Excelsior College LPN to RN program questions

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i am an lpn with 13 years experience in hospital setting however; i have not practiced in 7 years as i have gone into clinical research. i want to get my rn and have been reviewing excelsior college as a means to get this done. what i would like to know about the program is:

once completing the rn aa, can one pass the boards? meaning did one feel as if they were prepared?

after speaking with an on line rep. from the college, one can either take an actual online class or just buy a book, study, and take a test.

what are the online classes like? are they like an online class you would take at a community college with actual instructors assigning homework and posting on a discussion board?

i really would hate to enroll and find out that i number 1, need to go back and study more theory than what i remember clinically. moreover, not pass the pa state boards.

thanks

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I was thinking about going the LVN to BSN via excelsior but my instructor says it's too big of a leap to do it that way. For RN to BSN yes...but LVN to RN there is too much theory and need more actual hands on experience so we should only consider a face to face venue for that leg of our education.

Considering she's been right about just about everything else I've talked to her about I'm willing to trust her judgement and go ahead and do a face to face transition program to RN and THEN consider an 100% online to BSN program.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

WOW! All I can say is, I took my first nursing exam with Excelsior on 08/31/2009 and took the last on 11/02/2009. Then I took A&P on the day before Thanksgiving and Micro on the Xmas Eve, passed the CPNE on Valentines weekend 2010, and graduated officially 04/16/2010. 6 months with EC and an additional 2 months for boards which I passed on 06/16/10. 8 months total. Not trying to contradict your instructor at all but Excelsior's program can be done. I had been an LPN for 24 years when I decided to go back to school. Although I don't know what you clinical background is as an LPN/LVN, I just would like to offer a teeny tiny bit of advice: Don't let anyone, anywhere, at anytime cause you to underestimate yourself, especially if that individual gets paid to reel in customers. Please, I mean no harm in that statement; I just know what can be done because I did it under the worst possible personal conditions: death of a family member and a very UN-supportive husband-turned-ex all during my CPNE weekend! Good luck in whatever you decide and CONGRATULATIONS to you already for being an LPN/LVN.:yeah:

Ladside, RN, BSN student, LPN

PS::idea: As far as the theory goes, EC's courses teaches textbook theory, not what we do in everyday life. The moderators/professors of the college will remind you of that with each exam. LPNs have to "deprogram" themselves from what we do 'hands-on' versus what situations call for based on textbook theory.

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Specializes in Utilization Management, Informatics.

I just signed up for Excelsior llpn-rn..i'm having a hard figuring out where to start. I mailed my transcript so i'm hoping they review and tell me what classes I need. I was told I could take two classes/tests before I enroll but I' can't find them.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

Hello Nurse_Mary,

I think the two exams are Health Safety and Transitions for Professional Nurse Role. On the EC website, you should find a link that says 'Register for an exam. Click on that link and if I remember correctly, a whole list of exams should come up but you may have to read through the course numbers that correspond with each exam. They should both be listed side by side. You want to look in the numbers that begin with NUR.....I think that's how they did it. Good luck. Also, you can always call and have them to mail you out an examination registration form. It's just so much more convenient to do it yourself.....and more time efficient especially when you want to go ahead and schedule the testing date that you want instead of having take what they have available.

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Specializes in Geriarics, Pediatrics.

I just started the program through Excelsior last month. All I have to say is you need to be dedicated. I chose to study for the tests and not take online classes.

I have 1 core class and 7 nursing classes to do. I hope to complete it all by the end of May 2012.

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Specializes in geriatrics, dementia and like, insurance.

I recently applied to Excelsior but haven't enrolled. I have a couple of questions before I actually enroll and pay out that fee.

1. For A&P, do you test out of that or do you have to take an actual online class?

2. I know you have to be enrolled to "graduate" from the school and earn your certificate so you can test for the boards but do you have to enroll in order to take the exams?

I have a bachelor's degree (not in nursing) and I have mainly nursing classes to complete. I just don't want to have to pay more than necessary when completing my LVN to RN transition. The list of fees is a little overwhelming.

I want to complete this program within six months to get moving on to the RN as quickly as possible. The job market for LVN's is horrible in my area.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
1. For A&P, do you test out of that or do you have to take an actual online class?

Excelsior offers a test-out exam for A&P.

2. I know you have to be enrolled to "graduate" from the school and earn your certificate so you can test for the boards but do you have to enroll in order to take the exams?

You can take a couple of the exams (Essentials of Nursing Care: Health Safety as well as Transition to the Registered Prof. Nurse Role) before you enroll. As soon as you enroll, that starts the clocking ticking toward your student services annual fee, which is something like $440. You're wise to wait to enroll until you absolutely have to!

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Specializes in Peds and Geri.

Hi Everyone,

I am planning to start the LPN to BSN at Excelsior and boy am I glad I found this post!!!! From posts that I have read it looks like Excelsior is the right choice for getting my BSN (RN?) I haven't enrolled yet because I don't know if I should just go for the RN first or take the big plung - what do you all think?

Also anyone out there live in Arizona that has taken this course or in the process of taking this course or planning to start?

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Excelsior doesn't offer an LPN to BSN -- it's LPN to RN/ADN. They do have RN-BSN programs, though. :)

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Hello to all, I am a lvn nurse in california and as everybody knows, the community colleges are a big no to enroll right now, because of the waiting list even though they say they dont have one.

Anyways, does anyone know if I can do excelsior and get lisenced in California? or if I have to lisenced in NY and then endorse my lisence in California? Will the BON in california endorse my RN lisence from NY if I graduate from Excelsiors?

Can someone tell me anything about it?

I am really desperate to gain my RN lisence, LVN jobs in California are not really good specially in southern california. specially for new grads like me.

Thank you all,

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
Will the BON in california endorse my RN lisence from NY if I graduate from Excelsiors?

Nope, sorry, not at this time -- http://www.excelsior.edu/state-board-requirements. However, you might want to look into the Indiana State LPN to BSN program -- http://www.indstate.edu/degreelink/lpntobs/

From what I've seen of our GN forum, it's just as difficult for RNs to find jobs in California these days, so you're definitely not alone in that. Good luck!

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