GA BON no longer accepting Excelsior education; Speak up Cont. Updates!!

Pmdc · Apr 4, 2009

Is that Manatee CC posting a solid 72.53% NCLEX-RN pass rate, with one graduating class coming in at 68.85%? Isn't that your school, Baldee? Talk about your "irreversible downward trends".

EC had a pass rate of 85.4% for that same year. Not that I'm comparing, I'm just using a "comparative technique". Now those are facts.

Source:

http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Mqa/nursing/info_RegN08.pdf

You had better hit the books, son. No Star Trek for you!

bjbabs24 · Apr 4, 2009

Hmmmm.... I seem to remember when there was talk that a community college Assoc. degree wasn't considered the appropriate education for an RN. Educators were making arguements stating that education for RN's only belongs at the university Bachelor level. Just like distance education was founded to change with the time and increasing demand for nursing so was the whole concept of associates degrees for nursing at community colleges.

"The web of controversy over associate degree nursing has been woven even tighter during the past 50 years. An idea whose time had come became convoluted and misinterpreted due to the participation of hospitals who seized on the AD nurse as an answer to their shortage problems, and community college interests who saw the program as ideally suited to their growing academic environment.Issues of credentialing and competency were artfully manipulated to suit business interests and not the profession. It is important that today we divide these issues, and recognize that regardless of what the profession has made of this event in history, Mildred Montag’s creative genius led to an unprecedented expansion of the nursing profession, bringing countless benefits to the health and well being of generations in the United States and throughout the world. "

If it wasn't for people like Mildred Montag you my friend wouldn't even be going to a community college for nursing. We will cont. to fight for each other to cont. our distance nursing programs just like they fought to have assoc. level nursing at comm. colleges.

Maybe you haven't done history in nursing yet but I suggest you look up Dr. Mildred Montag. I think it would enlighten you that things evolve and change with the times and people will always try to stand in the way and discourage others.

baldee · Apr 4, 2009

Nit pickers highlighting the unimportant issues.

Every school offers the same opportunity to learn, since that is up to the student alone.

And stats can lie per state etc... if you don't understand what exactly the breakdown of stratified random distributions were that contributed to the 'lone' ratios.

Yes, politics is hell, but it is what it is. Grow up and learn to read telegraphed messages in society and not get all your information from a biased board of 'posters'.

Since I do not want to move all over the country finding somewhere that will accept my educational institute's credentials: I choose State supported education: classroom or distant learning, either one.

Sometimes I wonder if the thrifty minded EC execs aren't in boiler rooms themselves posting propaganda as their main marketing machine: of course with constantly bombarding email addresses that asked for any information since their opening day. Oh what a tangled web we weave, if first we practice to ... :nurse: :nurse:

Pmdc · Apr 5, 2009

Nit pickers highlighting the unimportant issues.
Every school offers the same opportunity to learn, since that is up to the student alone.
And stats can lie per state etc... if you don't understand what exactly the breakdown of stratified random distributions were that contributed to the 'lone' ratios.
Yes, politics is hell, but it is what it is. Grow up and learn to read telegraphed messages in society and not get all your information from a biased board of 'posters'.
Since I do not want to move all over the country finding somewhere that will accept my educational institute's credentials: I choose State supported education: classroom or distant learning, either one.
Sometimes I wonder if the thrifty minded EC execs aren't in boiler rooms themselves posting propaganda as their main marketing machine: of course with constantly bombarding email addresses that asked for any information since their opening day. Oh what a tangled web we weave, if first we practice to ...:nurse:

Son, take your incoherent ramblings and move on. You asked for independent stats and Lunah gave 'em to you within minutes. Now try to be a real man and accept the consequences of your request for unbiased facts. My prediction: You will never make it as a nurse and will disappear from this entire site within a year. There have been many others like you and that always seems to be the case.

You're not positively contributing to anything here. And as far as you and EC go, just forget about it! You may say that you reject them, but you're not even qualified to be an EC student, so it's really a non-issue for you and them. You appear to be some wannabe who attends a Florida community college, completing pre-reqs in hopes of one day entering their elite nursing program. Why you chose to post your rants about the "Bush Depression" and "chinese spammers" and how you somehow mentally connect these unrelated random subjects to EC is beyond me, and is probably beyond the scope of most of us here.

I worked my butt off in nursing school, and continue to do so while also working as a trauma nurse at a busy trauma center and firemedic in a very busy metro fire department. WHAT DID YOU DO TODAY?

Melinurse · Apr 5, 2009

3. The facts are courses are not transferable and degrees are increasing in trend not to be accepted as well. Period.

I have had no trouble whatsoever in transfering my EC credits to a traditional college. I passed NCLEX first time without any difficulty. I have had no issues with finding a job even when asked where I received my education. I can say for a fact that my EC degree was totally accepted by more than one traditional college. ( I applied to several in my search for where to further my education and EC was accepted by all )

Editorial Team / Moderator · Apr 5, 2009

I was accepted to all 3 schools to which I applied for my RN-BSN -- Chamberlain, Slippery Rock University in PA, and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Not one of the schools questioned my EC education.

bjbabs24 · Apr 5, 2009

First Baldee wants stats and then when given the facts this is the response "And stats can lie per state etc..." I would like to know if 8 people in your comm. college take the test and only 2 pass where is the statistical failure? They either passed during that quarter or they didn't it really isn't random. How is that considered a lie? Maybe besides nursing history you need to take a stats. course.

It actually is becoming quite comical but the problem is that his ramblings take away from the point of this thread. We need to support fellow nurses. The whole point is that we want to help those in need. At least that is why I went into nursing but I question others motives after reading their posts.

baldee · Apr 5, 2009

Well, I was just speaking up. Was it speaking up if you had only one opinion?

