Excelsior and Texas

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Oh No!!!! I just received an email from Excelsior that Texas BON said that Excelsior is not "substantially equivalent" to other programs. They want to require traditional clinical training for Excelsior's associate degree nursing graduates. What if they would eradicate it completely??? I am so nervous now, I just started this program.

Here is a copy of the letter...

Your Urgent Help Needed

Contact Your State Legislators Today

I am asking for your help in contacting your state legislators urging them to support bills that have been introduced that will maintain Excelsior's nursing program as a viable option for working adult, health care professionals to become RNs.

During last year's session, the Texas Legislature modified the Nursing Practice Act in an effort to open Texas to innovative nursing programs and provide guidance to the Board of Nursing in approving out-of-state programs by requiring it to approve a program approved by another state if the standards of that state are "substantially equivalent." Unfortunately, the Board of Nursing has indicated that it does not view Excelsior's program as "substantially equivalent" to Texas in-state programs, and it wants to require traditional clinical training for Excelsior's associate degree nursing graduates.

This is despite the following facts and indicators of program quality:

* Excelsior College is approved by regulators in our home state of New York.

* Excelsior is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

* Our School of Nursing is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission - the associate degree program has been continuously accredited since 1975.

* The School has twice been designated as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing and is one of only 13 such centers nationwide.

* Excelsior's graduates consistently pass the national nurse licensing exam (NCLEX-RN) the first time at a rate equal to or higher than the national average.

Two Legislative Bills are Being Introduced

Two identical bills have been introduced, one each in the Senate and House, that will provide for continued recognition of our School of Nursing as being "substantially equivalent" to Texas in-state programs.

* The Senate bill is SB 1397 (introduced by Senator Deuell)

* The companion bill in the House is HB 3230 (introduced by Representative Pitts)

You may view these bills at this Web address by entering the bill numbers into the "Search Legislation" box at the top of the middle column: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us.

Without the guidance that these bills will provide to the Board of Nursing, Excelsior's nursing pre-licensure program as an alternative, nontraditional means for working adult professionals to become an RN may be in jeopardy.

Send Letters of Support

We need you to send letters and emails to your state Senator and Representative today asking them to support these bills. If they are not members of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee or the House Public Health Committee, ask them to urge their colleagues who are on these committees to support the bills. Hearings on these may take place as early as March 31, so please send your letters and emails right away.

To locate the address for your Senator and Representative go to http://www.capitol.state.tx.us and fill in your address in the "Who Represents Me?" box on the right-hand side of the page.

These letters should be in your own words and should tell the legislators your story:

* Why you want to become an RN and how important it is to you and your family.

* Why you chose Excelsior College to earn your degree.

* How your current and past clinical experiences are helping you to achieve your goal.

* Let them know how rigorous the program is.

Be sure to include the program quality bullet points listed above and to write a letter that is professional in nature. You want to make a good impression of yourself and Excelsior's program.

Please send copies of your letters and emails to [email protected] so we know which legislators have been contacted.

Thank you,

Bridget Nettleton signature

M. Bridget Nettleton, PhD, RN

Dean, School of Nursing

It makes me sick... I just started this and now it may be taken away... ugh....

Mandy

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Specializes in Med/surg, Geriatrics, Home Health, LTC.

I would hopefully think that TX BON would grandfather those of us in who have already begun Excelsiors program.

I also just receieved an email from TX BON about that same matter and it was said to me that at THIS TIME TX BON does recognize Excelsior but they are possibly going to review their program. But they could not give me a time frame or any other details.

If I were you I would just contact TX BON with any of your particular questions and find out if they provide you with any specific answers. :no:

I really hope Texas does not take this option away because if they do, they will REALLY be lacking in the nursing dept. as there is really no Nursing programs as is.

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The best thing you can do for yourself is to waste no time completing the program. You can not count on being grandfathered in and you know that there is a delay in getting a date for the CPNE. While they are busy twiddling around deciding what to do and when to do it and how badly they are going to screw over nursing students in the process, you can be efficiently knocking off those course requirements so that hopefully, you reach your goal before they act. Good luck.

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I spoke with Excelsior and there is always the opportunity is to work in a federal institution with an out of state license. I'm just so disappointed. I honestly think the TX BON has their panties in a wad because so many students are going to Excelsior. Taking money out of Texas. Do they realize how many nurses they will lose? There are so many people in Excelsior's nursing program... And they say they are concerned about the shortage... Yeah right.

I guess I'll just go full steam ahead and see what happens.

Mandy

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I spoke with Excelsior and there is always the opportunity is to work in a federal institution with an out of state license. I'm just so disappointed. I honestly think the TX BON has their panties in a wad because so many students are going to Excelsior. Taking money out of Texas. Do they realize how many nurses they will lose? There are so many people in Excelsior's nursing program... And they say they are concerned about the shortage... Yeah right.

I guess I'll just go full steam ahead and see what happens.

Mandy

You have hit the nail on the head.

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Well. . .how dedicated are you to living in Texas? What about travel nursing companies?

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Well. . .how dedicated are you to living in Texas? What about travel nursing companies?

I would love to do travel nursing... But how does it work with Excelsior? Do you just get licensed in the state you plan to work in? I'm sort of new to this stuff.

Mandy

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The problem I see with Excelsior (and I graduated from Excelsior in March 2006) is that their requirements for admission are loose. Excelsior College should be for LPNs or RTs with several years of experience. As it is now, you can jump out of LPN school and into their program. The program is not set up to be used this way.

A lot of people have tried to use it as the quick and easy way to become an RN. It's understandable to want to be done quick but this is not the way it should be used.

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Excelsior needs to implement CLINICAL'S into their program, period point blank!!!!!! We are going through the same thing here in GA. First, cail, then maryland, VA, GA now Texas, and not to mention the other states that have more stipulations. The program needs to change in order to stay viable. I know it's been this way for 30+ years, but since the national council of nursing, put out their, opinion on what a nursing school should be, states have started turning their backs on EC, for the lack of clinical's. Here in GA we have until DEC 2010, to get endorsed into ga. I am just going to finish this program as fast as I can ( hopefully still getting A's) so I can transfer to a BSN program at a more respected school. This is crazy:banghead:

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EC plainly states that it is an assessment program and not a teaching program. It was never set up to be a teaching program. Like other schools, EC provides the type of program that those who run it want and each state can choose to accept or stop accepting their graduates for licensure. The info is there. Students make their own choices to meet their needs.

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Do these rulings by the BON really surprise you? Nurses are notorious for shooting themselves in the foot! Are they implementing these new policies because of a number of pt safety issues or deaths or because they can't think outside the box???

I'm an Excelsior grad myself!

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Specializes in trauma, jail health.

As much as I hate to say it....I am glad Texas BON is doing what they are. I live in Texas and am about to graduate from a BSN program here and honestly I would be worried about an new RN who is expected to really know assessment and have clinical judgement who had NO CLINICAL experience in school. I believe that clinicals are essential to developing sound clinical judgement and to just becoming a safe nurse. Even though Excelsior grads may pass the NCLEX like other RN's...answering questions on a test and actually being in a clinical situation are 2 different things in my opinion. If I were you...I would work on transfering to a program that has clinicals and is more respected whether its ADN or BSN. That would probably be the safest route. Good luck to you! :nurse:

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