Disturbing News about Excelsior College

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jul 27, 2006

410-6-.02 applicants for licensure by examination.

educational standards see board rules

suzanne4, RN · Jul 27, 2006

Rules change all of the time, even if a nurse got their license in the past and went thru Excelsior, or any other program, it does not mean in the future that it will be accepted. Each state has the right to set their own requirements for licensure.

It is always advisable to aske directly to the BON for your state and get it directly "from the horse's mouth."

studytime · Nov 22, 2006

I heared the same thing. My understanding is, you take the NCLEX for another state, and then transfer your license from that state to Georgia. You may can look at taking the NCLEX for New york. Now you know, that you do not have to physically go to another state to take the boards, you can sit for the NCLEX in Georgia, but they will send you paper work to the state you want. Please ask around or called the state of Georgia nursing board for more information about obtaining a license.

julesner · Mar 7, 2007

I graduated from Excelsior back when it was Regents. I took my boards in SC and have been licensed in GA and 2 other states since. I did want to give you a piece of advice to check out. You mentioned that you want to send yur application money off right away. Back when I went, the rule was that you actually do not have to join until you are finished with all prereqs, have taken all of your regular exams, and only need to take the CPNE or one of the other clinical based exams. Check it out. If it's still the as it was, I just saved you a ton of money...for now anyway. Best of luck! :lol2:

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · Mar 7, 2007

That's funny. Grady was one of the places that was available to take the CPNE when I did the program. I did my CPNE at Southern Regional in Atlanta. I would call the board and ask them what their current policy is.

Jules- now you can only take NC 1&2 before joining.

CRNI-ICU20 · Mar 8, 2007

Some states will 'grandfather' you in.....meaning, that if you have been lic. in another state, and apply to a state that doesn't accept Excelsior's program requirements, they will accept you from the previous state that did...

Some states don't have a grandfather clause....

Some state boards of nursing are very 'traditional' in their thinking and belief that people have to go to an actual campus every day and take their clinicals with some nursing instr. with a master's degree breathing down their neck at all times...

THE TRUTH IS: most of the clinical rotations occur in a variety of settings with ONE instructor going from floor to floor just checking in....the students are turned loose with a PRECEPTOR, ie floor nurse...or ICU nurse...or ER nurse...or OR nurse...who works at the hospital....and GETS NO MONETARY COMPENSATION OR REIMBURSEMENT FOR HER TEACHING OF THAT STUDENT FOR THOSE SIX HOURS OF THAT DAY....and that's the truth...

I have to tell you that the preceptors who adjudicated me when I was a REGENTS graduate we doctorate level nurses who had practiced nursing themselves before going into teaching....my degree was eventually out of Stanford....who collaborated with University of the State of New York Regent's College....I was very well prepared as a nurse....and had no probs. with NCLEX or pre-exams....I was observed at all times by ONE adjudicator....this was not just clinical rotation...this was a pass/fail exam....to see if I could apply what I had learned...and taken the time to observe on my own....

It's a great school....and unfortunately, there are some states that refuse to recognize them, because I think it's about taking students away from their own programs....and maybe making them look a little ancient...

There are many other states who do accept Regent's/Excelsior....if you are able to apply for licensure in that state when you are done, you should be okay....try to get as much info as you can before you dive in....and then decide what may work best for you....

Good luck to you!!

NRS68 · Mar 8, 2007

Just wondering if anyone has heard anything about problems w/ EC in NC? I will be moving there shortly and would like to start the ADN program at Excelsior before I move... I wrote the BON but have not heard back at this point. Thanks!

:smilecoffeecup:

VonnieNICU-RN · Apr 10, 2007

I am an Excelsior College Graduate and had NO problem getting a license in here in GA. As of right now the Georgia Board of Nursing has no plans on denying people the right to apply for licensure if you have taken the NCLEX through another state. Also there are board members that supervise the CPNE at several locations here in GA. Don't worry, this is a rumor that has been around for a long time. Let me know if I can be of any help to you.

mandasueRN · Apr 14, 2007

Like the person in the previous post, I also graduated from Excelsior. I graduated in October 2006, applied to Minnesota and took the NCLEX in December 2006, , and endorsed into GA in January 2007. I chose MN for my inital lic. because their requirements and application is very easy--no background checks, etc. They are computerized and I was able to find out I passed the NCLEX on their website the day after I took it. I also think this is just a rumor that goes around every so often. If there ever is a problem with the BON here, I'm sure that EC will make you aware of it. I was living in AL when I first started--the AL BON does not give lic. to EC students--and EC required me to sign a form stating that I was aware of the fact.

ks33 · Apr 19, 2007

Hi all, Please help. I just heard some disturbing news from a nurse recruiter at Grady hospital. She said, the Georgia BON was denying RN's, who had gone to excelsior and passed the nclex elsewhere, the right to become license here in Georgia. Has anyone heard of this? I have just passed my LPN
boards 10 days ago, and just yesterday sent my application with 65 dollars off to excelsior.
I am planning to enroll ASAP. But I don't want to spend thousands of dollars and valuable time, just to find out I wont be able to work in the state in which I live. SO please if there is anyone who has gone through the excelsior pass and now, are working as a RN here in Georgia please let me know. ALSO, if you've had a problem getting a license here in Georgia, please let me know. Thank you.

Where did you take the LPN course?

Ronnie22 · Jun 23, 2007

I work at Grady Hospital, and personally know several nurses that graduated Excelsior that work at Grady. After reading this post, I found a nurse recruiter, and asked him if this was a rumor; he said this is the first he has heard of it.

First, Grady is ALWAYS in need of nurses, especially in the ED. Also, as another poster stated, Grady Hospital is a Excelsior CPNE test site, and they are a teaching hospital, so I couldn't imagine this rumor to be true.