Finishing Excelsior ADN Soon, BSN concerns

Published

Specializes in EMT-P, RN.

So I'm due to take my Excelsior CPNE sometime this year (hoping to get called for a cancellation date, since the regular wait is a well-documented disaster. My concern is that when I complete Excelsior's Associate's program, I'm looking to go somewhere else for my Bachelor's. I have no desire to stay living in New York after I graduate with the super expensive taxes and cost of living. The state I'm looking to move too in the future (Maryland) does not accept Excelsior credits (which will probably force me to work in DC, which is a separate license and does accept EC). Excelsior offers you enrollment in their BSN program, but if the credits aren't going to do me any good (and with the ridiculous cost of their tuition), I'm not sure I want to do that. What other online schools will take them and allow me to go for my Bachelor's? Any advice is appreciated.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

www.wgu.edu

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Excelsior is accredited. As long as you complete your ASN degree, you should be fine for pretty much any BSN program. You might have to repeat sciences if you did any of those with Excelsior without a lab (micro or A&P).

Licensure is a separate issue. You are correct, Maryland will not license you at this point.

P.S. I moved your post to the Excelsior forum. ?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in EMT-P, RN.

Thank you. OK that makes me feel better. I have a friend who finished Excelsior a few years ago and couldn't get into any online bachelor's program except Grand Canyon University. Here's hoping I don't have such troubles. I can probably handle Micro and A&P again.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
9 hours ago, Medic6940 said:

Thank you. OK that makes me feel better. I have a friend who finished Excelsior a few years ago and couldn't get into any online bachelor's program except Grand Canyon University. Here's hoping I don't have such troubles. I can probably handle Micro and A&P again.

Was there a GPA issue? I completed EC's ASN in 2008 and had no problems qualifying for every BSN program that interested me, including state schools. I think there might have been one school in Florida that wouldn't accept EC students, maybe Fort Hays State or something? But other than that, yeah.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

The biggest issue with BSN schools after getting your ADN at EC is because many EC students only have 6 instead of 8 credits for A&P I & II (since no lab). My husband was an ADN EC grad so we faced this back in 2012. He would have needed to take those labs (I'm sure a local community college would have been fine) which would have been a pain just because of the time needed.

He wound up deciding to go to EC for BSN. I had a traditional ADN but wanted to have moral support so we both enrolled at the same time.

First of all, when we were shopping for programs EC's costs were very reasonable, actually cheaper than some like Chamberlain or Walden, but this was a while ago. Plus the cost savings from taking exams for some pre-reqs (I took a 6 credit Humanities test for under $100). I believe we both got our degrees for about $12,000 each which was (thankfully) largely reimbursed by our employers.

As far as taking your EC BSN to another university. . .

I applied to and was accepted to a state university's BSN to PhD program. My GPA was competitive since I took few pass/fail exams for credit and my other courses had good grades. I successfully defended a few months ago. My professors were unfamiliar with EC but I was able to keep up with my classmates who were mostly MSN already (we took the same PhD level courses and I had to take extra MSN level coursework).

My husband, who was an EC ADN and BSN grad decided to go to NP school last year. He was accepted to both state universities he applied to. I also know another EC ADN grad who then went for her BSN, then MSN/NP. She recently defended her DNP. All her education after EC was a state universities.

I know EC is struggling, and I know some people can graduate without absorbing too much knowledge. But you can acquire a high quality education from them if you choose.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion