Has anyone contacted EC about the CPNE wait time?

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And if they plan on doing anything about it? I read some people get their date in 6 months and others get it in a year... does anyone know if they plan on opening more sites? I always think of these things after work hours :-)

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

I totally understand where you're coming from, and I admire your passion/stance. :) The problem, as I understand it, is that EC does not have enough staff to open more locations for students to test, so they can only shove a limited amount of us through the funnel at one time. I think (but I'm not sure) that the reason they had to close some test sites in the last few years was because of a lack of staff.

What kind of changes would you envision to the clinicals exam portion, or how would you like EC to address the issue?

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Okay, here goes... :D First of all, this seems to be a great nursing program, with the CPNE delay being the one glaring flaw, like a huge, hideous wart on the nose of a beauty queen.

The first thing I would like to see Excelsior do is echo what you just eloquently said -- in effect, to widely apologize for the painful delay and to assure students that they respect their time rather than just to declare "NINE MONTHS to exam; 10 credits from completion to qualify" as if it's an edict from the throne. I would like to be assured that they MORE than just "hear students' concerns," but that it is an absolute imperative priority to resolve this problem promptly. That alone would stop the smoke from flowing from my nostrils and draw a smile and some empathy from me.

As far as how I would like to see this addressed, it may be presumtuous of me as an outsider to hazard a guess as to what complications they're up against... but for one thing, I would like to see Excelsior waive the "10 credit" mandate, which brings the student to the brink of graduation before they can even get on the waiting list to get into the funnel. They should instead encourage completion of the nursing component, then schedule the clinicals as early as possible on a case-by-case basis, taking the student's velocity and commitment to the program into consideration. Even if there are no general education credits completed at all, they should show latitude in getting students onto the waiting list early into their coursework. This strategy will immediately reduce the down time by allowing student to complete their remaining credits as they wait -- so that no time is lost.

Next, I would like to see Excelsior lighten up on this Navy SEALs approach to the final clinical exam, and opt instead for maybe a few rounds of less intense clinical rotations, as paramedic students accomplish without too much stress or difficulty. This would appease critics in certain states that maintain that graduates don't have enough RN clinical time, and it would also ease the pressure to make the final clinical exam an all or nothing, time-intensive "hell day" that requires one-on-one resources to scrutinize and validate the student's independently acquired clinical skills.

Those are my thoughts from the outside. Admittedly, once you're on the inside, it's never quite as simple as it looks... but I think Excelsior needs to, at the very least, show openly and decisively that this issue concerns them deeply, and that they are on it! It is a HUGE, GAPING WOUND on an otherwise beautiful face.

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I have a question? What if you want a cancellation date, but don't want one in the 1st 3 weeks that you become cpne eligible. Is there away to kinda of indicate about how far ahead of time that you would like the test date for example like 4-5 months. I could def get work of in a short period of time. Thanks in advance. I am unsure if I made total sense.

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I have a question? What if you want a cancellation date, but don't want one in the 1st 3 weeks that you become cpne eligible. Is there away to kinda of indicate about how far ahead of time that you would like the test date for example like 4-5 months. I could def get work of in a short period of time. Thanks in advance. I am unsure if I made total sense.

Made sense to me. I think that you can request the amount of "notice", like 2 days or 2 months, whatever you want.

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I have no problems with the wait period. Yes, it's inconvenient, but so is going full time and commuting over an hour each way and having to deal with instructors and nonsense and gas prices.

Once I got jammin' on the exams i did five in three months.

As to protesting, and have what happen? They simply can't hire the master's level people they require - those people being one of the reasons Excelsior is respected.

It isn't sheer caprice and bloody-minded disregard for us that imposes a long wait time. Demand simply exceeds supply. And unlike the old Soviet Union, we can't simply declare the shortage filled.

;)

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Can't hire or won't hire?The clinical examiner job is a part-time position.Most if not all have other jobs.If they were to hire them full time then they would have to pay them all the perks that go with that, and that would be less $$$$$ in the CEO's pocket!Excelsior is no different than any other large company -profit is always the #1 goal.:bugeyes: We as students will just have to accept this,and assert our energy into completing the program in the time that is available or go to a traditional school if you think it will be quicker.I have saved 10 gen ed classes to do while a wait.So I will stay busy while I am waiting.If I feel ready before I get a date I will do as other and try to get a cancellation date sooner.Just my :twocents:

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Can't hire or won't hire?The clinical examiner job is a part-time position.

Can't. They always have ads up. F/t nursing instructors can't be hired, either, for any money, one of the reasons for long waits to get into nursing school, period.

As to the p/t thing - most of us want to test on weekends, which is also when clinical sites are less busy. What do they do with the instructors the rest of the time?

Nursing, period, is in crisis. Women won't put up with being treated the way nurses often are and are opting to go into other better remunerated, less demanding fields. Until there are more nurses there won't be more instructors.

And so it goes.

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Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.
Can't. They always have ads up. F/t nursing instructors can't be hired, either, for any money, one of the reasons for long waits to get into nursing school, period.

As to the p/t thing - most of us want to test on weekends, which is also when clinical sites are less busy. What do they do with the instructors the rest of the time?

Nursing, period, is in crisis. Women won't put up with being treated the way nurses often are and are opting to go into other better remunerated, less demanding fields. Until there are more nurses there won't be more instructors.

And so it goes.

I have to agree with Suesquatch here. The wait times could be indicative of a bigger problem occurring in nursing progams nationally. It could also be that there are many more EC students now than there used to be, and they are having a hard time keeping up with the demand.

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Specializes in Med/Surg Nurse, Homecare, Visiting Nurse.

Cancellation dates are even running a five month wait period with some sites. It's just a nursing shortage everywhere....that's the problem.

My two cents.

I will be taking a cancellation date, when I get there. If I'm lucky I can test before the end of the year.

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I understand the problems behind the long waits. My problem with this: I've read on the Yahoo groups that Excelsior will not make allowances for those who do not fnish in the 7 year time limit. As far as I'm concerned, if a student becomes CPNE eligible before the 7 years is up, then they should be given the appropriate amount of time to complete, including the three tries if necessary. It doesn't matter to me what caused the student to take so much time, if they are ready by the deadline then they deserve the extension of time to get their three tries in before they are dismissed from the program. To me, not allowing enough time to complete the CPNE after one becomes eligible within the time window, is the biggest disservice to the students. Seven years of collecting the yearly fees and stringing the student along just to make them a "statistic" at the end is not morally right.

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Hello,everyone!I was wandering whats happen if you fail CPNEl?How long to wait to reschedule? Thanks

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I agree...I got started in this whole thing before knowing about the wait time. So foolish of me, can't afford to back out of it now-I'm in a payment plan with Chancelors. I'd love to redo it and go through a traditional school-the wait is rediculous!

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