Excelsior in PA

Nursing Students Excelsior

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Hi there,

I am registered to start classes with Excelsior October 25th and I am just worried about about working as a RN after I finish. I see they lost their accreditation so I was just looking for some insight from anyone please. 
thank you

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Hello, @BtheGazelle, we have moved your topic to the Excelsior College forum for best responses.

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Specializes in EMT since 92, Paramedic since 97, RN and PHRN 2021.

As a recent graduate of Excelsior's RN program I think I am in a unique position to give a first person perspective.   

 

A little background on me:   I became a Pennsylvania Paramedic back in 1997 and have worked both 911 systems and interfacility transport.  In 2016 I made the decision to continue my education to become an RN. I investigated my options. I live in Northeast Philadelphia and have Community College of Philadelphia within 3 miles of my house 9 (NE campus).  I also have a few other colleges that have RN programs.  I chose Excelsior based on a few factors.   First was the online convenience.  I was able to take all of the classes online (for my General Education portion).  The nursing classes I needed to take had the option of testing out rather than having to sit ion a traditional classroom or an online classroom. So I ended up testing out of the nursing classes, all 8 of them.  I saved an enormous amount of money (paying $390.00 per 3 credit class compared to paying $1395.00 and taking a 2 or 3 month class).   Unfortunately Excelsior does not offer this mode of earning credits (for the nursing classes), so its the classes everyone must do now.

   I blazed through the degree requirements, until I hit the CPNE.  Fortunately the CPNE is dying away. I say good, it was open to too much subjectiveness of the proctors.  Now you have to do more nursing classes.  I finally passed the CPNE on 6/7/21 and got my degree conferred on 8/20.

 

  I put my application in to the Pa. Board of Nursing a few days before I graduated.  Unfortunately for me I didn't know that they didn't put my conferral date on my degree unless I put the request in AFTER 8/20.  So my application was flagged for that.  Just had to have the school send my transcripts again, this time it will have the conferral date on it.

  So right now I get on and check everyday to see if the board has finished processing my application.  Everything else is done. Criminal Background checks are done. Fee's are paid and I paid for the graduate nurse permit so I can start working right away.    I applied at a local hospital and within 2 hours of me putting my application in I received a phone call from their Human Resources department to set up an interview.  Went to the interview (with the head manager of the ER) and he asked me where I did my clinicals at.  I explained to him that the program I did requires students to be atleast an LPN or Paramedic and be currently working.    He didn't bat an eye at it.

 

   Left the interview feeling very good and 2 hours later got a phone call extending me an offer of employment in the department I wanted (ER). As soon as the state finishes processing my application I can start orientation.  And, compared to my salary I made being a paramedic, I will be making ALOT more money, working ALOT less hours.

 

   Excelsior is not "the easy" way to get your RN license.  Honestly, I would take an RN who passed the CPNE to any other nursing program in the country.

 

 

2 Votes

Hi there Emtbill,

I am just worried that I am going to be paying all this money and end up not being able to work as a registered nurse! So the job you interviewed for didn’t question about it not being accredited? I just am worried and don’t want to do this if it’s not going to help me in the long run.

thank you

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Specializes in EMT since 92, Paramedic since 97, RN and PHRN 2021.
3 hours ago, BtheGazelle said:

So the job you interviewed for didn’t question about it not being accredited? I just am worried and don’t want to do this if it’s not going to help me in the long run.

thank you

  No mention whatsoever about Accreditation of any type.  They need nurses so bad that you can get hired, as I did, before I even have my Graduation Nurse license.   Everything that needs to be done on my end has been done. They can log into Pa. Bureau of licenses and verify that you have submitted everything possible and are just waiting fort the state to issue said license. Criminal Background checks, fingerprinting for FBI, Child Abuse clearance have all been done. Just need them to issue permit.

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Specializes in Nursing Home.

Hi, I want to say congratulations on starting your LPN - RN journey. Can you say how many nursing classes you can register for at once.

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Specializes in EMT since 92, Paramedic since 97, RN and PHRN 2021.

And for those with any doubt about the validity of Excelsiors ADN program..

   I passed the CPNE on June 6th.  Graduated August 20th.  Took my NCLEX-RN on 10/13 and got my results of a pass.

 

   Start new RN job on 10/25.

 

    Keep grinding people. It may seem overwhelming with all the requirements and credits you need to graduate with an ADN but it goes quicker than you might think.

 

2 Votes
Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.
5 hours ago, emtpbill said:

And for those with any doubt about the validity of Excelsiors ADN program..

   I passed the CPNE on June 6th.  Graduated August 20th.  Took my NCLEX-RN on 10/13 and got my results of a pass.

 

   Start new RN job on 10/25.

 

CONGRATULATIONS!???? 

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Specializes in Dialysis.
6 hours ago, emtpbill said:

And for those with any doubt about the validity of Excelsiors ADN program..

   I passed the CPNE on June 6th.  Graduated August 20th.  Took my NCLEX-RN on 10/13 and got my results of a pass.

 

   Start new RN job on 10/25.

 

    Keep grinding people. It may seem overwhelming with all the requirements and credits you need to graduate with an ADN but it goes quicker than you might think.

 

congratulations! how long did it take you to complete the program?

1 Votes
Specializes in EMT since 92, Paramedic since 97, RN and PHRN 2021.
15 hours ago, NurseReeRee said:

congratulations! how long did it take you to complete the program?

I started in 2016.  Became CPNE eligible in 2017.

took CPNE in October of 2017 and failed. Appealed fail and won appeal. Took it again in 2019 and had to withdraw due to a hurricane and to leave to help family down south.  
 

just took the CPNE virtually , due to our friendly neighborhood COVID virus I was offered online and accepted.

Passed CPNE in June of 2021. 
 

Graduated on 8/20.

Had Excelsior send my transcripts to the Pa state board of nursing and got my ATT Took NCLEX-RN on 10/13.

  Got my unofficial results from Pearson vue and saw the most beautiful word ever….PASS.

2 Votes

Hi I’m a student at excelsior college. Is it OK if you private messaged me. I just a few questions about the CPNE? 
 

Thanks. 

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Specializes in EMT since 92, Paramedic since 97, RN and PHRN 2021.
9 minutes ago, Munchkinz said:

Hi I’m a student at excelsior college. Is it OK if you private messaged me. I just a few questions about the CPNE? 
 

Thanks. 

If your talking to me, sure, fire away

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