Excelsior college

smariemax · Nov 30, 2017

You also went to EC? Yes, i will look into a BSN program.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Nov 30, 2017

You also went to EC? Yes, i will look into a BSN program.

I did, as a paramedic. Graduated in 2008. :)

smariemax · Nov 30, 2017

Have you worked in a hospital? Can I ask whst State you are

Editorial Team / Moderator · Nov 30, 2017

Have you worked in a hospital? Can I ask whst State you are

I originally completed the program in Virginia, and I now work in Georgia. I have worked in a hospital for my entire career (ER), except for 9 months in Afghanistan. :) That hospital was a plywood square! Haha.

Kamilah Coney, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Dec 8, 2017

Personally I don't see what the problem is when it comes to the amount of clinical hours we get in this program. From my perspective as a previous student nurse in a "traditional" nursing program, MAJORITY of the clinical hours were spent "assisting" the nurse assistants/techs. The remaining clinical hours consisted of mostly observing and very little ACTUAL hands-on "entry-level nurse" practice.

If we look at things technically, the hours we spend working as nurses and paramedics as we progress through this program are our "clinical" hours. The only things I don't get to practice as a bedside nurse are IV medication pushes and careplans (but that's where my home-based lab and Excelsior's PCS scenarios comes in handy).

I agree, it doesn't make sense for the state to accept your Excelsior College degree, allowing you the opportunity to take your state boards and earn your RN license. But then once you start your job search, the hospitals won't accept your ASN degree from Excelsior?? That baffles me.

elkpark · Dec 8, 2017

Personally I don't see what the problem is when it comes to the amount of clinical hours we get in this program. From my perspective as a previous student nurse in a "traditional" nursing program, MAJORITY of the clinical hours were spent "assisting" the nurse assistants/techs. The remaining clinical hours consisted of mostly observing and very little ACTUAL hands-on "entry-level nurse" practice.
If we look at things technically, the hours we spend working as nurses and paramedics as we progress through this program are our "clinical" hours. The only things I don't get to practice as a bedside nurse are IV medication pushes and careplans (but that's where my home-based lab and Excelsior's PCS scenarios comes in handy).
I agree, it doesn't make sense for the state to accept your Excelsior College degree, allowing you the opportunity to take your state boards and earn your RN license. But then once you start your job search, the hospitals won't accept your ASN degree from Excelsior?? That baffles me.

If you are correct when you say that the "MAJORITY" of clinical hours in your previous nursing program were spent assisting the techs, you went to a v. low quality nursing program -- unless you left that program early in the program and are talking about the earliest clinical hours, but not the program overall. In my original nursing program, the nursing programs in which I've been a full-time or adjunct faculty member over the years, and with the nursing students I've observed doing clinical rotations in my work settings over the years, the students have been learning about and doing what RNs do in their clinical rotations (after the earliest, "Fundamentals" clinicals in which they learn the most basic nursing care). It's sad that some schools that provide poor nursing education are allowed to continue to operate, but it's certainly not accurate to make a general assumption that nursing students across the board are not getting meaningful and worthwhile clinical experience in school.

I don't really understand how Excelsior has convinced most state BONs to approve their graduates for licensure when those same BONs require that graduates of every other nursing program have a minimum numbers of supervised clinical hours in school in order to be eligible for licensure, but they have been successful doing that and I'm not here to start a debate about that. However, licensure is no guarantee of employment. Individual employers are entirely free to have opinions and preferences about what educational backgrounds they find acceptable, and many do. If you choose to go through a non-traditional, unconventional education program, in nursing or any other field, you're taking the chance that some employers may have issues with that.

Crush · Dec 8, 2017

I don't really understand how Excelsior has convinced most state BONs to approve their graduates for licensure when those same BONs require that graduates of every other nursing program have a minimum numbers of supervised clinical hours in school in order to be eligible for licensure, but they have been successful doing that and I'm not here to start a debate about that. However, licensure is no guarantee of employment. Individual employers are entirely free to have opinions and preferences about what educational backgrounds they find acceptable, and many do. If you choose to go through a non-traditional, unconventional education program, in nursing or any other field, you're taking the chance that some employers may have issues with that.

Excelsior only takes or accepts students who already have medical background and/or clinical experience. They don't precept per se. As was my case, I had been a LPN from a traditional program x 4 years in med-surg and with 1 year as a LPN working LTC. So 5 yrs direct patient care. In addition I gone through a brick and mortar RN program x 3 semesters and dropped r/t a family emergency.

Not starting a debate cause you can have good or bad nurses regardless of program attended. Just answering that EC students must meet a certain criteria before acceptance. And certainly agree that anytime you make the choice of attending certain colleges you may have some employers who will be reluctant to hire. It is becoming more common nowdays to go through online educational programs and I am seeing bias dissipating in relation to this. Although, personally I have never been denied employment or had anyone question my ability to be a nurse just because of where I attended school. I have been a RN for 8 years now.

Again, not starting anything. No snarkiness intended.

