New to the concept of nursing and Excelsior... Help!

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Hello everyone,

I am a 43 year old Paramedic ready to make a serious effort at getting my RN. I applied about 2 years ago along with my ( now ex-wife who was also a paramedic ). The plan was to study together, but I could not for the life of me get her to put down her phone and stay off facebook long enough to participate.

She slept with an EMT co-worker while I was working at the same company as a supervisor. For my own mental health and to avoid felony charges I decided to find employment elsewhere. I now work on an offshore oil rig as a paramedic, and the sole medical provider for up to 150 personnel. I have an office, an examination room, and a 2 bed infirmary. My company has provided me with advanced training beyond IV's, cardiac monitoring, pain management and intubation. I learned suturing, antibiotic therapy, eye and ear examinations.

I recently went to Florida to visit with an Emergency Room RN who I have delivered many drugged up, dirty, crazy, combative patients to. I had to pull a patient off of her after he assaulted her one night ( wasnt my patient ) and we have been friends ever since. She works at 3 different hospitals and is taking 4 classes this semester and is already a BSN.

I asked myself... *** are you doing with your life?

I work 3 weeks and am off for 3 weeks. That schedule and the fact that I suck at math make a brick and mortar college kind of impossible. I love my job and usually have hours and hours of free time every day to study. I save more money than I spend each paycheck and have no bills, kids or real responsibilities outside of work. So I applied again a week ago.

I used Aleks to complete intermediate algebra, have all my electives and english covered. I am studying for the developmental psych CLEP, and have intro sociology and Humanities material lined up next. I am hoping to start Anat/phys and Micro by november. I have been able to study with little interuption and feel good about my first CLEP exam.

I was really looking over a site covering the CPNE... thats when it hit me... http://www.mommamaven.com/2013/03/cpne-adventure-begins-labs-and-pcs-1.html

I am terrified...

I havent failed an exam, or hands on scenario, or really anything in my adult life. Honestly I never really aimed for anything I didnt feel I could accomplish easily. I make RN money at my current job but being 160 miles out in the ocean for 3 weeks at a time gets old. I love providing patient care, I take patient advocacy very seriously, being a Paramedic or EMT is the first job I have truly loved. Every job from 19-38 involved carrying a gun, handcuffs or pepper spray. ( Military, corrections, armed security supervisor, private investigations ). I absolutley love the opportunity to make a positive change in someones life.

I am afaraid maybe I am hard wired for acute treatment... my careplan in the past has been "Keep them breathing until they are off of my stretcher" and I was very good at that.

Is my love of helping the sick and injured and lots of desire going to be enough to get me all the way through the CPNE? I can honestly afford to take a workshop every 6 weeks from now until eternity, and will if thats what it takes.

Any medics able to make the transition to the role of a nurse?

Id like to work in the ER, I think thats where I would feel most comfortable, possibly with psych patients ( dont ask me why... but I have always been pretty good keeping them calm )...

Any advice?

Specializes in Med-Surg, OR, ICU.
Actually i just read about the change. I guess this means that even if you are ready to take an exam in two weeks it won't matter until you finish the 16 week conference?

From my understanding that is correct

Here's the latest tick- as some others have pointed out, you need a lab component with Micro and A+P to go to a BSN program or higher. In Florida, the same is now true for your AA, even if it granted by Excelsior. Florida will allow you to test, but if you don't have the lab component it is more difficult and they made one of the nurses go back and retake Micro for the lab component before he could test.

WHOAH!!!! Pump the brakes for a second... I live in Texas but am from Florida and planned on returning.

If I get my BSN I would just go ahead and use excelsior so no problem there.

There is nothing on excelsiors website listing any restrictions in Florida. The added lab requirement is unlike any in any of the other states with restictions. I am not sure that this is credible information.

they made one of the nurses go back and retake Micro for the lab component before he could test

Just one of the nurses? Not all of them? And what do you mean by more difficult? Loose your application a few times? Make you test with one eye covered? Deliver a more difficult exam? I smell BS...

Make you test with one eye covered?

That's funny!!:roflmao:

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
WHOAH!!!! Pump the brakes for a second... I live in Texas but am from Florida and planned on returning.

If I get my BSN I would just go ahead and use excelsior so no problem there.

There is nothing on excelsiors website listing any restrictions in Florida. The added lab requirement is unlike any in any of the other states with restictions. I am not sure that this is credible information.

