Be very Careful about considering Excelsior's Online ADN program...

ColoLPNStudent · Dec 17, 2004

:uhoh3:

Be very careful before you sign up for the Excelsior program if you plan on working in a major metropolitan hospital or even a larger hospital in a rural area.

I know of two people here in Colorado that have had problems with their Excelsior education. One spent over $5,000, passed the Colorado NCLEX and has found that major hospitals will not hire her because of the lack of additional clinical hours and real-time instruction. The second stopped taking the course after spending more than $3,000 after finding out the same information.

I signed up last April and immediately after had the RN that had taught my CNA class the year before tell me that many hospitals have problems with these types of degrees. I had already bought a bunch of books, but basically left it where it stood thinking I could always get my money back. Boy was I wrong.

I was using the istudysmart.com system to get some of the classes out of the way for Excelsior and when I wanted to get a refund, I was shocked at what I heard. If you do not request a refund within 3 days of signing up, you're out of luck. No refunds period. Am I glad I only spent $800 plus another $200 on books.

So...my advice is to try and get into the second year of an ADN program at a community college if you're an LPN (which in most states has a very small waiting list as compared to entering into it in the first year). If you're a CMA, Paramedic or whatever Excelsior currently says qualifies you for the RN-ADN program, do what it takes to get into a real-time, nursing school. I have heard three stories besides my own now and would council anyone seeking to become a nurse to seek other options than online programs. It may take me longer, but it will be better in the long run.

hippienurse · Dec 17, 2004

I agree.

I cannot believe people are allowed to learn nursing online, it just doesn't seem right to me. (Sorry if this upsets anyone, it is just my opinion)

hippienurse · Dec 17, 2004

I agree.

I cannot believe people are allowed to learn nursing online, it just doesn't seem right to me. (Sorry if this upsets anyone, it is just my opinion)

FocusRN · Dec 17, 2004

I don't agree with the above statement. People who get their degrees online are just as good if not better than people who learn in a traditional way. As for the lack of clinical experience, well EC requires everyone to take the CPNE. Which I gather is very hard, because according to EC, 40% of people who try fail the first time. And please remember that EC is not really made for people fresh out of school, it is made for people that have been in the medical profession for a while and want to move up . These people have clinical experience from school, as well as on the job experience that you can't get anywhere else. I would never reccomend going back to a school based ADN program after becomming an LPN. That is simply because it will without a doubt take you almost two full years of school to complete. With EC you can move through your courses quickly, and you do have to know what you are doing in order to pass their course or exams. If employers have a problem with it well I just think they are stupid, they need to go through the program themselves to see how rough it is. Hospitals in my state don't have a problem with EC at all.

I am just about to start my LPN program, but I plan on getting my ADN, about six months after I become an LPN. I am ging to do all of my pre-req's now, and when I finish school, that is when I will enroll in EC, so I'll have most of my course work done. And remember that you don't have to be in EC's program to take their exams, except for Nursing Concepts 3-7. And I am taking all of my pre-req's through CLEP exams, except micro biology anatomy and phis, and english. I have already taken english, I am about to tak anatomy and phis, and I will be taking microbiology through an EC exam. So I won't be paying anything to EC until I get ready to take an EC exam. My fiance is doing the same thing to get his associates's in business.

So this is basically it, a degree is a degree no matter what. But what makes a degree valid for most is accreditation. And in the USA regional acrreditation is what is thought of as valid. EC is a real college and is regionally accredited, by ones of the regional bodies, which is approved by the US department of education as, a valid accrediting body. And they are also approved by the NLN for the nursing programs.

FocusRN · Dec 17, 2004

I don't agree with the above statement. People who get their degrees online are just as good if not better than people who learn in a traditional way. As for the lack of clinical experience, well EC requires everyone to take the CPNE. Which I gather is very hard, because according to EC, 40% of people who try fail the first time. And please remember that EC is not really made for people fresh out of school, it is made for people that have been in the medical profession for a while and want to move up . These people have clinical experience from school, as well as on the job experience that you can't get anywhere else. I would never reccomend going back to a school based ADN program after becomming an LPN. That is simply because it will without a doubt take you almost two full years of school to complete. With EC you can move through your courses quickly, and you do have to know what you are doing in order to pass their course or exams. If employers have a problem with it well I just think they are stupid, they need to go through the program themselves to see how rough it is. Hospitals in my state don't have a problem with EC at all.

I am just about to start my LPN program, but I plan on getting my ADN, about six months after I become an LPN. I am ging to do all of my pre-req's now, and when I finish school, that is when I will enroll in EC, so I'll have most of my course work done. And remember that you don't have to be in EC's program to take their exams, except for Nursing Concepts 3-7. And I am taking all of my pre-req's through CLEP exams, except micro biology anatomy and phis, and english. I have already taken english, I am about to tak anatomy and phis, and I will be taking microbiology through an EC exam. So I won't be paying anything to EC until I get ready to take an EC exam. My fiance is doing the same thing to get his associates's in business.

So this is basically it, a degree is a degree no matter what. But what makes a degree valid for most is accreditation. And in the USA regional acrreditation is what is thought of as valid. EC is a real college and is regionally accredited, by ones of the regional bodies, which is approved by the US department of education as, a valid accrediting body. And they are also approved by the NLN for the nursing programs.

Ruylupez · Dec 17, 2004

Just a side note, if you do choose excelsior check with your state board of nursing first. I almost started there until I learned here in Illinois they specifically state that an education from excelsior is "an unapproved nursing education program" and it is identified by the state nursing act as "not meeting the requirements for licensure"

Ruylupez · Dec 17, 2004

Just a side note, if you do choose excelsior check with your state board of nursing first. I almost started there until I learned here in Illinois they specifically state that an education from excelsior is "an unapproved nursing education program" and it is identified by the state nursing act as "not meeting the requirements for licensure"

Trauma Columnist · Dec 17, 2004

This all points to checking with your state's board of nursing first before enrolling in online education.

Trauma Columnist · Dec 17, 2004

This all points to checking with your state's board of nursing first before enrolling in online education.

CHATSDALE · Dec 17, 2004

you may not want to get go the ec route but if you get a lot of your courses out of the way [non-clinical] it will free you to concentrate on the clinical aspect of your course...

unless you have a very strong medical background you are not going to get as much out of an online course as you may need to be a competent nurse...weigh your options...

and be careful with your money....there is always someone who thinks they need your money more than you do

CHATSDALE · Dec 17, 2004

you may not want to get go the ec route but if you get a lot of your courses out of the way [non-clinical] it will free you to concentrate on the clinical aspect of your course...

unless you have a very strong medical background you are not going to get as much out of an online course as you may need to be a competent nurse...weigh your options...

and be careful with your money....there is always someone who thinks they need your money more than you do