***FYI Excelsior students can get Licensed in Cali***

Nursing Students Excelsior

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I have a very good friend that graduated from Excelsior college a year and a half ago, and she resides in Ga. She just got her Cali Rn license by endorsement. So you have to be an Rn in another state for a year, (working RN). Now she got a contract with an agency making a ridiculous amount of money an hour, like $750 per 12 hour shift, of course she works ICU.

:yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah:

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Specializes in ED.

Thank you so much for sharing. I have looked for people who have finished Excelsior and actually tried to gain licensure and most only contacted the board, none I encountered had actually applied.

It's great to hear that they do consider people with experience.

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This happened just recently? I heard from a good friend who was in contact with the BRN in CA and was told by them that they were no longer going to let Excelsior graduates endorse into CA around the beginning of the year. I even contact the BRN a few months ago and sure enough it was confirmed. If this happened just recently then that's a great thing. You should ask your friend from GA come and share her experience with the endorsement process as it gives hope for those who are trying to make it.

Everyones situation is different and there could be valid reasons why your friend is the exception. She may have education that exceeds the minimum qualifications and that could be the reason why. Thanks for sharing.

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Specializes in ED.

CA BRN hasn't been "letting Excelsior grads endorse in who didn't meet the deadline." However they will consider those who apply on a case by case basis. The clinical hours at the LVN and BSN level don't count in the clinical concurrent with theory. Even if you arrange your own clinical hours concurrent with your theory Excelsior won't document them on your transcripts. If you do one of the state specific preceptorships they can only be done in the states that they are needed for as those are the only locations contracted with Excelsior.

The only way you can find out if they will license your specific situation in California is to pay the money and apply. Not just call them/email them as they are going to give you the blanket no response.

I was in fact told by one of the employees of the BON that the only way they will even review your situation and assess what more you may need for licensure is if you have paid and applied. Then you may need nothing and get approved, you may need more experience, or you may just be denied. In the end I will apply just to see what they say the money is worth it in my opinion.

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Actually clinical hours for a LVN program do count towards the clinical in concurrent with theory. For the LVN program in CA we had to have over 900 hours of clinical time. But I don't think someone who graduates from Excelsior would be able to count those 900 hours fully. You can have 1500 hours of clinical experience in a LVN program, but if there's no psychiatric rotation then it must be met with actual clinical experience. For the LVN program part of the clinical time is met, but you have to have your psych rotation for the RN program.

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Specializes in ED.

I was just giving you the information I had gathered from reading the regulations and speaking to various personnel at the board of nursing.

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I'm sorry if you feel that I'm offending you as that's not what I'm meaning to do. It's a good thing that you're reading the regulations because you can get a clearer picture of how things work. But sometimes I feel the regulations are so confusing that you need someone to interpret them for you.

Here in CA, most of the LVN programs run about 3 semesters long and have over 900 hours of clinical experience. Which that exceeds the RN program here in CA, but the LVN-RN student still needs to complete the last 2 semesters of the RN program which includes around 300-400 hours of clinical experience. So in the end, the LVN would have completed about 1200 hours of clinical experience between both the LVN & RN programs.

Thank you for the information that you have provided because I definately learned something new. That's what I love about this site is because I learn so many new things from the people that post here.

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Specializes in ED.

I did not feel offended I just wanted to include where I got my information as you stated "clinical hours for a LVN program do count towards the clinical in concurrent with theory." The board of nursing stated that those hours don't count towards the rn clinical hours concurrent with theory that would deem a nurse eligible to apply for licensing as an Excelsior grad. Allowing them to not make a stipulation similar to what used to be true in Florida where LPNs were able to apply for licensure and others could only endorse in.

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Thank you for clarification because i understood differently. I had thought you meant that the LVN clinical hours wouldn't count for the RN licensure if completing a RN program in CA. But I see what you're saying and it does make sense. If Excelsior would just include clinical hours for those states that do require additional clinical hours.

