Need Excelsior Clarification

Editorial Team / Moderator · Oct 22, 2007

Cass, if you haven't enrolled already, you need to take the first test under the new curriculum -- I think it's "Essentials of Nursing Care: Health Safety." It seems like it covers roughly the same material as NC1, but only people who enrolled before October 1 can take the old "Nursing Concepts" exams.

If you're already enrolled, you should probably speak to someone at Excelsior to figure out why it wouldn't let you register.

Diahni · Oct 22, 2007

Ok, I'm new to this information about Exclesior and it's Nursing program. I have just completed my 3rd semester of ADN school and am really interested in this program, but have a couple of questions. If I pick up here, how long should it take to complete and how again are the clinical classes handled? This may have been covered in previous post, but I'm not quite sure.
Thanks for any help you can provide.

tinker - what kind of stuff do you need to know? I was in your situation, 3 semesters of an ADN program and wanted out.

Diahni

Diahni · Oct 22, 2007

oops, I didn't answer your questions, did I? Okay, the length of time is up to you, though I hear it will generally take a year or so. You don't have to take exam number 2 if you have your lpn. As for the clinical aspect, read up on the CPNE, which is a long clinical exam you must take. My take is this - even though you will be tested on things you have already covered in nursing school, it will save you a lot of time. I believe there are six exams or so and the CPNE.

If you had one more semester, that would mean a lot more clinical days and about four or five exams? I'll take Excelsior instead! Moreover, my clinicals were usually about doing cna work and not getting paid for it.

Diahni

SkyHigh · Oct 23, 2007

I would really like to thank you everybody for the information you are sharing here..it is really great to share our experiences..

I am a foreign physician and I want to apply to exelsior uni in the next few coming days for ADN to be an RN..

-I dont know which should I apply for AAS VS AS? which one is more suitable for me?I dont know what is the difference!

-since I want to be an RN coz I am in real need of money so I need to decrease costs of being RN...so do u think taking TOFEL or GRE will decrease the number of exams that I am required to take to be RN?

I knew that I will have to take those exams too-->excelsior non nursing pre requisities with 405 $ and english composition and humanities with 800 $, does passing the US medical license exams previously help?

-will I contact Exelsior and apply first or contact ECE first?

I would really appreciate your help,

before reading in this forum i didnt know anybody who could help

i am really glad that I am here with you

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Oct 23, 2007

SkyHigh,

Some students will save some money by taking some of the EC exams prior to enrolling, but in your case, since you have a unique background, I think it makes sense to apply and speak with the advising team before you take any exams.

Regarding AS vs AAS, the advising office will look at your prior credits and place you in the program that fits the best. Since your background is in medicine instead of allied health, you likely have more math and science credits than technical credits. They'll probably place you in the AS program, but you don't have to decide that for yourself.

emijen2girls · Oct 23, 2007

Wow! This is wonderful. I a so glad I found this site. I have been an LPN for 12 years and have no pre-req at all so I need to start from the basics which have always intimidated me....has anyone take A&P with them? I a planning to take all the english, psych, art etc online with the local comunity college but I do not want to go onsite for A&P and do lab (time is money right?) I have always been very intimidated to study on my own and I think this is one of the reasons it has taken e so long. I do not care if I take 2-4 years to complete as I have kids that need e but I just do not want to fail and lose all the $$$$$.

Diahni · Oct 23, 2007

I would really like to thank you everybody for the information you are sharing here..it is really great to share our experiences..
I am a foreign physician and I want to apply to exelsior uni in the next few coming days for ADN to be an RN..
-I dont know which should I apply for AAS VS AS? which one is more suitable for me?I dont know what is the difference!
SkyHigh:
Yes, allnurses.com is a wonderful resource - there are 200,000 or so members, so when you have a question, no matter the type of question, quite a few people will probably respond. About AAS - AS, or any other degree - the important thing is that whatever program you take, it will allow you to take the NCLEX, (either RN or LPN.) Next next step up from these, which are both associates degrees would be the BSN in nursing. If you are already a physician, I would think any degree that allows you to take the NCLEX would work for you. I am sure your previous training would put you in a good position for a variety of jobs.
The good thing about the Excelsior program is you can study on your own. The program is basically studying, and then taking (I think) six exams. Then there is the CPNE, which is a weekend-long clinical test that tests your skills. The entire program will cost about 5,000. dollars, but you pay as you go for the different exams. Regular nursing school takes a lot of time, and even a state community program will cost you at least that. As for the "prerequisites" such as anatomy and microbiology, you can probably "challenge" these courses by taking a exam. As someone else noted, Excelsior can help you will sorting out all of this, including the differences between different associates degrees. Remember that there are many routes to taking the NCLEX, all leading to being licensed as a nurse. As for all the text books you require, don't just go out and buy all of them, as they are very expensive. I got the Psych nursing book used online for about 15 dollars. As well, you can borrow many of them from a library. I don't know how much you know about public libraries but many of them are on a "network," which means you can search for and borrow a book from any library in the network via an online web site. For instance, I live in a small town in Massachusetts, but I can search a system called "CWMARS," find a book from many different libraries in the system, and by ordering it online, it will be delivered to my own library to pick up. This is an amazing service, so check your area to see if a library near where you live can help you with this.
Best of luck!
Diahni
P.S. I learned about Excelsior at allnurses.com, and I'm glad I did!

