Excelsior College

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Jun 25, 2006

I had a great experience with Excelsior. The program is approved by the Texas BNE. Check out our Distance Learning/Independent Study Forum for a lot of EC-related information. Good luck!

Hockeytown · Jun 26, 2006

I would recommend that you get your ADN at an accreditated community college and then you could finish your BSN at Excelsior. Many hospitals here in CA will not hire nurses who get their RN training from institutions online. There is not enough clinical experience.

Jo Dirt · Jun 26, 2006

I would recommend that you get your ADN at an accreditated community college and then you could finish your BSN at Excelsior. Many hospitals here in CA will not hire nurses who get their RN training from institutions online. There is not enough clinical experience.

Excelsior is not an online institution and it is also fully accredited, but Hockeytown is correct that California will not grant you a license if you get your ADN from Excelsior (they will accept a BSN from Excelsior if you have an ADN from a traditional institution). Certain other states have stipulations you must meet before granting you a license if you are an Excelsior ADN graduate. As you can see, distance education is a controversal topic. Most negativity you hear about distance learning stems from ignorance about distance education.

That said, Excelsior is not for everyone. Ideally, Excelsior students are LPNs, paramedics or RT's with years of experience before they start Excelsior. Too many people (and I see them on here frequently) think Excelsior is the "quickie" way to get out of going to regular nursing classes. Everybody wants something for nothing, it seems. Studying at home and at your own pace of course *sounds* easy, but in reality, you will spend as much or more time with Excelsior as any other brick and mortar nursing school. The reality is, too, that no matter what kind of plans you make, life happens, and it is too easy to put your studies with Excelsior on the back burner. Most people who start Excelsior don't finish.

I am an Excelsior graduate, and Excelsior made it possible for me and scores of others who could not realistically attend traditional programs to become an RN. But if I were a young unencumbered person with my whole life ahead of me I would not go the Excelsior route nor any other distance or online nursing route. I love school, myself, and I kind of envy those young people with futures getting out there and busting it. And if you can physically go to a school I say that is ideal. But fr old f@ rts like me with mounds of responsibilities and on their way downhill Excelsior is a dream come true.

beautician30 · Jul 9, 2006

I am finished with my general education, and in my nursing component. My concern is the clinical portion. I don't know anyone personally who has passed their clinical on the first attempt. I should would like to know how many are passing and how many are failing.

Dixiecup · Jul 23, 2006

I passed my first try on my first three patient settings. My girlfriend that did the program with me also passed on the first try with the first three patient settings. If you are prepared backward and forwards and practice, practice, practice, you can do it. But it is definately not easy!

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Jul 23, 2006

My BON sent out a notice concerning Excelsior.

On January 25, 2006 the Arizona State Board of Nursing issued a Notice of Deficiency to Excelsior College for failing to meet the educational standards of the Board. The Excelsior College nursing program does not provide students with instructed clinical as required by A.A.C. R4-19-206.

http://www.azbn.gov/News.asp?ID=48

That's from the AZBON website...

However, there is another new grad in my Critical Care course who graduated from there and she really seems to know her stuff-very confident and knowledgeable.

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Jul 23, 2006

I am finished with my general education, and in my nursing component. My concern is the clinical portion. I don't know anyone personally who has passed their clinical on the first attempt. I should would like to know how many are passing and how many are failing.

Pass rates for first-timers are around 65% if I remember correctly (a phone call or email to the EC CPNE faculty would be the best source though). 65% is a bit iffy for some people, when you consider that you'll spend almost $2000 each time you take the darn thing, plus travel costs and missed work, on top of a CPNE waiting list that can be 4-6 months long at times.

I was one of the lucky ones who passed on attempt #1. It's very doable if you can control your stress.