Fellow RN- BSN Excelsior peeps from start to finish..How long?

NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · May 14, 2013

I've not started the nursing courses because of those two requirements. But I did take the Bioethics: Philosophical Issues exam for $95 to meet the Ethics requirement and got permission from EC to take ENG312 (Persuasive Writing), which is a self-paced course and only $489. So, once I finish it, hopefully this month after starting it last month, I will be ready for the next 8-week nursing courses on July. My plan is to take one of the nursing exams, if not both of them, in June. I then plan to take two 8-week course in July and the two 15-week courses beginning the end of August. (I was able to transfer in the first nursing course and based on the time of my enrollment, I don't have to do the Nursing Elective portion, even thoughi do plan to take a certification exam to meet this requirement as a professional benefit). This should make me ready for the January capstone and completely done by the end of April next year, provided I pass everything. You and I are practically in the same boat.

Hope this gives a little insight...just print out the RN-BSN curriculum chart like I did, highlight all the areas that you've already completed, and pencil in the dates that you plan to be sitting in a course and completing those exams. Update the chart with your highlighter as you complete a requirement. that wsy, you can see your progress for uoursel and actually visualize a 'real' timeline. Good luck!

NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · May 14, 2013

Please forgive the typos in the previous message. My smartphone is not as smart as I thought it was. :blink:

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · May 15, 2013

I started leveling classes last January (except Info Lit that I did one day in December). I started actual core nursing classes last May. I would have finished this August except I wound up taking off January to May perhaps from being burnt out from taking so many courses at once. I'm in my last course before Capstone now and should start Capstone in the fall and finish in December.

Work full-time, no kids.

Dreaming4acute87 · May 17, 2013

Lyndaa I am trying to see if I can PM you, but can not figure out how to. What do you mean by self paced writing course? How do you find the class to be? I don't think I wrote a single paper in nursing school (exam heavy) so I am a bit nervous. Was the Bioethics exam through Excelsior, they told me the exam would cost 350. That is a lot of money to risk, although 95.00 is doable. How much studying did you put into the exam? Did you purchase the practice exam through them, and how much did that cost? Did you speak to advisors to help you plan this schedule?

TashaLPN2006RN2012, ASN, RN · May 17, 2013

I took LPN to ASN, and then enrolled immediately into the BSN program. I had to take alot of gen ed courses with the nursing and am almost completed. I started May 2012 with Statistics, Expository Writing and Ethics in the may term, i tried to take most all my classes as 8 wk courses, but will tell you its ALOT of work taking 2-3 8wk classes at a time. AFter those three courses are complete, you can take ANY nursing components in ANY order you want (if they are offered that term of course) As long as I get a seat in the capstone course in August, then I will be done in December of this year...roughly 19 mo start to finish...I have three kids at home 5, 7 and 8, and my husband is a disabled vet. I work 40+ hrs per week as a Case Manager M-F and am off on weekends. So pretty busy...I take between 9-11 credits each term that I could. Financial aide/student loans paid for everything. I've heard Chamberlain is a great option as well though! I stuck with EC because I was already an ASN student/graduate, so it made more sense then trying to learn a new system. I have an Excelsior BSN page on Facebook if you want to add yourself i'll approve you! - Just search "Excelsior College BSN Program Students" and it should come right up =)

Tasha

NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · May 17, 2013

Lyndaa I am trying to see if I can PM you, but can not figure out how to. What do you mean by self paced writing course? How do you find the class to be? I don't think I wrote a single paper in nursing school (exam heavy) so I am a bit nervous. Was the Bioethics exam through Excelsior, they told me the exam would cost 350. That is a lot of money to risk, although 95.00 is doable. How much studying did you put into the exam? Did you purchase the practice exam through them, and how much did that cost? Did you speak to advisors to help you plan this schedule?

Hi! Yes the Bioethics is through Excelsior. The actual name of the exam is Bioethics: Philosophical Issues. It is only $95 and I found it to be very similar to the practice exam! I studied for just under 2 weeks for the exam and i did purchase the practice exams for it.

The writing course that EC approved is through Brigham Young University. You have one year to complete the course but I'm almost done with it after starting it last month. There are papers to write and multiple choice speed back assignments. Only the 25-question multiple choice exam has to be proctored, so I plan to have it mailed to the HR dept at my job for that. Don't worry about never having written papers before. That's why the writing class is necessary. Essays is what the RN-BSN program consists of instead of exams, except for the two with EC. My ASN program was exam-based also. But I did take English 1101/1102 in a community college so that makes the papers easy for me.

I did my ASN with EC so I pretty much know how I want to do my program. Getting info from my advisor is like pulling teeth. They won't lie to you but it's up to you to ask the right questions. So if you decide to go with EC, be specific in the exams or courses you want to take if they are offered for a certain term. I don't think you will actually have access to what's being offered until you are enrolled, though.. I had to send several emails BEFORE my advisor would come straight out and tell me about BYU as an alternate writing course. But if you look closely, they have an 8-week Masters-level writing course which she NEVER mentioned to me. I found it AFTER being in my present course for a couple of weeks. In my experience with EC, which I love the college, if you don't know what to ask as I didn't at one point, they ALWAYS give a list of the most expensive, time-consuming options. You are wise to come to ALLNURSES to get suggestions first, in my opinion. That way, you will have some idea of what to ask when you speak with the advisor. Of course, different people have varying experiences and when you don't know, you don't know. Good luck and feel free to ask questions!

Dreaming4acute87 · May 21, 2013

Hey LYNDAA,

Excelsior said I can get the writing requirement done through LSU or BYU, how did you go about picking BYU for the writing? I know there is a difference of around 70.00 with BYU being a bit more expensive. I would like to start soon so I can finish by August time and be enrolled in at least one nursing class come September. I am going to be taking the Dantes ethic exam because it is pass/fail. Excelsior will count the grade you get on their ethics exam in your GPA...too scary!

NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · May 23, 2013

I never knew of LSU's writing course. My advisor NEVER mentioned it! Go figure.......

Anyway, with BYU, I just placed the course in the website shopping cart, checked out, and was given immediate access to the course. Off to work I went.

Dreaming4acute87 · May 23, 2013

That is so bizarre because when I emailed them, they sent a few pages of approved courses. When I asked via email which more students have success with my advisor responded with BYU. When I called to get clarification, another advisor said LSU because barely anyone takes BYU. Blah! I am going to go with BYU just for the fact that it has only one proctored exam vs two, and the local university wants 60.00 to proctor. I don't know why I am so hesitant, it must be that online schooling seems so foreign to me. Thank you so much for opening my eyes to these options.

NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · May 23, 2013

Hopefully, my advisor will change once I actually get into the nursing courses, but I probably won't need one then. I was looking for a cheaper, quicker, equivalent course other the one EC offered and this was the one told to me. I didn't ask if there were others and my advisor didn't advise me on other alternatives. If she was trying to show me the error of my ways by taking an alternative course, it's not working because I passed the Bioethics against her recommendations and so far, with two essays to go in BYU, I have an A in the writing course. Oh well, life goes on and my decisions are working in my favor for now.......

TashaLPN2006RN2012, ASN, RN · May 30, 2013

You will maintain the same advisor as you have now...

As far as EC trying to give false/half info, I don't think thats true. You have to look from their point of view, if every student chose to get all these gen eds elsewhere the school does lose money, so it's part of business to try to keep you within their confines of school. I think it's that and they have so many advisors, and not all are aware of everything that can be taken elsewhere. There are thousands upon thousands of students there I'm sure it's hard to keep up with everything. I will say my advisor I have had, has been AMAZING though, much better than my ASN advisor was!