Evidently mine is with the group that makes the decisions, right or wrong.

Although it has been brought up, you do have NC.

Good luck.

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · Apr 5, 2009

http://www.bradenton.com/186/story/914294.html

MCC raises bar for nursing program

College hopes its improvements churn out better prepared grads; some students cry foul

"In the past few years, Manatee Community College's nursing program has seen a decline in the passing rates among graduates who take the NCLEX - the National Council Licensure Examination - on their first try, records show.

In 2005, 90 percent of MCC nursing students passed on their first try, compared to 69 percent in 2007. The 2007 passing rate was below both the national and state averages of 85.47 percent and 83.22 percent, respectively."

"'It's not fair to the community. It's not fair to the students when they come through a complete program and they're not successful,' said Bonnie Hesselberg, MCC's dean for nursing and health professions."

"The most significant changes involved increasing the course passing grade from 75 percent to 80 percent and implementing a comprehensive exam students must pass before graduation.

Effective this fall, students will have two chances to pass a standardized test before they can graduate. Previously, students took the test as only a practice to prepare them for the nursing board exam, she said. A strong "predictor" of how well they will do on the NCLEX, the standardized test helps students know where they need to focus on improving. Learning specialists have even been brought in to help students, Hesselberg said."

"While all recognize the drop in passing rate on the NCLEX calls for a change, students said the new standards are unfair considering that many began the program under a separate set of expectations."

"Students said they feel added pressure studying for an exam that was once considered a practice test, but is now part of a final grade.

If the standardized test, which helps predict how students will do on the board exams, is used as a tool to pass or fail students, then it looks like the college is trying to weed students out, Rossi said. She also wants to know why the education received at MCC is not sufficient in preparing students for the board exams."

...and so it was told. Check. and. Mate.

bjbabs24 · Apr 5, 2009

Speaking up to do what? I still don't see your point. Are you trying to speak up to discourage other students? You speak up saying we don't have the facts and that we can't back up what we speak about because we are just biased. You are the biased one because when you see that we actually do better in stats. than the school you attend then our stats must be state lies and just random. Also, I don't think you understand that there are many states that take EC without any issue and have for years. I happen to live in one and when I considered EC I called the State BON and asked about the EC status and they said yep, no issues go ahead with your plans. So I will practice, I will continue to be the best nurse I can and support other nurses trying to further their education and better their livlihoods. Unlike you I encourage and not discourage. I have worked with many nurses who have gone the EC route and I don't see it changing here any time soon. So, you are stuck with us. Unless you have walked a mile in someone elses shoes you have no right to judge. As far as you thinking you have the same opinion with those that make decisions I pity you. Like I said, you are lucky you had people stand up years ago and fight for nurses and their education because you wouldn't even been able to go to your community college if it wasn't for those who fight for their cause instead of stand in the way. If this is how you treat fellow nurses I would hate to see your pt. care. Oh yeah, you are still a student, not a nurse and by the looks of your school stats you may want to reconsider your wonderful thought out choice or start hitting those books.

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · Apr 5, 2009

http://www.mccfl.edu/pages/PDF/Publications/Catalog/2008_09CatalogE.pdf

Per Manatee's course catalog (pp 52-53), they sure don't spend much time in clinicals for non-LPN ASN students. Here is the breakdown of weekly hours per semester: 10 hrs/week, 10 hrs/week, 12 hrs/week, & 15 hrs/week.

That's a pretty low number of clinical hours for an ASN program. Perhaps if they increased their hours a bit, their NCLEX pass rates would improve.

Pmdc · Apr 5, 2009

Well, I was just speaking up. Was it speaking up if you had only one opinion?
Evidently mine is with the group that makes the decisions, right or wrong.
Although it has been brought up, you do have NC.
Good luck.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with speaking up. But when you post some outlandish statements and present them as facts, only to have others post credible, independent sources that prove you to be wrong and you respond by calling it lies, it makes it obvious that you're not here for intelligent debate. It's clear that you are only posting to make inflammatory statements that only serve to hurt those affected by the recent developments in GA. That, my friend, is shameful and is not a trait that is valued in the nursing field.

The article posted about your school makes your plight even more sad. You not only have no chance at being accepted by EC, you have apparently chosen a school that has more problems than you ever thought we would discover. Did you think we wouldn't read your previous posts to find out more about you?

Even after all of your statements are proven to be not only incorrect, but completely sub-moronic, you continue to make statements like "you do have NC". I am eligible for licensure in every state in the US. How 'bout you? Even those who are just now entering the EC program will have opportunity for licensure in all states except CA. They may need 1-2 years of licensed experience, or maybe a clinical preceptorship, but they are still eligible and will continue to be eligible. So your statement should have been, "you do have 49 out of 50 states".

Anyway, I can't help believing that you're just some lonely, middle-aged, recently unemployed guy who happens to be off his meds right now, and has lost control of everything in his life, and, as a result, is sitting in a lawn chair in front of a borrowed computer and has signed on here to anonymously pass your grief and misery on to others with little fear of reprisal and to make yourself feel better; even almost like a man. I say that because some of your posts in your history seem to be focused and even helpful to others. Recently though, they have become quite the opposite, rambling on about some reality that doesn't exist and hurling insults with little angel Smilies at the end. Yeah boy, that makes it okay. I can't help but wonder about what caused the recent change. Rarely do you get to see such a combination of arrogance and ignorance. That's a downright dangerous trait in this field. Thank God you're not in it, and probably never will be.

I guess we're stuck with you as long as you have your anonymity and remain an AllNurses member. Without your anonymity to hide behind, I would bet a case of Smithwick's that your a sniveling little coward who wouldn't even open your mouth in the presence of another person.