Kamilah Coney, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Dec 8, 2017

You're correct, I did leave the "traditional" ADN program early (it just wasn't my time). So I can only talk about the "traditional" Practical Nursing program I graduated from. Practical Nursing students were not welcomed in the hospital, so the hands-on practice was VERY limited. I can honestly say that I finally got the hands-on experience I needed once I started working as a LPN.

Excelsior is an accredited college. And as one Crush_BSN stated, they only accept students with a medical background. Licensure (LPN, LVN, Paramedic) does not guarantee acceptance into the nursing program.

You don't really understand how Excelsior has convinced most state BONs to approve their graduates for licensure? Here's how they convinced the BON, and this information can be found on their website: "To be eligible for admission, you need to be employed in a direct patient care setting under the supervision of someone with a health care credential who evaluates your clinical practice. You must also have worked in this setting for at least 200 hours in the year prior to your application".

I am also not trying to start a debate. I am just responding to a concern.

Kamilah Coney, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Dec 8, 2017

If you are correct when you say that the "MAJORITY" of clinical hours in your previous nursing program were spent assisting the techs, you went to a v. low quality nursing program -- unless you left that program early in the program and are talking about the earliest clinical hours, but not the program overall. In my original nursing program, the nursing programs in which I've been a full-time or adjunct faculty member over the years, and with the nursing students I've observed doing clinical rotations in my work settings over the years, the students have been learning about and doing what RNs do in their clinical rotations (after the earliest, "Fundamentals" clinicals in which they learn the most basic nursing care). It's sad that some schools that provide poor nursing education are allowed to continue to operate, but it's certainly not accurate to make a general assumption that nursing students across the board are not getting meaningful and worthwhile clinical experience in school.
I don't really understand how Excelsior has convinced most state BONs to approve their graduates for licensure when those same BONs require that graduates of every other nursing program have a minimum numbers of supervised clinical hours in school in order to be eligible for licensure, but they have been successful doing that and I'm not here to start a debate about that. However, licensure is no guarantee of employment. Individual employers are entirely free to have opinions and preferences about what educational backgrounds they find acceptable, and many do. If you choose to go through a non-traditional, unconventional education program, in nursing or any other field, you're taking the chance that some employers may have issues with that.

You're correct, I did leave the "traditional" ADN program early (it just wasn't my time). So I can only talk about the "traditional" Practical Nursing program I graduated from. Practical Nursing students were not welcomed in the hospital, so the hands-on practice was VERY limited. I can honestly say that I finally got the hands-on experience I needed once I started working as a LPN.

Excelsior is an accredited college. And as one Crush_BSN stated, they only accept students with a medical background. Licensure (LPN, LVN, Paramedic) does not guarantee acceptance into the nursing program.

You don't really understand how Excelsior has convinced most state BONs to approve their graduates for licensure? Here's how they convinced the BON, and this information can be found on their website: "To be eligible for admission, you need to be employed in a direct patient care setting under the supervision of someone with a health care credential who evaluates your clinical practice. You must also have worked in this setting for at least 200 hours in the year prior to your application".

I am also not trying to start a debate. I am just responding to a concern.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Dec 8, 2017

You don't really understand how Excelsior has convinced most state BONs to approve their graduates for licensure? Here's how they convinced the BON, and this information can be found on their website: "To be eligible for admission, you need to be employed in a direct patient care setting under the supervision of someone with a health care credential who evaluates your clinical practice. You must also have worked in this setting for at least 200 hours in the year prior to your application".

To be fair, that is a VERY recent addition to EC's admission criteria - and one that I applauded. :) But because some states don't have blanket confidence in EC grads, they have extra requirements for EC grads. Totally up to them. We all know that all medics/LPNs/etc. are not created equal, which is why the CPNE is so difficult and exacting - it's that final checkpoint where EC is ensuring that its ADN graduates have a foundation in safety and competence.

Kamilah Coney, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Dec 8, 2017

To be fair, that is a VERY recent addition to EC's admission criteria - and one that I applauded. :) But because some states don't have blanket confidence in EC grads, they have extra requirements for EC grads. Totally up to them. We all know that all medics/LPNs/etc. are not created equal, which is why the CPNE is so difficult and exacting - it's that final checkpoint where EC is ensuring that its ADN graduates have a foundation in safety and competence.

Yes, it is a VERY recent addition (it wasn't a requirement when I applied in 2013). I guess I just feel the need to defend how I am EARNING (not having it handed to me) this ADN degree. I also applaud Excelsior for this new addition.

Oh Pixie_RN, you don't have to tell me the CPNE! I have seen some of the best get defeated in the first round. But guaranteed they SLAYED THE BEAST in round two!!! Even without the new additions, the CPNE sets the bar for nursing clinical competency. When they say 100% accuracy is expected, they mean it.

caliotter3 · Dec 8, 2017

On the other side of the spectrum, an acquaintance got a job one time because she graduated from Excelsior. The person who hired her was also a graduate, and gave her preference because of it. So yes, employers institute their own criteria when hiring.