But like many people, you seem to be under the impression that whatever is going on in your area is how things are everywhere else which is not true. I'm not trying to slam your advice as it may be valid in your area, but let's say that some LPN/LVN with current acute care experience who lives in Texas reads your post and decides not to do the EC program and goes to a tradtional LVN-RN transition program as a result of reading comments like yours.
I started in that type of program and know many LVN's who went that route and ALL of them told me what a waste of time and money it was spending countless clinical hours during that "one year" transition program making beds, giving baths, and passing pills because during that second year you get lumped in with students with no clinical background outside of maybe being a CNA who are still struggling with learning about starting IV's and insering NG tubes, all of which are skills that any experienced acute care LVN should be competent at and should not still be demonstrating in front of instructors. I worked at a teaching hospital on a Med/Surg floor where there were a lot of LVN-RN students and there they stood around, waiting for their instructor to check off that they drew up the correct dose of insulin, something they probably do at work every day.
As far as "major metropolitan" goes, when I graduated EC last year I was offered an internship in the specialty of my choice at every last hospital that I applied at in both Dallas and Houston (which Houston by the way, is the 4th largest city in the country.)
Different programs meet different students needs and everyone needs to select what works best for them. I've worked around the country (not in CO so I can't speak for them) and I would say that with very few exceptions (IL for example) doing the traditional transition program is a big waste of time and money for current acute care LPN/LVN's and paramedics. But even IL has EC grads working there who have been RN's in other states for two years.
My current employer is in major need of RN's and I often wonder how many LVN students right now are out there putting in their clinical time making beds and passing pills who could go through EC's program and be here now working as RN's where they are truely needed.
FYI- EC does not accept MA's or EMT's below paramedic level and EC's ADN program is not "online."
I'm not saying that EC is a perfect program either as I found the CPNE to be an awful nerve-wracking experience but there has got to be a better more efficient way to help LPN's become RN's. It's just that no one has come up with it yet.
Either you bite the bullet and go through the strict boot camp style clinical exam, or you put in countless hours doing for free what you get paid for at work every day for a year.
How long would it take an LVN/LPN to complete the EC program?
How long would it take an LVN/LPN to complete the EC program?
It depends on you. I was a Medic when I started - and it took me 9 months. It would have been less, but I got married in the middle of it, and took 3 months off.
Sheri257
3,905 Posts
Actually, I'd take it a step further. Besides the BON, I'd call all of the local hospitals in my area and see if they hire EC grads. Find out first hand if they have a problem with the program or not.