Looking into Excelsior

They have EC clinical sites.

Is there any way I could do clinicals where I work?

The only clinical portion of the program is the 2 day weekend for your skills checkoffs. It's like a final for clinical skills. You are expected to learn the clinical component of the courses on your own time. There is no preceptorship or mentoring available. Basically, first you take all your core classes, the FCCA (I think this has to do with assesment and diagnosis) and then you sign up for the clinical competency class. This is taken at a hospital that Excelsior works with. You may have to travel out of state depending on where you live. It's a 2 day weekend, and a pass/fail class. If you fail, you have to take it again. Excelsior does offer workshops that you can take for home based or in-person clinical skills.

I hope this explanation helps. Excelsior is a great program if you are a motivated self learner. The clinical skills that you need to learn are things like basic assessment, starting an IV, inserting a foley, giving injections, wound care, etc. It is my understanding that the more invasive procedures are done on a dummy in the clinical competency check off. Everything else I believe is done with a real life patient. I'm sure someone on the board will correct me if I'm wrong on this. :)

That sounds scary & expensive. :/

The CPNE is a 3-day clinical evaluation. They do not assess you on starting IVs or inserting foleys. The CPNE guide will tell you exactly what they test on and how they want it done. I did not have any invasive procedures to perform. The wound care evaluation is done on a dummy as well as any assessment on IV pushes and injections. But, if you are only 'looking' right now, I say forget about the CPNE because by the time that you make it to that point, they may or may not have changed certain things...as with any college or university. If you decide to go with Excelsior, as you prepare for your exams and make connections on the discussion and chat boards, you will learn more and more about the CPNE from other students.

Given that EC provides you with a study guide on how to prepare, I wouldn't worry about that part now because you test when you are confident in your ability to pass. You pick your date and testing site from the available lists. I knew of a girl who was CPNE-eligible but did not decide to test for 2 years after becoming eligible. After all, they give you 7 years to complete the program. But I would definitely start saving for it now because their costs increase yearly on the exams as well as the CPNE. Good luck!

Thank you! What is the difference between EC & ISU?

I know. I'm just trying to straighten out all my online school options. As I look more into EC, it doesn't seem to be the right fit for me. The 3 day CPNE would just be too stressful for me & I just could not mentally handle it. A nurse checking me off on a skill might have a bad day or not like me and decide my fate, thanks but no thanks.

These ladies are professionals; with PhDs. Of course, the decision is all yours and I truly wish you and any other healthcare professional well in their pursuit of higher education. If anyone tells you that they failed the CPNE weekend because of the evaluator's personal opinion, they are incorrect. You can fail everything that they test you on and still pass the weekend. But again, good luck to you! EC is not for everybody, just like any other college or university. We have to trust those who are educating us no matter who employs them. Without that, we are all doomed to failure of some kind.

How can you fail everything that weekend but still pass?

I know. I'm just trying to straighten out all my online school options. As I look more into EC it doesn't seem to be the right fit for me. The 3 day CPNE would just be too stressful for me & I just could not mentally handle it. A nurse checking me off on a skill might have a bad day or not like me and decide my fate, thanks but no thanks.[/quote']

I thought the clinical evaluators were truly professional, friendly (as they could be) and happy when one of theirs passed. I felt supported and respected. I'm so happy I did it! Got my RN last December (2012). :)

Well I was just diagnosed with bipolar disorder & I don't know if I could handle the 3 day CPNE. Those 3 days just seem too stressful for me. It's not that I wouldn't study for it or that I'm not a good nurse, I just don't know if I could mentally handle it.