Just one of the nurses? Not all of them? And what do you mean by more difficult? Loose your application a few times? Make you test with one eye covered? Deliver a more difficult exam? I smell BS...

Actually it is true. You really should check with Florida and the BON itself. I would NOT depend on Excelsior to give you the best information. It is more difficult in that you may have to go through a more lengthy review process only to be told you have additional requirements before a license by endorsement will be approved.

Usually you will be just fine. However...there are states that have specific requirements that do not accept Excelsior from another state. For example....you would not be able to be licensed in California. California has very strict concurrent requirements and will not approve Excelsior without further classes. states that have explicit education requirements of concurrent theory and practicum will some nurses have licensure issues.

see state board licensure requirements here]

These are states having concerns over concurrent theory and practicum.

Alabama

Arizona

California

Georgia

Illinois

Kansas

Louisiana

Maryland

north Dakota

Oklahoma

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Others have issue with Micro requirements. Look before you leap.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

From the Excelsior website

State Board Requirements

State Licensure Requirements for Associate Degree in Nursing Graduates

In the vast majority of U.S. jurisdictions, Excelsior College School of Nursing graduates are licensed by examination without additional requirements or stipulations. However, there are differences in the statutes and regulations for RN education and licensure among jurisdictions. In some states, Excelsior College Associate Degree in nursing graduates must meet additional requirements or stipulations to become eligible for RN licensure.

If you have questions about your eligibility to obtain RN licensure in a particular state, please direct your questions to that state board of nursing. If you reside in a state with additional licensure requirements and you wish to be admitted to Excelsior College's Associate Degree in nursing program, you are required to complete a pre-admission form. This form includes an acknowledgement that you understand the additional requirements or stipulations for licensure in the state where you currently reside and/or where you plan to apply for RN licensure.

If you unable to obtain licensure in a state with additional requirements for RN licensure, you may work in a federal facility in that state by obtaining an RN license in any U.S. jurisdiction. Federal facilities include entities such as VA hospitals and federal prisons.

Below is the list of states with additional requirements or stipulations for RN licensure. Select the state to obtain specific information. Statutes and regulations pertaining to RN education and licensure are subject to change. The information provided on this page is the most current information available to us. These requirements are reviewed on a monthly basis to ensure that the information is still current.

If you require further information please contact our State Board Advising Team via the Message Center (login required) or email us: [email protected]

Alabama

Arizona

California

Colorado

Delaware

Georgia

Illinois

Kansas

Louisiana

Maryland

North Dakota

Oklahoma

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

http://www.excelsior.edu/state-board-requirements
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Good Sir,

As a fellow medic and also in the program I wish you well. Two of our nurses (in the last year) and our ER director (a few years ago) went through excelsior and passed it. So it is doable.

The info class is a joke, PM me and I will give you a quick heads up on it. As for the micro and anat, check with the BON you are going for. My medic license is in Florida, so naturally so will be the RN license in the beginning since I am working at a hospital now. Here's the latest tick- as some others have pointed out, you need a lab component with Micro and A+P to go to a BSN program or higher. In Florida, the same is now true for your AA, even if it granted by Excelsior. Florida will allow you to test, but if you don't have the lab component it is more difficult and they made one of the nurses go back and retake Micro for the lab component before he could test.

So in closing, check with your state board of nursing that you plan on taking your RN for.

And I would love to know more about rig medic and all the info you could give me on that. I am highly interested in it. After my RN of course ;)

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I have been aware of California's restrictions since paramedic school when I first looked at the program.

Needing a Lab for a nursing degree in the state of florida I understand, for a BSN at some schools I understand. I have not one heard one instance of Florida requiring Excelsior students to have anatomy with a lab.

Someone please post a link to some verified information if this is the case.

BSN programs usually want your ANP and Micro to have had a lab, at least all that I've checked so far. If you do Excelsior ADN and then their BSN you won't need it.

Specializes in Pediatric Oncology, Pediatric Neurology.

This is a great thread with lots of info. Thanks everyone! I am also starting the RN program at Excelsior. I went to a traditional school for my LPN and this whole online credit-by-exam thing is a very foreign animal to me! I'm still waiting for my preliminary review to be completed and have been going stir crazy in the meantime. I recently relocated to southern New Hampshire from Florida to help my mom with some medical issues she's having as well as take some much needed time from working full-time so I can complete my RN school more quickly. I choose to do the credit by exam method because I have a bit of pre-requisite credits to transfer. If all transfer, I should only have to take the 7 or 8 nursing core exams plus the CPNE. If anyone has advice or tips on how to survive this, I welcome it with open arms! haha :nailbiting:

I'm not sure whether this will be the same now that Pearson is charging for administering the exams, but when I registered for mine (I finished in June, so before Pearson started charging an administration fee), you could change the date as many times as you wanted for free, if you did it online and more than 24 hours before your appointment. It was nice to have the flexibility in case plans changed or I just didn't feel ready.

