excelsior college RN-BSN?

agldragonRN · Oct 10, 2010

hi angel,
i enrolled into rn-bsn program and about to be done with health assessment and professional socialization classes. well do not repeat my mistakes, do not sign up for 2 classes at the same time, lol. plus, i got a new job, so it was a little challenge. both classes have discussions - new topic every week, you have to respond to 4 of your classmates, and post responses 4 days a week for the maximum points. plus, for prof. socialization you will have to find a mentor - a nurse with bsn and some years of experience, design your project (something you want to learn about), do the project and write 2 papers. not too bad. i did have a problem finding a mentor, thought.
for ha - you will have to videotape a health assessment. i used my husband as a patient (i figured that male patient is better, since i had to do some chest palpation. this way i could do he assessment without worrying too much about providing the privacy). the only catch is - you have to tape it in a "healthcare looking environment". so, you can not do it at home, per say. if you make a mistake during the videotaping, not a big deal, just re-shoot it and then do some editing, insert the right piece instead of the piece with a mistake. find a cameramen - it is a must i can not say how many pieces i had to reshoot just because my face would go out of the frame (the lab was not too big to begin with, so i had some difficulties positioning the camera).
good luck :)

thanks for the tips. i will keep all this mind! good luck with the bsn. you'll be done soon!

Erikadawn RN · Oct 10, 2010

What is the time frame for this program ? Chamberlain is only 3 semesters, I wonder if this can be done as quickly. Can someone answer this please?

happydrunkcat · Oct 10, 2010

Erika,

Capstone class is the one that you cannot register for until you have all other nursing classes completed (I think you can have some gen.eds left). Beside that - you can register for as many classes as you want. However, If you work full time I would not recommend registering for more then 2 at a time.

Conqueror+, BSN, RN · Oct 10, 2010

You can have 10 gen ed credits left and register for capstone :)

Conqueror+, BSN, RN · Oct 10, 2010

What is the time frame for this program ? Chamberlain is only 3 semesters, I wonder if this can be done as quickly. Can someone answer this please?

Do you have many Gen Ed credits to earn ? If you only have the 7 nursing classes/courses to complete it can be done in a year. That's the plan I mapped out for myself

Erikadawn RN · Oct 11, 2010

I have to do stats, and I think pathophysiology. I have alot of extra general eds, from when I went clep crazy.

Why does it take a year? Can you go as quickly as with the ASN? I want to stay with Excelsior, but if I can get it done fast, then I might go with Chamberlain or Texas Tech.

happydrunkcat · Oct 11, 2010

Erika,

you can test out of statistics and patho. I also took tests for Community-focused nursing and Management. I'm still thinking about Research, thought - it can be taken as a test (2 parts - theory questions and essay) or 15 week course.

4 courses, 15 weeks each - Prof. Socialization, Health Assessment, Teaching across Cultures and Capstone.

It is possible to combine them (except for Capstone), but for me 2 classes at a time was plenty (I work full time, plus have a 3 years old who needs attention :))

For me it will take a bit more then a year. I started in May, did Stats, Patho, Management and Community before my classes (HA and PS) started in July. I'll be done with classes in a couple of weeks. Then I will have a break untill January (don't want to deal with school stuff during Thanksgiving-Christmas time). 15 weeks for Teaching, then I'll be eligible for Capstone (if I'll take Research as a test). I still need to do some Gen. Eds (English and 1 credit of Arts) at some point.

The only thing I'd change now - I would take Health Assessment separately. I really loved the class and wish I had time to enjoy it instead of trying to keep up :)

hudno · Nov 7, 2010

i am currently enrolled in the ec rn to msn program and half way through the two classes requiring the videos (health assessment and teaching). i too went through ec several years ago for the lpn to asn program and as such it made sense at the time to continue my educational journey with ec. i wish i would have done research prior to making this decision. knowing what i do now, i would not have enrolled in ec and i would caution those thinking about ec to weigh the pros and cons of all programs.

