excelsior

NC Girl BSN · Jul 5, 2009

*state boards additional requirement for excelsior college

excelsior's nursing program is not accepted in all states.

1. canada-canada nurses: only lpn's qualify for the excelsior college program if they reside in canada.

2. alabama

alabama state board evaluates excelsior graduates on a case by case basis. since 2000, any graduates with significant hours of rn experience may apply for endorsement and possibly be accepted for endorsement by the alabama state board. contact the state board for details.

3. arizona

excelsior students will have to complete 120 hour precepted experience set up by excelsior college, after finishing the associate nursing degree requirements. then they may apply for the nclex-rn. students may endorse into the state with 960 rn hours. (9/2006)

4. california

all excelsior adn graduates who enrolled on or after december 6, 2003, may apply for endorsement with an unencumbered rn license and will be considered by the california board of nursing on a case by case basis. contact the state board for details.

5. colorado

colorado asn graduates sitting for boards: anyone registered before january 1, 2006 will be grandfathered in with no changes to them as long as they keep their registration with excelsior active by paying the applicable maintenance fee each year. those who complete an associate degree and are not lpns will need 750 additional clinical hours. those who complete an associate degree and are lpns will need 350 additional clinical hours. the state of co is currently working on a plan to make those additional clinical hours available. (9/2005)

6. florida

florida state board accepts all lpns. non-lpns doing the rn program through excelsior college can still endorse into florida, however the state board will now require 2 years of rn experience outside the state of florida.

7. georgia

georgia state board only accepts excelsior college graduates through reciprocity if enrolled before july 08. see these links:

information from georgia secretary of state press office

important information for excelsior students and graduates in georgia...

8. illinois

all graduates must endorse in with 2 years of rn experience.

9. kansas

kansas residents: check with the kansas state board of nursing about additional clinical hours needed.

10. kentucky

this board is requiring that all graduates of all nursing schools do a 120 hour preceptorship upon completion of the nursing program.

11. louisianalpns or graduates with 50% traditional nursing school clinical hours who complete the excelsior college nursing program may apply for the rn examination. all non-lpn graduates must endorse in with 6 months rn experience

12. maryland

all graduates enrolled on or before july 24, 2006 and graduate before december 31, 2007 will be eligible to apply for the rn examination or endorsement. contact the state board for details.

13. north dakota

all graduates may endorse in with 400 hours of rn experience

14. oklahoma

for initial licensure, students are required to pass two 30-hour precepted experiences in psych and ob administered by excelsior college before graduation.

15. vermont

vermont residents and excelsior college: you will need to take your state boards outside the state of vermont and work 480 clinical hours (roughly 12 weeks) before you can transfer your rn licensure into the state of vermont. (11/2006)

16. virginia

effective may, 2008: virginia board of nursing has passed a new regulation that says anyone not enrolled with excelsior college by april 2 of 2008 will not be allowed to sit for state boards. those who were enrolled as of april 2, 2008, will have to complete their degree by december 31, 2009.

17.

washington

only lpns with 200 hour precepted experience set up through a washington nursing commission approved facility may apply for examination. graduates who were originally lpns may endorse in with minimum 200 hours rn experience. all non-lpn graduates with rn experience may be denied endorsement and will have to appeal any denial.

zeik5411 · Jul 5, 2009

what about all other states not listed...what are their rules.........

again,is it necessary to travel to that state to take NCLEX,if not your home state

or can you test for another state anywhere tests are given.................

NC Girl BSN · Jul 5, 2009

Call the BON for the states your intrested in.

NurseKitten, MSN, RN · Jul 5, 2009

Florida gave me a hard time about boarding here, even though I had 4 years of LPN experience and graduated cum laude from Excelsior. They do this in the name of "protecting the citizens", yet most experienced LPN's have more clinical sense than new grad RN's. It's insane.

zeik5411 · Jul 5, 2009

Were you from florida................did you get a florida license......

Can you take exam in home state thru pearson vue...thanks

NurseKitten, MSN, RN · Jul 5, 2009

I've been an RN in Florida for 10+ years...I did get my license, they just were awfully pokey about it and it took a trip or two down to the BON office - but I do live in Tallahassee, so it wasn't a big deal.

My point is that Florida has NEVER liked to license Excelsior grads, and now that hospitals aren't screaming for help, they're going to give Excelsior grads a hard time in lieu of hiring those "golden-haired children" from traditional RN's programs who have ZERO clinical experience and who lack the sense God gave a moose.

(Some of them do have plenty of sense, but I'll take an experienced LPN/Excelsior grad over a brand-new nurse who still believes in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus any DAY of the week!)

caliotter3 · Jul 5, 2009

You should contact the Board of any state where you are interested in obtaining a license, to find out the latest policies. Often you can get your questions answered on their website.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2009

Got a question. I was contacted by a hospital in VT. I want to work there. I do NOT have the 480 clinical hours. My last job wasn't clinical. Can I use those anyway, since my license was required?

Anyone with a clue? May I work as a GN in VT for 12 weeks?

Ebony_RN · Sep 2, 2009

My point is that Florida has NEVER liked to license Excelsior grads, and now that hospitals aren't screaming for help, they're going to give Excelsior grads a hard time in lieu of hiring those "golden-haired children" from traditional RN's

I was an LPN prior and had no problems getting license in the state of Florida as an Excelsior grad.

NurseKitten, MSN, RN · Sep 3, 2009

I was an LPN prior and had no problems getting license in the state of Florida as an Excelsior grad.

Neither did I - had been an LPN in dialysis for 4 years before licensing here as an ADN-RN in 1998.

But if you go to Excelsior's nursing student portal, there is an archive of transcripts from all the times Excelsior has appeared before the Florida BON fighting tooth and nail to prove their grads are just as capable, if not more capable, as anyone else from a traditional RN program.

My friend is an administrative health care attorney here, and she says it's better than it used to be, but she's been contacted by several Excelsior grads locally to advise on the history and precedents.

Point being: Can you get licensed in Florida with a LPN and a degree from Excelsior? Sure.

Does the Florida BON like it? Nope. But there's nothing they can do about it - the validity of Excelsior's program has been upheld in the accrediting, judicial and clinical arenas too many times for them to do anything than huff and puff occasionally.