Excelsior Nursing Program?

Nursing Students Excelsior

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Hello,

I am just wondering if anyone has any info regarding the Excelsior AAS/ADN nursing program. I had never heard of an online RN program (only RN-BSN/MSN programs). Is this program legit? It appears to be an expensive route, but wow it would be nice to be able to work a program around my schedule (I'm a stay-at-home mom).

Thanks for any info you may have. :)

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

It's listed on the website. There is this page about the CPNE: https://www.excelsior.edu/Excelsior_College/School_Of_Nursing/Clinical_Performance_in_Nursing_Examination

On that page, there is a link to the Regional Performance Assessment Centers (RPACs): https://www.excelsior.edu/Excelsior_College/School_Of_Nursing/Clinical_Performance_in_Nursing_Examination/Regional_Performance_Assessment_Centers

I believe you have to be an enrolled student to view the sites, though -- I am no longer enrolled (graduated in 2008), so I can't see certain things, like the list of RPACs. But in general, there are CPNE testing sites in New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Georgia.

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Specializes in Home Health, Podiatry, Neurology, Case Mgmt.

If by chance you were asking where do you take the actual EXAMS those are pearsonvue testing facilities, you can go to Computer-Based Testing Provider for Certification and Licensure Exams: Pearson VUE and see where your nearest testing facility is for the gen ed and nursing theory exams!

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tashalpn2006,

Can you tell me how you get started with EC, im awaiting the remainder of my transcripts to send to them. What classes do you recommend CLEP for? What study guides did you use?

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I'am also wanting to attend EC after I graduate with my LPN in December. Any EC grads, did you have a study plan or schedule that helped you graduate from EC in a timely manner? I hope to get through in no more than 14 months. Thanks!

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Especially since most students thinking of or going through Excelsior have full-time jobs and family, reason they are choosing on-line, but then have to go to another state to work.....doesn't make sense to me. If you have time and money to go out of state to work, move your family, all change schools and/or jobs....just doesn't seem worth the trouble and does not seem worth it to me, rather just trudge through a campus program, unless of course your state accepts Excelsior for NCLEX.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
Especially since most students thinking of or going through Excelsior have full-time jobs and family, reason they are choosing on-line, but then have to go to another state to work.....doesn't make sense to me. If you have time and money to go out of state to work, move your family, all change schools and/or jobs....just doesn't seem worth the trouble and does not seem worth it to me, rather just trudge through a campus program, unless of course your state accepts Excelsior for NCLEX.

That is why EC is not a good fit for everyone.

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Specializes in Respiratory, Cardiac, ED, Maternity, Ped.

Hi everyone,

I am a graduate from Excelsior and thought I would post my experience. First of all when I enrolled I enrolled through The College Network. The College Network sells study guides for each exam. They are basically big 2 inch binders filled with reading material. Each section has practice exams and then a full practice exam at the end. I paid $250 for each study guide. I would read the entire thing, then do the practice exams, then do the online Excelsior practice exams (approx $50 if I remember correctly) then I would immediately schedule and take the exam. I never failed one thankfully! Each exam costs approx. $300. WHen I enrolled through The College Network I thought the cost of the study guides included a tuition fee....they were very misleading.....that cost is just for study guides! So....if you do the program try to get those study guides used! They are very nice and condensed and easy reading. I always did the Excelsior practice exams because there were always a few questions from the practice exam on the real exam. OK....so tuition....it is about $850 and if you don't complete the program in a year then each consecutive year there is a $450 tuition fee....I finished in one year! At the end there is a 3 day clinical exam....very stressful! There were 7 of us at mine, only 3 of us passed...thankfully I was one of them! There is 4 lab station sign offs the first day and over the next 3 days you take care of patients and are assigned specific things. Most people that passed did not prepare. They figured they had been an LPN for 20 years so they knew what they were doing. These instructors are serious and particular. A student failed because she did not put gloves on for an IM injection...you HAVE to practice and do things correctly. If something is failed you have one chance to make it up. I passed everything the 1st try. The cost of the clinical was $2,000. Then at the end there is a $450 graduation fee. It definitely adds up.

For me, the program worked. Now I will say this. I had 3 years of experience as an LPN and in this time I worked 1 year on a heavy respiratory/ventilator/telemetry unit and 2 years in a busy emergency center. I had great experience and was already working as a nurse. IF I had not had this experience this program would not have worked and I would never recommend it to someone who did not have great LPN experience. First of all you would probably be wasting your money because I would never had passed the clinical exam without the experience I had. l have gotten very good feedback from other nurses and my boss from completing this program. My boss saw it as a good thing that I was motivated enough to complete a self directed program. I work with 2 other nurses that also did the program....they too had great experience as LPN's before starting the program. When I enrolled I did it with 2 other nurses.....I am the only one who completed the program. The other 2 nurses have not even started. You really do need to be motivated and want to become an RN. I have heard that there are states who do not accept this degree so that is also something anyone considering this might be interested in looking into. I live in NY and have not had a problem.

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Specializes in Respiratory, Cardiac, ED, Maternity, Ped.

CLEP out of any general education classes. BUT I would not recommend it for Anatomy & Physiology or Microbiology. Take those at your local college. It;s way too much info to study and test out of.

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I am an LPN going the Excelsior route. I do not have a classroom program available in this area.

As to expense, it will cost me around $6k total.

The website is www.excelsior.edu. The program is highly respected, NLN accredited, and award-winning.

Not only that, but my CC would not accept a lot of the classes I had taken at a different CC..I would have had to re-take 8 classes which included A&P 1 and 2, chemistry, biology among some others. I do not want to waste time retaking classes when i work full time and am able to do one class at a time.

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I was a paramedic and went through Excelsior to obtain ADN RN. It was quite flexible and afforded me to still work my full time job and be a mom to my kiddos. However it was not easy on the pocket book. I found it an overall good experience, I think I learned much more than I would have at a traditional nsg school, it was up to me to study and know what was necessary. It goes pretty good until you get to the end and have so much invested and riding on the CPNE. Then everything falls apart. The stress is overwhelming, however it is do-able. Very worth the effort, time , money, stress, etc.. if you really feel this is the route that is calling you. Best of luck!

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
I had great experience and was already working as a nurse. IF I had not had this experience this program would not have worked and I would never recommend it to someone who did not have great LPN experience. First of all you would probably be wasting your money because I would never had passed the clinical exam without the experience I had.

I disagree. I know many non-LPNs (myself included - paramedic) who have been successful with EC's program. I also know people who no hospital experience to speak of who did very well with the CPNE. The CPNE is all about basic assessment and basic management, it's nothing too fancy; I passed on my first attempt, and didn't think it was too difficult overall. I'm glad you felt prepared by your LPN experience, though. What counts, when it comes down to it, is the individual's preparation and mindset, and the individual's experience. Congrats on being a success story!

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Specializes in Respiratory, Cardiac, ED, Maternity, Ped.

I think I should have said this differently. It was not just my experience that got me through the CPNE it was my preparation. Most people who failed had been LPN's for years (one for 30 years) and felt they did not need to prepare.

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