Excelsior, LPN school, or WHAT!!!!

[teacher08]

I'm extremely impressed with Excelsior RN program. Presently I'd like to obtain an LPN licensure. However, with Excelsior's wonderful distant learning program I would not be eligible for admission if I obtained an LPN licensure.

I don't know whether to attend LPN school and sit out the looooong CC competitive LPN-RN bridge program OR seek licensure in an another healthcare career (eligibile for Excelsior admission plus a specialty) and seek RN admission to Excelsior. I'm in my early 40's with a M.Ed. and I really don't want to waste time. All advice is greatly appreciated.

[NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN]

Most people in CA are too scared to try to do Excelsiors and apply for endorsement or initial licensure. There isn't anybody on this forum who has successfully (don't even think anybody has tried) applied for initial licensure with an Excelsior education after the cut off date. I've read on other forums but when I contacted them their emails either expired, or they never answered back.

For CA you can work in the military hospitals or federal facilities with an Excelsior education and licensing through another state.

[Veronica22715]

Excelsior has been a wonderful option for me. I did not want to go back into the class room and waste time wiping butts for another year when I could be working and jamming out my RN while I did. They have been easy to work with and when you call excelsior they actually take your call, answer your questions, and never rush you off the phone. About to take the CPNE which is of course the do or die of excelsior and what most people complain about. When you get there take a workshop it's worth EVERY penny.

[Veronica22715]

thanks caliotter. i actually was planning on not working at all, as i do have a means...however, i am beginning to second-guess myself from comments on the forum. it seems as though i would be totally clueless and doing myself a disservice. i have absolutely no medical/nursing experience outside of the few crummy rotations i had in lpn school..and i truly didn't do anything intense.

but....i have heard many people say what you are saying..that in nursing, you're taught bad habits...things the wrong way..etc. it's weird to imagine..but many people in my lpn program, who did have medical experience, actually weren't the top students and said that school mode and work are much different.

i just dread/fear the cpne, as i wonder how i will be able to work with patients, performing in depth skills, for the first time...and it being my actual exam...that's the only reason i thought that maybe i should volunteer.

you really need to be comfortable working with patients and in the patients room. the cpne is not a clinical it's a test to determine if you are ready to work as an rn. how can you be if you are not actively doing what a nurse does? can you walk into a patient room and assess, efficiently do a neuro, respiratory, abdominal, and peripheral vascular assessment. are you comfortable with iv's pegs, drains, foleys, wounds?

i know that when i finished lpn school i knew how to do those things but i was slow and uncoordinated. to avoid bad habits do it the right ways every time. i have done the program with 2 other lpns one works on a med surge floor the other works in the medical field but not as a nurse and now she is panicking because she is so slow and fearful of everything.they may see that and eat her for lunch.

[carlas216]

I keep hearing that you will zip through this program if you start right when you get your LPN license and I just find it SO encouraging! I feel positive again . I come from an AWFUL program. That year of my life was just a disappointment. I am looking to enter the EC ADN program as a newbie LPN graduate...I'll be less than 3 months out of Nursing school.

Here's what scares me a tad:

1) My education, I feel, was sub par. Clinical rotations were VERY basic and many of them were spent in a classroom with dummies and not enough supplies.

2) I have NEVER worked in Health Care.

3) I don't plan on using my nursing license, to work, as I finish at EC, so I'm afraid I really won't know how to deal with patients at ALL.

4) Pretty much 1-3 summed up. I feel I'll end up at the CPNE, with that being the first time I EVER really deal with a patient or that kind of environment and I feel as though I'm setting myself up for failure .

Hi,

I would not recommend attending excelsior if you don't plan to work as an lpn. Alot of the experience that you will need you will get from being hands with patients. Unfortunately, if u have never really worked healthcare it will be hard to gain this experience. But everyone is different. May be ok for you.

[JaninAZ]

Hello everyone, I recently completed my LPN at a community college in Arizona and wish to quickly bridge into a LPN to RN program that is universally respected. My community college offers a bridge program, but it would still take me a year to get into. Excelsior College initially looked like a possibility. However, after speaking to a few hospital nurse recruiters (from a couple of states including CA) I was told point blank that they DO NOT hire Excelsior grads. Of course the College Network folks won't dare mention this. I really do not relish the idea of having to gain tons of experience before ANYONE would consider hiring me. I welcome you opinions on going the Excelsior route.

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Sadly, Excelsior isn't "universally respected." If that's your goal, you should stick with your local program. Good luck!

[imagineme2day]

thank u for so much information, how did you obtain the scholarships?