From my understanding when I spoke with someone from Excelsior months ago. You can gain licensure through Oklahoma after completing two 30 hour preceptorship in both ob & psych. You will also gain 2 units of credit towards that and it will show up on your college transcripts. But you would have to complete them in Oklahoma. That clinical component is also arranged through Excelsior College and it's completed before graduation. For Arizona which requires 120 hours of preceptorship, you aren't awarded any units, but it does show up on your Excelsior transcripts. That can be done before or after graduation. I'm unsure about Colorado and Washington, but I do know that they require preceptorships also.

Sometimes I feel I'm wasting time twiddling my thumbs hoping and praying a LVN-RN program accepts me. I get sooooo tempted to just go through with the program and complete one of the preceptorships and attempt to at least endorse into CA. But then I'm afraid at the sametime because if I'm not accepted then I'm @$$ed out because no CA school would accept me to complete their program because I would have already completed another RN program. It's a catch 22, but if I'm successful then I would be able to help others who are in a similar situation. But we will wait and see. MsPC what are your plans? I know you had mentioned that you'll be moving to another state or something like that. Or did I confuse you with someone else.

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I have a very good friend that graduated from Excelsior college a year and a half ago, and she resides in Ga. She just got her Cali Rn license by endorsement. So you have to be an Rn in another state for a year, (working RN). Now she got a contract with an agency making a retarded amount of money an hour, like $750 per 12 hour shift, of course she works ICU.

:yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah:

How long ago did your friend apply for endorsement and how long did it take her to endorse her GA to CA?

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I have a very good friend that graduated from Excelsior college a year and a half ago, and she resides in Ga. She just got her Cali Rn license by endorsement. So you have to be an Rn in another state for a year, (working RN). Now she got a contract with an agency making a retarded amount of money an hour, like $750 per 12 hour shift, of course she works ICU.

:yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah:

I am in Florida, have first year of my RN degree done at a community college; need to work more than ever now and got a PCT job at a trauma hospital, now looking to finish my RN degree through Excelsior or any other school that is NLNAC accredited, but I don't know if there is one (if any other than Excelsior) that will use preceptors in Florida. Please, help! I have had major bad stuff happen in the last week, have no childcare on weekends (when I was supposed to work), and the only way I can work is during the week when they kids are in school/daycare, so I really need to find an online program asap, as my 3rd semester at the community college starts in a week and a half, but at this point, after 3 years of scraping by, I really cannot do it any more and have to work, so I need to find an online RN program, which I've heard I can do because I am a year into nursing school, but I am not an LPN/LVN. Can anyone please help find this info asap. I am looking now online, but I have to run around a lot today and then will be back looking tomorrow and the weekend....

ANY HELP/INFO/WEBSITES/PHONE #s are GREATLY APPRECIATED.

THANK YOU!

p.s. Just talked for Florida Board of Nursing and they will accept Excelsior's program and I can sit for NCLEX-RN here in Florida, but I swear the first time I looked up Excelsior there weren't preceptors in this state, but there must be if FL BON has people sitting for the NCLEX from Florida, right?! AGAIN, ANY INFO GREATLY APPRECIATED; what hospitals may have the preceptors, et cetera. The job at the trauma center is my dream job, and I can get in as an RN upon graduation, so if I can do this last year through Excelsior, I will have great benefits through my job and they give me a couple thousand a year for education, can keep my job and pay my bills, and be able to get my RN all at the same time. I have to run out and do a ton of things today, but if anybody can send me any helpful tips, anything at all about Excelsior, that would be wonderful.

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If you search the Excelsior website, somewhere on there it lists the 3 regional offices for the preceptor thing. You should be able to contact the office for FL and they should be able to let you know where your closest clinical site is. If I find the numbers when I'm on today, I will post them. I know how hard kids, school, and work is. I'm working on my BSN through Excelsior, working full-time and have 2 kids at home...just remember it's worth it in the end!

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