Getting ready to enroll at Excelsior- any last words of wisdom?

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I have been an LVN in California for 3 years now and I have finally decided to take that step to an RN. I work on a Med -Surge floor and I feel that a transition to RN would be a good step for me now.

I am in a hurry to enroll before December 5th because that is when the state is meeting to decide how much to increase the requirements for Excelsior grads that enroll after December 5th.

I have about 15 Units of GE done from a local community college and I will be taking the rest with the CLEP, DANTES, and ECE exams. From there I just have to complete the Nursing Concepts classes and my Clinical Eval (which I am not too concerned with since I work on an understaffed Med-Surge floor already).

So with that being said- any current enrollers or graduates have any words of wisdom before I send off my $825+ enrollment fee?

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Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.
Originally posted by jessthelvn

So with that being said- any current enrollers or graduates have any words of wisdom before I send off my $825+ enrollment fee?

Just DO it !!! :D

Be prepared for lots of study time and sacrificing a lot of your "social time".... but its well worth it. I have NO REGRETS !!!

Wish you the very best ! :)

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I did Excelsior's ADN program. The hardest thing you'll run into is the CPNE. No, it's not difficult to complete. You'll have to be very disciplined.

As for the fees for enrollment, tests, graduation, and the CPNE, you'll spend a lot...but you're investing in a life-long future.

If you ever have questions, please don't hesitate to send a message.

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Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.

Hi- I am doing the EC thing right now, and I love it! I have some advice for you:

1.) Don't waste your money on publishing companies (RUE, Chancellor's, etc.). You can print out the free course outlines from EC's website.

2.) Get the recommended textbooks for each course, listed at the end of each outline- it will save you time as they usually list what chapters from each book you need to read for each section.

3.) Take the practice exams (on the EC website- $65/each) for the first 3 Nursing Concepts courses (and write down the ones you miss or guessed on after you submit each one)- they are very close to what is on the actual test.

4.) Join an EC study group such as http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rnstudygroup/ or

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rnstudygroup/

Both of these have previous students' notes listed in the files links that you can use. It will save you time and effort, and it is perfectly legitimate to use these. They also have practice SETH tests for the NC courses that you can print out and use for practice/study.

5.) Take your nursing concepts exams first. You are eligible to take the CPNE clinical as soon as you are done with these, and if you are within 9 credit hrs of finishing your gen. ed. courses. You will probably have to wait 3-6 months for a CPNE opening from the time you are eligible, so you might as well take those last couple of gen. ed. courses while you wait, and get yourself on the list sooner.

6.) If the course outline says 25% of the exam will be on such-and-such, it will be. They have been very forthcoming with what will be on the exams so far.

7.) Know that you will learn to use the nursing process with each exam. For every Dx you study, look up nursing Dxs, outcomes, implementations, etc. There are quite a few of these types of questions on each exam.

8.) You will study peds and adults alongside each other for each nursing exam, and most people get a peds patient and an adult patient in their CPNE.

9.) From what I hear, the CPNE is not as easy as it sounds. The biggest hurdle (from what I hear) is going into it thinking "like an LPN," and this is why some people fail it. They will send you a packet as soon as you're eligible to take it, though. Do everything exactly as they say, and not necessarily how you would do things at work.

10.) Try to get your facility to reimburse you for the tuition/exam costs/book costs. I did this, and it has paid off big time! Tell them that EC is NLN accredited, and write out an education plan with an ecxpected grad date and tuition cost plan. They might figure out it's in their best interest to help you get your RN this way- my facility did.

11.) Most newer text books have their own websites. I use these websites, because they are very good resources for quizzes and practice tests- most of them have these.

Sorry for the novel! I hope you can use this info, and good luck! You can do it!

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Thanks all, I just went to website to ask them to send me information. It sounds doable for me!

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The previous posters have all had good advice for you. All I have to add is that the program is much harder than a lot of people think. Be diligent. Study hard. KNOW the material in the study guides backwards, forwards, and in your sleep. Apply yourself and you will do well. Some of the very best nurses I know are Regents/Excelsior grads. Good luck!

Dakota

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tagged.

lgflamini had good input.

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