Need Advice On The Excelsior Program

GN1974 · May 30, 2005

I must agree with Chris on going to a traditional school versus Excelsior. Even if you make it through the program , people do tend to question the degree. I am fortunate to have been able to get a good job with lots of training for new grads...but it wasn't easy. I really wish I would have just gone to a traditional school. Hurrying through the program may only make it worse for you....if you didn't retain the material and then hit the floor and have too many questions or aren't familiar with common concepts, people will chalk it up to being an Excelsior grad. If you do the program, I highly suggest doing it in a paced manner so you get a balanced education and retain the info. It took me from Oct 2003-January 2005(I had 7 classes to take) to complete all the courses and CPNE...it then took from January to mid march to get my degree.

Karen

featherzRN, MSN · May 30, 2005

I've never had anyone question my schooling or my degree (and I'm in California, even). :) Then again, I have been a nurse for > 15 years now so where I went to school is pretty much irrelevant. :)

CraigB-RN, MSN, RN · May 30, 2005

I've never had anyone question my schooling or my degree (and I'm in California, even). :) Then again, I have been a nurse for > 15 years now so where I went to school is pretty much irrelevant. :)

Not only has no one ever questioned my degree, but I've been a Chief Flight Nurse, am currently a Director of Nursing and was accepeted into both Acute Care NP and FNP programs.

GN1974 · May 30, 2005

I think a large part of the stigma with Excelsior grads has come to light fairly recently. Californias decision made several other boards look into the program. Kansas stopped taking Excelsior grads with no warning ( I think something was worked out now) and in Utah a company owned by two Excelsior grads was shut down by the state for shady dealings. Several other states have the issue of Excelsior on their agendas to further evaluate...and largely because of this negative publicity in the past few years. I have also heard from local CC instructors that students who can't make the traditional program tell them they will just do Excelsior...hence the easy out stigma as well. I know it was NOT an easier road but it can be for those who buy answers from the internet and such. I agree there are many great Excelsior alumni out there (I work with two are competent) but for recent grads this cloud does hover above. I myself got a quality education from the program and had 10 years LPN experience in various settings to carry with me. I personally would be hesitant to go this route again unless there was absolutely no other alternative. I think Excelsior needs to make some more changes to the program to make boards and employers view it as favorable. I also believe it may become more widely repected as more college and universities launch internet classes. This is my own opinion but I stand by it--go to a traditional school if at all possible. Those who have done the program and been working for awhile, I am sure haven't much of a problem (if they are competent)..Craig and featherz are great examples.

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · May 31, 2005

I think a large part of the stigma with Excelsior grads has come to light fairly recently. Californias decision made several other boards look into the program. Kansas stopped taking Excelsior grads with no warning ( I think something was worked out now) and in Utah a company owned by two Excelsior grads was shut down by the state for shady dealings. Several other states have the issue of Excelsior on their agendas to further evaluate...and largely because of this negative publicity in the past few years. I have also heard from local CC instructors that students who can't make the traditional program tell them they will just do Excelsior...hence the easy out stigma as well. I know it was NOT an easier road but it can be for those who buy answers from the internet and such. I agree there are many great Excelsior alumni out there (I work with two are competent) but for recent grads this cloud does hover above. I myself got a quality education from the program and had 10 years LPN experience in various settings to carry with me. I personally would be hesitant to go this route again unless there was absolutely no other alternative. I think Excelsior needs to make some more changes to the program to make boards and employers view it as favorable. I also believe it may become more widely repected as more college and universities launch internet classes. This is my own opinion but I stand by it--go to a traditional school if at all possible. Those who have done the program and been working for awhile, I am sure haven't much of a problem (if they are competent)..Craig and featherz are great examples.

But doesn't it kind of freak you out when people ask where you went to school, and you say Excelsior, and there is some reference to "internet" or "online."

This is not internet or online schooling. Just because you can communicate with them and download the study guides (really, course outlines and assignments--forgot the "real" word--too early!), doesn't mean you get your schooling on the web, and it sure isn't the case in this situation!

I prefer the term "self-paced, self-disciplined." Puts the onus where it belongs--on the hardworking superior student.

The only issue I have with Excelsior is, the CPNE is a very good weeding out tool, and, like the rest of the program, is an intensive way to determine whether you've gone out and learned your stuff, or are just floating through.

I rather wish there were localized 6 week intensive clinical courses, kind of like mini-internships or intensive clinicals, so that there would be fewer questions and a little more work hardening for those of us who didn't have the benefit of being LPN's or LVN's for 10 years or so.

