Newsflash

fry.girl · Nov 24, 2004

Hey you guys, get a load of this...you know how some people rag on Excelsior because California will no longer accept their graduates? Well, they (EC) are now negotiating with California to have an externship at some of the junior colleges throughout California (like, an 80 hr. clinical) that will then fulfill the clinical requirement for California. So new EC grads you may be locked out of California now but just sit tight it shouldn't last for long. :balloons:

This is a great development for EC Students... :)

Justmeandmycat · Nov 24, 2004

Hey you guys, get a load of this...you know how some people rag on Excelsior because California will no longer accept their graduates? Well, they (EC) are now negotiating with California to have an externship at some of the junior colleges throughout California (like, an 80 hr. clinical) that will then fulfill the clinical requirement for California. So new EC grads you may be locked out of California now but just sit tight it shouldn't last for long. :balloons:

I heard this too but I'm not sure from where. If it is from EC, I would take it with a grain of salt, could just be some public relations spin from the school. If from the CA BON, then maybe there's hope for the future of EC grads. I hope that everyone that has been affected by the previous CA decision gets a break. By the way, LPNto RN, have you figured out which route to take? EC or the accelerated program you spoke of? I personally am sitting tight for awhile before making any financial commitments.

Jo Dirt · Nov 24, 2004

I heard this too but I'm not sure from where. If it is from EC, I would take it with a grain of salt, could just be some public relations spin from the school. If from the CA BON, then maybe there's hope for the future of EC grads. I hope that everyone that has been affected by the previous CA decision gets a break. By the way, LPNto RN, have you figured out which route to take? EC or the accelerated program you spoke of? I personally am sitting tight for awhile before making any financial commitments.

Didn't hear it from EC, heard it from someone from California but then don't know where they heard it.

I was leary about any information I got from Excelsior but so far everything they have told me seems to be pretty up front. My husband wants me to go through EC because it will mean a lot less stress on the family, even though I feel like I am throwing away a good opportunity by not going through the accelerated program it looks like I will have no choice but to go through Excelsior and hope it all ends for the best.

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Nov 26, 2004

In my experience, Excelsior College did not need to do any "spin," and I haven't seen them do any.

If it came from EC, you can take it to the bank.

They are a state funded school, and they have something like 17,000 nursing students, most of whom (obviously) are distance learners. That means they don't have to provide desks, lighting, buildings, building maintenance, professors, library books, parking spaces, etc. for those students, all they have to do is provide the guidance, the advisement support and document the credentials you submit and the credentials you earn.

Whether or not California decides to "accept" Excelsior students has nothing whatever to do with the survival or thriving of Excelsior College. Frankly, California needs EC more than EC needs California.

That said, this development--assuming it is true--is good news for California. Their nursing shortage is so extreme that the governator is holding off on the decrease in nurse patient ratio from 1:6 to 1:5.

PMHNP10 · Nov 26, 2004

That said, this development--assuming it is true--is good news for California. Their nursing shortage is so extreme that the governator is holding off on the decrease in nurse patient ratio from 1:6 to 1:5.

Hey Chris...been a long time since I talked to ya. Glad to see you have finished your education and are now an RN. Congrats. As for the governator, I think it was more a situation where he gave in to the big time money from the hospital lobbyists than a concern about whether they could handle the staffing shift or not.

Justmeandmycat · Nov 26, 2004

Didn't hear it from EC, heard it from someone from California but then don't know where they heard it.
I was leary about any information I got from Excelsior but so far everything they have told me seems to be pretty up front. My husband wants me to go through EC because it will mean a lot less stress on the family, even though I feel like I am throwing away a good opportunity by not going through the accelerated program it looks like I will have no choice but to go through Excelsior and hope it all ends for the best.

Hi. After giving it further thought and putting myself in your position, I think staying put would be the best thing for you, too. If the kids and hubby aren't happy being uprooted, things could get pretty miserable for you and you wouldn't have the support you need to get through an intense program. Not worth it.