SkyHigh · Oct 23, 2007

thanks alot EricEnfermero

I foundout that in the application I have to choose either AAS or AS!do I have to choose one and they will switch it to the better option later anyway?

I have sent my questions in an email to EC twice and got no reply!!..

fuerza757 · Oct 23, 2007

2 Questions:

1. Regarding transfer credits; do you have to pay for each credit that they accept ? or evaluate? It states under "Portfolio-Based assessment that is 290 per credit for the assessment then 90 per credit awarded?

am I reading this right ?

2. Need opinion whether to finish general course with ec or at a local community college ? What do think ? what worked for you?

Editorial Team / Moderator · Oct 23, 2007

I just did the regular college transcript evaluation for the ADN, and the only cost was the application fee. I'm not familiar with the portfolio-based evaluation, so I assume that might be different/more expensive.

Diahni · Oct 23, 2007

thanks alot EricEnfermero
I foundout that in the application I have to choose either AAS or AS!do I have to choose one and they will switch it to the better option later anyway?
I have sent my questions in an email to EC twice and got no reply!!..

SkyHigh:

Excelsior will respond, it just can take them two or three days. I think they have a toll free number you can try, but it's usually a long wait on the phone.

Without looking at the courses required for an AAS or an AS, you should compare the courses required with the type of courses you have already taken. I think the whole idea is to apply for the Associate's degree that most closely matches what you have already taken in courses. Excelsior doesn't charge you for credits you already have. In my case, I had all the prerequisites and three semesters of an ADN behind me. The one annoying aspect of the way their credit system works is you MUST take their sequence of the nursing courses, no matter what kind of nursing training you came in with. You take six or seven courses (I forget which, I'm just on NUR1 right now,) and then you take the clinical test, the CPNE.) The only exception to this is if you have an LPN, you can skip NUR2, but that's it. I stand corrected if I'm wrong. I hope I'm being clear about this, and hope I'm right about it, but I think the only courses you transfer in to the program are the electives, such as Anatomy, etc. In my situation, I was three quarters done with my ADN, but I weighed the differences in one more semester of the regular ADN program I was in versus Excelsior. In my last semester, I would have to take at least four exams, and spend a semester doing clinicals. Plus, there is always a lot of extra projects in any program, and those are very time-consuming. As well, there is a mountain of paperwork involved with every single clinical day. All told, I figured Excelsior would work better for me. The paperwork I had to do to in the ADN program was ridiculous - for every patient, we had to write out volumes of information about each client's meds, whether we knew them cold or not. I would spend hours re-writing this stuff every week. The 12 page "data collection guide" I found to be a useless time waster, and I would spend an entire day doing it. If this paperwork wasn't done, we couldn't go to the next clinical. I wanted to "cut and paste" the meds into my paperwork but noooo, we had to write it over. This might help some people, but I found it an exercise in futility, never mind stealing what little time I had outside of classes and clinicals. In any case, hang in there with getting yourself set up with Excelsior. Establishing any academic program is a lot of hassle and confusion. Once you're in the groove with studying, and taking the exams, it'll get much easier. If you are already a physician, I suppose much of the material will be easy for you, with the exception of learning the nurse lingo, i.e. "ambulate" instead of "walk" a patient. Then there's the strange way the multiple-choice questions are worded, no matter what program you're in. I think this applies to all higher level academic testing. It's a skill in itself to not get tangled up trying to figure out what the question is asking. Hope I'll shed at least a little light here. You can do it! Just make sure Excelsior is being clear with you. Once I got a counselor on the phone, they always seemed knowlegable.

Diahni

SkyHigh · Oct 24, 2007

Thanks alot Diahni for this information,

I applied online today,I will be sending my transcripts to ECE soon so that they can evaluate my credentials and send it to Excelsior..

dont you think if I take Tofel exam is important for me,so that Excelsior wont require me to take the English and Humanities exam which costs 800$?

I would also like to buy the books needed..I heard about a book called fundamanetals of nursing by Kozier that is very useful...is it the best in your opinion?

my target is to be an RN since I am in need of money so I need to do it with the least cost and as soon as possible...I have to...

I am glad I am here taking your advice everybody