Getting started with Excelsior College

Nursing Students Excelsior

Published

I've been an LPN for 2 years now and also work agency with General Healthcare Resources. I want to get my RN but my husband is in school also for his RN :bugeyes: so I have little choice but to do it online if I'm going to do it at all. I went to EC's website and created my EC account. Now what do I do :confused:? How do I know what and how many classes/courses I must take to get my degree? Do I have to pay the $75 fee to apply just to find out if I have to take too many courses? I took a lot of prerequisites at local community college for the RN already.

Also, I cannot find out on my state board of nursing (PA) if they even accept EC degrees- do you know if they do?? I don't want to get into anything I cannot get out of (ie: TCN). Thanks

Kelly

Good Luck in your ventures. I just took the CPNE at the cost of $2095 plus hotel, food etc.. I Did not pass. I will need to spend another $2095 plus hotel etc to re-test. There were six testing and three of them were testing third time and one testing second time. Three strikes your out. I spoke with advisor to find out what other options there are in the event that you do not pass the third time. It was disturbing to me to find out that your credits will not transfer. So basically all the money, time and stress spent taking the CPNE is thrown away. You would have to start completely over at another school. Had I know this 2 years ago, I think I would have applied to a community college. THEY HAVE YOUR FUTURE IN THERE HANDS AND YOU HAVE NO CONTROLL. THE TEST IS VERY SUBJECTIVE.

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
I spoke with advisor to find out what other options there are in the event that you do not pass the third time. It was disturbing to me to find out that your credits will not transfer.

For ADN programs, most nursing classes from any school will not transfer between schools; this is not isolated to EC.

Chrisy, good luck -- I hope you find a way to complete your degree, be it through another CPNE attempt or another means. There are a lot of RNs who test twice, even three times.

Chrisy, I am very sad to hear of your unfortunate CPNE attempt. E.C. should really look at the way they test students. For that one weekend they could instead have clinical for 1 week and monitor how students progress over that week. To expect students to gain all of these skills with no prior clinical experience with E.C. is really horriable. The CPNE is definately not a judgement of how good a nurse you will be. And I wounder how many have lost their money after 3 attempts? That would be horriable.

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
To expect students to gain all of these skills with no prior clinical experience with E.C. is really horriable.

The CPNE isn't really skill-based ... it's basic assessment and basic management. Nothing too fancy! The entire nature of the program is predicated on the students being healthcare providers already, or having gone through more than 50% of a traditional nursing program. Beyond writing careplans, there really wasn't much foreign material for me at the CPNE.

I haven't looked further into the prep classes for the CPNE( as I don't have all the test complete yet) but did read that there are weekend workshops to prepare you for the CPNE. If you don't pass on the 3rd attempt they refund you the cost of the class. I know it's an added expense but if it keeps you from having to take it twice it could save money!! Has anyone done the prep classes?? And I do agree with the others that this program is for peoe who are already comfortable in the clinical setting.

Specializes in oncology, med surg & corrections.

I too did Excelsior and I was with the 08 bunch that graduated and about 2 months behind Lunah and if it was not for this site and Excelsior's own peer network, I doubt I would of made it. The tests were not bad at all, but then their is the CPNE. I had paid and was waiting for the EC workshop and it was cancelled 4 weeks before my CPNE, I about took a stroke and headed for a roof somewhere :) But then I found out about the EC workshop (3 classes) online and it was a little cheaper and it was awesome.

Then came the CPNE, I had been a LPN on a high acuity oncology floor for 10 years and I had to go from Phoenix to Utica NY (highly reccomend) and I had practiced for it, till that was my only dreams. I was nervous when I first got there, not because I was worried about how hard it was, but because I had heard some stories, and they were not very pretty. So I got started and then I just got into it and plugged away through the weekend and was done by 930am on Sunday, then I ate something, because I do not think I ate or slept much up to that point. Then the very next thing I did, was drive to a bookstore and bought an NCLEX practice book :)

The CPNE is techincally not hard, they give you all the information needed to pass (study guide is >500 pages), it is just you have to do everything the way they feel is best practice, I wish all those going in or already in this program, the best luck possible and rememebr there are alot of us here that have been through it and we are an excellent resource for you:yeah::yeah::yeah:

I have a few questioins about EC that I was hoping someone could help me out with. I have most if not all of my prereqs already completed from a university. With that being said, do I still need to forward the school a copy of my LPN transcript even though it was at a vocational school and I don't need any of those classes to transfer over? Also, I plan on financing my enrollment fee. Does this have to be paid off completely before being able to start the third nursing class? Thanks, any help would be appreciated!!

Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.
i have a few questioins about ec that i was hoping someone could help me out with. i have most if not all of my prereqs already completed from a university. with that being said, do i still need to forward the school a copy of my lpn transcript even though it was at a vocational school and i don't need any of those classes to transfer over? also, i plan on financing my enrollment fee. does this have to be paid off completely before being able to start the third nursing class? thanks, any help would be appreciated!!

i went to a vocational school as well for my lpn. i just provided ec a copy of my lpn paper license, no lpn transcript.

for the enrollment fee, i believe you can pay this off monthly. best to ask an ec advisor because things change all the time.

i went to a vocational school as well for my lpn. i just provided ec a copy of my lpn paper license, no lpn transcript.

for the enrollment fee, i believe you can pay this off monthly. best to ask an ec advisor because things change all the time.

thanks a bunch!! my school was pretty far out and i didn't want to make the trip if i didn't have to.

Hi all thank goodness for allnurses.com finding out a wealth of new info each day. I'm interested in EC however the only thing in my way is the financials... Does the adn,asn qualify for financial aid? stafford loans?

Also for the pre reqs for example when they say social/sciences/history min. 6 credits does it have to be life span developmental psychology and foundations of gerontology or are they giving us an example? Meaning I can take any social science/ history course..thinking of clepping this portion

Social Sciences/History - minimum 6 credits

PSYx210 Life Span Developmental Psychology .

SOCx310 Foundations of Gerontology . .

I know how "rumors" can be. . . .but suffice it to say, one is holding me back from pursuing my LPN to RN Bridge with Excelsior. I've heard HORROR stories about their clinical segment at the end of the program. . . .I guess you go to Georgia (or somewhere) to perform your clinical skills in a hospital setting and they are very BY THE BOOK and that if you even miss one step they will fail you and you will have to repeat the clinical segment. PLEASE has ANYone completed the LPN to RN Bridge with Excelsior, including the clinical segment that can give me any insight on this?

Thanks In Advance!

+ Add a Comment