You'd think the teaching hospitals would welcome that, like they do the brick-and-mortar clinicals for nursing students--a great way to get extra labor, see what's getting ready to graduate, and pluck the good ones for oneself.

It could even be on weekends, so less (or no) competition with the "regular" nursing students, small class size (say, five to eight), and a nurturing clinical instructor (rather than one that look at you like something on the bottom of their shoe). Lots of retired nurses, and retired instructors, who probably would like the chance to keep up their skills and pass the torch.

But I've never found anybody at Excelsior interested in developing something like this.

The fact is, no school's grads are 100%, and there is always resentment when it appears someone is making a buck or getting big, which would be Excelsior in the nursing school forum. (I mean, 17,000 enrolled!? That's great!)

And how many nursing schools can honestly say they've never had a graduate who was shady or lost their license or did something they shouldn't. Since when is that the school's fault?

(I'm surprised to hear that about Academy of Nursing in Utah--when I spoke with them 2 years ago or so, and I talked to all the principles, getting my $250 back, nobody--I mean, nobody--was or had ever been a nurse or nursing student. However, one of them, Rob Butner, used to write here and in various yahoo groups that he, his wife--maybe even his cat!--had been or was a student, while hawking his "products.")

Sheri257 · May 31, 2005

You'd think the teaching hospitals would welcome that, like they do the brick-and-mortar clinicals for nursing students--a great way to get extra labor, see what's getting ready to graduate, and pluck the good ones for oneself.
It could even be on weekends, so less (or no) competition with the "regular" nursing students, small class size (say, five to eight), and a nurturing clinical instructor (rather than one that look at you like something on the bottom of their shoe). Lots of retired nurses, and retired instructors, who probably would like the chance to keep up their skills and pass the torch.
But I've never found anybody at Excelsior interested in developing something like this.

While many hospitals do welcome clinical groups it's a lot tougher than you might think. Just this semester alone two hospitals dropped out of clinicals for my class and the school had to scramble to find sites, one of which ended up being two hours away from the school. We already do clinicals on weekends and it's still hard to find clinical sites.

While it is a cheap source of labor and a great recruiting tool, a lot of hospitals can only take so many students at one time. A group of five to eight sounds small but when you're on the floor it still gets pretty crowded. And while the students do help, they also get in the way of the daily work that has to be done. Some RN's welcome it but others don't so, it's a tricky situation to set up sites, even with schools that have long standing clinical relationships with the hospitals and where many of the new grads end up working for those hospitals.

:coollook:

blackmedic · Jun 1, 2005

Hello, is there anyone that can give me information on Dr.Frye's study guides. I am an EC student in the Los Angeles area. An address or phone number would be great. :coollook:

Sheri257 · Jun 2, 2005

Hello, is there anyone that can give me information on Dr.Frye's study guides. I am an EC student in the Los Angeles area. An address or phone number would be great.

Uh ... since you live in LA, you may want to know that California doesn't accept Excelsior anymore unless you enrolled by December, 2003. Just FYI in case you didn't know.

:coollook:

featherzRN, MSN · Jun 2, 2005

I just interviewed for a nursing education position today (at a major California hospital) and the director was also an EC grad! :) Small world. :)

blackmedic · Jun 2, 2005

Uh ... since you live in LA, you may want to know that California doesn't accept Excelsior anymore unless you enrolled by December, 2003. Just FYI in case you didn't know.

I made the California cut off.

tlynsmith · Jun 3, 2005

I just interviewed for a nursing education position today (at a major California hospital) and the director was also an EC grad! :) Small world. :)

HaHa ...... you never know who you'll meet. Congrats !!!!!!!!!!!!

dcudoc · Jun 3, 2005

Hey how are you? I am currently taking EC test and spoke with them not even two days ago about the way for the CPNE. As of now it is 5-7 months, so there is no way that you can finish in a short amount of time. I also agree with what someone else said about waiting. I have found the test to be pretty tough, I had to retake one because of the way that I was studying for them. Since then I have had all A's and B's. If you have no experience it could be a good thing and a bad thing since you have not picked up on any of the bad habits most of us might have. I worked in an ER as a paramedic for the last 7 years and have had a hard time going back to theory since it does not always correspond to what you would actually do.
My suggestion is that you make the decision for yourself. You can take the first two test with only paying for the test, and then go from there. I also reccommend buying some sort of study guide that is out there. I have been using Chancellor's and I have found them to be fairly accurate with the infromation.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Hello ryoung0302,

I have a couple of questions about the Excelsior ADN program. Please let me know if you received this message. I would like to know if you got this email message before I ask. Thanks. dcudoc