HopefulRN7, I was in a somewhat similar boat to yours WRT caring for parents. I didn't get going on taking exams for longer than I'd anticipated, because both of my parents had health issues at the time and I spent a lot of time caring for and helping them.

I think you should find out all you can about the changes coming on 7/1/15. I haven't kept up, because they won't affect me, but be sure you know how they might affect you!

I got almost all of my texts from a used bookstore. Usually older editions, but that didn't matter so long as I made sure I was reading the correct chapters. A couple of the required texts were just abysmal. Two were particularly awful, so awful that I returned one, and the other one is somewhere in my basement; I tossed it down there in disgust after finishing the exam. A third was pretty bad, but had some useful diagrams that I will probably tear out before recycling it. Normally I send my old textbooks to someone who works with schools overseas, but these three were so bad I wouldn't want to inflict them on anyone else.

Some of the other texts were great, though, and I will keep those forever as references.

As for studying...I just read the texts, highlighted, and took notes. I didn't know about SG101 until yesterday, and IDK what else is available online.

OP, sorry for the hijack, but maybe some of the information will help you too.

Good luck to both of you!

Specializes in Pediatric Oncology, Pediatric Neurology.
HopefulRN7, I was in a somewhat similar boat to yours WRT caring for parents. I didn't get going on taking exams for longer than I'd anticipated, because both of my parents had health issues at the time and I spent a lot of time caring for and helping them.

I think you should find out all you can about the changes coming on 7/1/15. I haven't kept up, because they won't affect me, but be sure you know how they might affect you!

I got almost all of my texts from a used bookstore. Usually older editions, but that didn't matter so long as I made sure I was reading the correct chapters. A couple of the required texts were just abysmal. Two were particularly awful, so awful that I returned one, and the other one is somewhere in my basement; I tossed it down there in disgust after finishing the exam. A third was pretty bad, but had some useful diagrams that I will probably tear out before recycling it. Normally I send my old textbooks to someone who works with schools overseas, but these three were so bad I wouldn't want to inflict them on anyone else.

Some of the other texts were great, though, and I will keep those forever as references.

As for studying...I just read the texts, highlighted, and took notes. I didn't know about SG101 until yesterday, and IDK what else is available online.

OP, sorry for the hijack, but maybe some of the information will help you too.

Good luck to both of you!

Thank you for your insight! I received my Prelim Review this afternoon and will be contacting an admissions rep tomorrow to discuss and will definitely ask about the changes coming up. Seems like a lot of nursing schools are making changes to their curriculum and schedules lately, probably likely due to stricter regulations being enforced by the powers that be. Too many private colleges popping up claiming they can teach you all you need to know to become a nurse. I totally agree with making sure everything is up to par however it would be nice if it doesn't effect those that are genuinely putting their time in and absorbing the content in order to be effective nurses. Anyway, back to topic...with all of my credits transferring (A&P 1&2, Micro, English, Sociology, Algebra, Psych (Intro not Developmental) it looks like I still need to take Excelsior's "Information Literacy" as well as "Life Span Developmental Psych Core". Hoping to get some clarification tomorrow on how to go about doing this while also enrolling in the nursing core classes (not sure if it's possible).

As far as books go, I did a bit of research through the online bookstore and luckily I have the majority of the texts (or somewhat similar) that were given to me by a friend who completed her RN back in Florida- Yippee! Hopefully using those books as well as the Study Group 101 resource will get me through this seemingly treacherous credit by exam route, lol!

The one thing that I do feel is missing by going the credit by exam route is the classmate interaction...I feel like I never would have made it out sane from my LPN program without the support of my classmates. There's something about looking around the classroom at 10pm knowing everyone around you is going through the same thing- exhausted after working 8 hours then going to class each night but still pushing ahead, I'm going to miss that! So if anyone reading this thread lives in Southern New Hampshire or Northern Mass, is on the same schedule as I am as far as courses needed for the program and wants to start a study group, let me know!

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