Excelsior Online

caliotter3 · Mar 1, 2010

Chancellors and The College Network are both publishing companies that sell study guides for Excelsior College nursing tests. Excelsior College offers a distance, criterion-based nursing program. There are numerous threads and posts in the distance forum about all of these. You can get direct info about the Excelsior program at http://www.excelsior.edu.

lisamc1RN, LPN · Mar 1, 2010

You don't need to use a publishing company like The College Network or Chancellors. You can do it by going directly through Excelsior. You'll need their study guide (free) and a list of recommended books(can buy used, go to the library, borrow, etc) and you can study directly from those and be extremely successful. If you really want the College Network study aides, you can ask people at work (there's always someone who has gone through them) or go on ebay and get them for way cheaper than TCN will charge you.

I would recommend logging in with Excelsior and you will find a great deal of information on there that will be helpful. You can also email them or call them. They are very helpful.:)

Editorial Team / Moderator · Mar 1, 2010

I don't know where you live, but please be aware that the EC degree isn't recognized in all states. The info is here:

https://www.excelsior.edu/Excelsior_College/School_Of_Nursing/Accreditation_and_Licensure/State_Board_Requirements

NCmomof2 · Mar 2, 2010

I am in the same boat as you, I have been LPN for a year and a half and was ready to go back to school to get my RN. I am doing Excelsior's program and am very excited about it. I have found that I do not have to buy many books bc I already have a lot of books from nursing school that are recent. If you decide to do a program like that you should not have to buy too much because you can use what you already have to study. Another program you may be interested in is Indiana State University's online LPN to BSN program. Hope you find what you're looking for! PS--if you are looking for a job try a nursing home (skilled nursing facility) its not the best job BUT the pay is pretty good and most will still hire LPNs and you will have experience.

tamjdf79 · Mar 2, 2010

I am in the same boat as you, I have been LPN for a year and a half and was ready to go back to school to get my RN. I am doing Excelsior's program and am very excited about it. I have found that I do not have to buy many books bc I already have a lot of books from nursing school that are recent. If you decide to do a program like that you should not have to buy too much because you can use what you already have to study. Another program you may be interested in is Indiana State University's online LPN to BSN program. Hope you find what you're looking for! PS--if you are looking for a job try a nursing home (skilled nursing facility) its not the best job BUT the pay is pretty good and most will still hire LPNs and you will have experience.

Thanks I have decided to go with the excelsior program. Actually I have two jobs one in a nursing home and one in a jail. I have wanted to do the RN program before I even did the PN program just needed to do something fast now I am able to go back and get my degree I just don't have the time to go through a traditional campus program. I can't wait until I get finished with the RN program because honestly I'm so tired of having to get an RN to do certain things it would just be faster for me to do it myself and not have to get the attitude from the RNs for having to do it.

ImOnMyWay2NursingDr · Oct 8, 2011

Hello, I was reviewing this post from awhile back and I noticed that you decided to through with the Excelsior Program for your RN bridge. Well I am now considering the same process and would like to know how your program ended for you? Was it as easy as it seemed? Is it worth it?

savagetrojan · Oct 10, 2011

Hello, I was reviewing this post from awhile back and I noticed that you decided to through with the Excelsior Program for your RN bridge. Well I am now considering the same process and would like to know how your program ended for you? Was it as easy as it seemed? Is it worth it?

I am not the one you asked the question of but I can't resist answering. First question: Was it as easy as it seemed? The short answer is; NO. To be totally honest, self studying, no direction from a professor, no one telling you when an assignment is due, traveling to a testing site to sit for 130 question exam that is worth 3 college credit, going through 3 DAYS of hell where you either pass or fail...no clinical instructor holding your hand and giving you a grade of A, B, or C just PASS/FAIL. If it seems easy it's only because the advertisements blasted at you are telling you "get your RN in 12-18 months without going to college" and "you are doing the same work as an RN, why not get paid for it,. you already have the knowledge" Excelsior is HARD work. Second question: Is it worth it? The short answer is YES! To be more specific, you study when you want, go at the pace you want, skip any areas that might be boring review, being the master of your own fate and KNOWING you gained this knowledge on your own makes it all worth it. Most of us going through(and those that have finished) could not have gone the traditional route because of family/work obligations, and life in general. Excelsior gets a bad rap in many forums because it is HARD not because it's easy. If the idea of the good of the program outweighs what you might consider bad then it's worth a try. You can take two of the nursing theory exams without enrolling and putting out a ton of money. The most you will be out of us the cost of some study material and the $275 for each exam. This will give you an idea of whether it's for you.