i just completed filming the health assessment video and it is a big deal. it requires the coordination of a healthcare/clinic facility (which was difficult for me as i resigned from my job to focus on studies), somebody to be the patient, and a video assistant. this is a huge deal when you have to rely on others for a project they did not sign up for. furthermore, the requirements for the video are absolutely ridiculous. the physical exam is extremely comprehensive and beyond what a nurse does in everyday practice. i have been an er nurse for 14 years and have never done anything to the magnitude that this course requires. the video requires the assessment of a general survey, respiratory, cv, abdominal and neurological (to include all the cranial nerves). there is absolutely no practical application of the assessment techniques (unless pursuing an np). the accompanying paperwork for the video is also absolutely ridiculous. one must assess and document such areas as the entire lymphatic chain, comprehensive eye exam (like going to an ophthalmologist), peripheral vascular and eent. the documentation is extensive, and the requirements again are tough. it is a big unrealistic deal.

the teaching video is less intense. one must essentially determine a topic of health promotion/prevention, gather a group of people (i am using my family) and film a teaching session in a location of your choice (a home will suffice). this course is actually somewhat enjoyable as there is much more flexibility with the requirements.

i currently have a 3.88 gpa with ec and looked into transferring into chamberlain's msn/mba program. i was very impresses with the advisors i spoke with, but unfortunately have too much invested with ec to transfer out. i would lose some credits and much time.

you can take more than one class with ec. i am currently seven weeks into three classes, just finished two others three weeks ago and am enrolled in three others that will start in dec. approval must be granted prior to enrolling in each class, but it is not difficult to get more than one.

i don't know if this helps at all. i just wanted to let you know from a dedicated student and veteran nurse's perspective what the video actually entails. i can't comment on the grading system as i just submitted the final project. i also can not comment about costs involved as i have grants that i am using. hope this helps

happydrunkcat · Nov 7, 2010

i am currently seven weeks into three classes, just finished two others three weeks ago and am enrolled in three others that will start in dec.

that's insane! it means that at some point you have 5-6 classes at the same time. :eek: how you keep up with this????? i had 2 classes and thought it was bad. i was thinking about dropping ps class several times during those 15 weeks so i can focus on ha. managed to finish both with b's and i'm proud of myself would have an a in both classes if i wouldn't be late several times. loosing points for "late submission" was an ongoing problem for me. was just too much stuff to do. one class at a time and i wouldn't have this problem.

you are right about ha - it is a lot to learn. but the requirements are very clear, all assignments had a very structured description. the documentation paper was big, but not difficult at all - they provided us with a very detailed documentation of what they want to see in a paper. and the book is awesome! ps on the other hand omg! i couldn't understand what do they want from me. i couldn't find a mentor. 3 weeks later i called ec ready to drop the class. i should have called 3 weeks earlier. the person on the phone (unfortunately, i do not remember the name) talked to me for about 20-30 minutes. as a result - i kept the class and i found the mentor 2 days later :) the class wasn't bad at all after this point :)

hudno · Nov 8, 2010

Having 5 classes at once isn't that bad. Demanding, but once organized it is doable. I tend to work ahead and submit assignments early, which helps with time management.

How did you find the grading of the Assessment video? I am a little concerned with this as there were a few small details I omitted (showing the chux disposal from the scale was one). I am concerned, refilming a portion is not an option for me as my patient (husband) just unexpectedly deployed for several months.

What other classes do you have left?

happydrunkcat · Nov 10, 2010

I have Research, Teaching, and Capstone left. Plus English.

I found that they were pretty generous while grading the video. My video had tons of editing. I didn't have a cameramen and had to reposition the camera several times. plus, I had to re-shoot a couple of things just because me or my pt was out of the frame. They did noticed a couple of small things, but I didn't have to re-do the video.

Documentation, on the other hand, should follow all the steps and be very detailed. I had to re-do mine, because I decided to save some time and write in a skin and breasts assessments something like "such-and-such are within the normal limits". NOT acceptable. Didn't save any time and lost 7 points. Lesson learned. :)

zimsaint · Nov 11, 2010

Thanks hudno........your reply was very helpful. I was contemplating it but have decided to NOT enroll in EC again. I finished my ADN through them and passed the CPNE on first attempt but it nearly caused me a stroke. The stress was just unreal. They are so unrealistic with the requirements and more and more states are not even offering license endorsement to EC grads In addition many hospital systems are not even hiring EC grads. They seriously need to just start doing regular clinicals so they can solidify their reputation and the graduates can have more nursing opportunities.