Excelsior's rn to bsn

caliotter3 · May 16, 2010

After reading Suesquatch's experiences with the course where you have to get the cooperation of a facility to let you use their real exam room and you have to videotape a head to toe physical exam, I was convinced that this program is not the way to go. Chamberlain's program might be expensive but at least there are no "impossible" clinical components to it.

Erikadawn RN · May 16, 2010

Thanx for answering, Excelsior really need to re-vamp the BSN program. I like being able to test out of certain classes. All that videotaping seems like a pain in the butt. :mad:

caliotter3 · May 17, 2010

The major reason I am turned off by the EC BSN program is that when they started it, it was the option of the student to do RN to BSN or do a straight prelicensure BSN program instead of the ASN program first. That proves to me that the BSN prelicensure program was viable. The school simply chose not to offer it anymore. To me, that was a disservice to many.

RN543 · May 17, 2010

I am currently enrolled in the RN-BSN program. I haven't got to my health assessment class but I have read the class syllabus. Yes, you have to videotape a head to toe exam in a clinical like setting. For me, it won't be a problem. I'm starting my first RN job so I'm not sure if there's a place I can do it on my unit... but my mom has been working on a different unit on nights for over 20 yrs and she already talked to her supervisor about letting me come in and using one of the rooms for an hour or so (they always have empty beds). I will probably use her as my patient either before or after her shift. So now I just have to find someone with a video camera. It's really no big deal in my opinion. Though if you don't have an empty room at work you can use for an hour, and no other options of places you could do the assignment, then I could see how the program wouldnt be right for you. I did excelsior's LPN-RN program, and having recently passed my cpne, i could do a head to toe in my sleep. And it's not so intimidating because I can try it as many times as I want... if I mess up, I don't fail, just rewind the tape lol... and mail it in when I know it's right. There is also another class you have a videotaped assignment for and that is the teaching accross cultures class. I haven't started any of my nursing classes yet, but I'm in the process of taking a couple pre-reqs right now and i'm finding that I like excelsior's online courses a lot. They aren't too much work, the expectations are clear, the instructors are great and are available to help when needed. And excelsior accepted all my prior credits. And 3 of the nursing classes you can get credit by examination instead of having to take a 15 week course. Anyway, for me it is a good option. I don't have that many classes to take and if I work hard, I should finish it within the next year.

Erikadawn RN · May 17, 2010

Thanx, for answering. I could not find any opinions. I can find somewhere to video tape. I don't like the 15 week classes. How many nursing classes can be done at once? I just want to get done quickly.

RN543 · May 17, 2010

Thanx, for answering. I could not find any opinions. I can find somewhere to video tape. I don't like the 15 week classes. How many nursing classes can be done at once? I just want to get done quickly.

I think you can take up to full time if you want, that would be like 5 classes. Basically for the nursing portion, there are 4 courses that are taken online as courses. Then there are 2 courses that you take by examination (like a clep course). You just study on your own and take an exam for it at a pearson testing center. And then another course that you can choose to take either as the online course or the examination. So there are 7 nursing courses total. I also had to do 4 pre-reqs. 2 of them i'm taking as online courses at the moment. The other 2, I can take by examination. The examinations you can do very quickly if you study a lot (when I did the lpn-rn program at excelsior, i would take like one exam a week. So i was done with most of my nursing credits in about 2 months). Now the only thing is, one of the nursing courses, the capstone course, you will probably have to take on its own, only because you have to have all your other nursing courses done first before you can take that course. However, you can have I think up to 12 credits of pre-reqs to complete and still be eligible to take the capstone course. So you concentrate on all your nursing courses first, then finish any pre-reqs (if you have any to do) while you are doing your capstone course. If you work hard, you could finish the program in less than a year, which is pretty quick compared to a lot of other programs.

happydrunkcat · May 17, 2010

RN543 - Where did you find a course syllabus? I must have a brain damage, I can not find it (I can see only the study guides for exams). I'm currently studying for Community-focused Nursing exam, scheduled next Monday.

Another thing is - what course do you think will be the easiest one? I want to take it first, just to get the idea.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · May 18, 2010

I dropped out of it. I was extremely difficult, not for course content, but they required for every class that a major project be videoed and submitted according to very stringent criteria. As an example I had to do a focussed clinical assessment and record that. Aside from not being a producer I simply do not have access to a clinical exam room. The closest I could come was using the local CC's teching lab in between students using it as a lounger. Needless to say it was a disaster and I simply said bulldinky on this.

I am doing Chamberlain and love it. Same BS content but accomplishable without a production staff.

happydrunkcat · May 18, 2010

Well, the videotaping part does not scare me. I was videotaping myself all the time while I was studying for CPNE. The only difference now - I have to have a life human as a patient, not my son's bear or monkey (whatever was available, lol)

Melody007_FNP-C, APRN · May 20, 2010

I am only one class from finishing up the BSN program at Excelsior. And no you DO NOT have to send in a videotape of every class you take as someone posted. Only two courses required videos. And no you don't have to be a movie producer! I used an old video recorder from 1995 and sent in a VHS tape. As long as you follow the grading rubrics given you will have no problem getting an "A"! Compared to the CPNE the videos are a breeze!

RN543 · May 21, 2010

RN543 - Where did you find a course syllabus? I must have a brain damage, I can not find it (I can see only the study guides for exams). I'm currently studying for Community-focused Nursing exam, scheduled next Monday.
Another thing is - what course do you think will be the easiest one? I want to take it first, just to get the idea.

Well it's not the full syllabus, just like a mini syllabus. But it gives you an overview. You go to "search courses" like if you were going to register for a course. Then find the course you want and click on it. That brings you to a page that gives you a description about the course then you click on "view course overview" and it brings you to another page which is like a one page syllabus. Like I mentioned, I am still doing my pre-reqs so I can't tell you what would be the easiest. The faculty recommends that you take the Professional Socialization course first, but not sure of their reasoning... and you can choose to take them in any order. On the course overview page for Professional Socialization it shows that 40% of your grade is based on discussion board (for my other 2 classes, every week we are given 1 or 2 discussion board activities and we have to post a paragraph on each... and then also respond to 2 of our classmates posts) then it shows paper 1 is 20%, and paper 2 is 40%. There is no video assignment for that course. Just weekly discussion board activities and 2 papers. However, the papers can be tough... for my ethics class I think my paper is supposed to be 10-15 pages long which is the longest paper I've ever written. And of course everything in APA format. But still doesn't sound too bad compared to other courses I've taken that involve a lot more time and work. Oh, and I just noticed on that syllabus for the professional socialization course that it mentions something about a 20 hour professional learning experience with a mentor that focuses on professionalism... so not sure what that entails. Maybe the other poster that is on her last course can recommend which course to take first. Good luck on your exam. Let me know how it goes... I will be starting my exams soon.