The more I research things, the more I lean towards doing Excelsior, anyways. My choices are a) get slammed around for a year in a nursing home to get the "one year experience" the bridge program requires and then going through the nonsense of prereq's the school imposes to make up for the tuition it expects to lose accepting "bridge" students b) go to an a very expensive local school that costs at least $25,000 a year or c) go over the line and pay double the tuition as an out of state resident student while living in CT.

The whole point of my becoming an LPN was so I wouldn't have to work in a nursing home (was a CNA in both the homes and the hospitals, and the homes are a nightmare.) I got through the program to find out that LPNs aren't wanted at all in anything remotely connected to acute care. Opportunities are better for LPNs towards the NY border but I can't move right now. Then again the CT BON has to have its way. Now the rumor in CT is they want to specifically tie the LPN to the nursing homes by demanding a required number of facility hours like they do for CNA's. If this is true there's no point in remaining an LPN for me. Since I haven't been a satisfied LPN customer, I am a true skeptic when it comes to nursing programs. I'm just grateful I didn't make the mistake of attending a private school LPN program for $18,000 to find this out.

EC seems to have the highest satisfaction rate and looks like the only reasonable route for me. I'm not worried at all about the studying, I'm an excellent student, if I may say so. The only thing that has me concerned is the clinical portion. But I don't think clinical experience at a nursing home is going to help before entering EC or I would suck it up and do it. With my luck, I'd probably pick up bad habits that would influence me in the clinical tests. I think while I've got the state's training still fresh in my mind, I will go ahead and slug things out through EC. I haven't come this far for nothing. The other concern is that CT may not accept EC grads for the NCLEX in the future but if I act now, maybe I will beat them to the punch and be grandfathered in like the CA students. Or screw it, leave CT at that point. The nursing shortage here will go on without me no doubt and the RN traditional school grads with their million dollar loans and menapause symptoms can have the fun of being overworked without LPNs to help them out. (okay, pause here for the flame....) :rotfl: Geez, I've gotten cynical but I'm no dummy either. (P.S. I love these icons...) See ya. PPS I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · Nov 26, 2004

I heard this too but I'm not sure from where. If it is from EC, I would take it with a grain of salt, could just be some public relations spin from the school.

Not necessarily. EC has been up front with current and prospective students about CA, even before the CA BORN decision was finalized. I've found them to be extremely honest and forthcoming about everything.

opalmRN · Nov 26, 2004

Not necessarily. EC has been up front with current and prospective students about CA, even before the CA BORN decision was finalized. I've found them to be extremely honest and forthcoming about everything.

Yup, Ditto.

Medic2RN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Nov 26, 2004

I think EC has been very honest about everything also.

Call me crazy, but I do wish that we were able to have some sort of externship/ clinical rotation with either a college or hospital near the individual student. I wouldn't mind a clinical component of the curriculum. I've never worked or had experience in any long term setting and I think it would be a help (at least to me).

:balloons:

mona b RN, BSN, RN · Nov 26, 2004

I think EC has been very honest about everything also.
Call me crazy, but I do wish that we were able to have some sort of externship/ clinical rotation with either a college or hospital near the individual student. I wouldn't mind a clinical component of the curriculum. I've never worked or had experience in any long term setting and I think it would be a help (at least to me).
:balloons:

I agree 100%. I think it would be a "perfect program" if it included clinical instruction as well. Maybe the cpne would not seem so dreadful if clinical instruction was offered from EC.

chip193 · Nov 26, 2004

I agree 100%. I think it would be a "perfect program" if it included clinical instruction as well. Maybe the cpne would not seem so dreadful if clinical instruction was offered from EC.

That's not the point of the EC program though. If you want clinical instruction, then go to a local Community or Junior College for your ADN. EC is there to take what you already know and use it as a basis for an ADN.

Besides, can you really take time off from work/life to attend clinicals? I'll bet that was one of the reasons that you chose EC.

Chip