Nursing students sue Excelsior College

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Specializes in Psych; Substance Abuse.
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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

From the sounds of it- sour grapes. Thousands have indeed passed the CPNE and become RNs. These 17 couldn't and so have turned to that most American of redresses- the lawsuit.

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Specializes in Outpatient/Clinic, ClinDoc.

Wow, I took excelsior back when it was Regents and PRIOR to the 'net as we know it - my study guides were sent snail mail! And even I knew there was a yearly fee and a 'big test' at the end. :) I passed the CPNE first try and I didn't have anything but a big study guide and a VHS tape from excelsior. And from what I can tell, the CPNE is a very similar format today.

I think if they don't already that Excelsior should take a tip from WGU - when I enrolled at WGU last year I had to have at least three conversations with a counselor on the unique nature of the program and then I had to 'sign' an e-form that I again understood how it worked before they would sign me up. :)

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Specializes in Neuro.

Wow, when I signed up I was told about the annual fee. I was also sent the school catalog and I also frequent the website. I have had no surprises. Is this route for everyone, not at all. That's why you have to do your research. You will find students who fail out of nursing programs at any school. This is interesting though I plan to go follow the case and see where it goes. I have a feeling current and future students may be affected in some way by this.

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Specializes in Outpatient/Clinic, ClinDoc.

From speaking with coworkers over the years, I think that non-excelsior grads think that excelsior is the 'easy way out' - so I am assuming these students also thought the same when they signed up. They found out that it really isn't. =)

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All the info is in the nursing catalog which I read front to back before enrolling, except for the pass rate, so I knew all of this stuff before and I didn't have to search far. I agree with featherzRN, here are 17 people that refused to study and practice and couldn't pass the CPNE so it has to be someone else's fault.

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The only thing I hate about excelsior is the CPNE. They need to incorporate a preceptorship or something.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

When I enrolled, I had to sign a document specifically to the issues with the state of Georgia. I was aware of the CPNE and the continuation fee. My biggest concern was whether or not I was gonna spend the next 7 years after enrollment trying to pass A&P and micro....wasn't worried about the nursing portion. After an evaluation of credits, I received an outline of additional requirements needed, AS WELL AS a list of courses or exams that would satisfy those requirements. I was also aware of the EC CPNE workshop and supplies needed for that. While I bought the supplies, I declined to attend the EC workshop. I passed my CPNE on the first attempt even though I failed the first PCS as a result of MY mistake.

As a barely employed LPN at the time, I wasn't too thrilled about the annual fee; but it didn't matter because I put my nose to the grind, sat in a physical classroom in additional to doing EC's program, and I was DONE, with my degree AND my RN license before that first continuation fee rolled around!! I used a physical wall calendar and mapped out each exam with the amount of study time, right down to the hour, and the date of each one, and I stuck to it. I turned down invites to Starbucks or ball games or cookouts, etc. I was very motivated each time I walked into that room and saw another exam yellow-out on the wall!

Nothing worthwhile is EVER free. You're gonna pay for it one way or another. In my case, the fees came out of my *** as I was busting it in an attempt to keep it from coming out of my pockets, and that included the CPNE. Once I became eligible for it, I lived, breathed, practiced, recited what I was gonna say from the time I entered the room until the time I exited the room, whatever I had to do in order to make it a one-and-done. My ASN degree was NOT given to me. I EARNED every letter on that diploma and I made it MY responsibility to do whatever it took to get it. I knew the rules; I played by them; and I won!!! I don't see how their pass rates factored into my success or failure anyway. If a person prepares well enough, s/he will pass. If they don't, s/he will fail. In fact, I never even heard talk of their pass rates until AFTER I had been working as an RN for a year or so.

I think these 17 individuals have it backwards. What THEY should have done was to disclose to the college the fact no matter how things worked out, if they didn't make the grades, they were going to sue! 16000 RN students and these 17 miss the details, and a lawyer takes the case? Really? Is he a new grad himself???:down:

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. What THEY should have done was to disclose to the college the fact no matter how things worked out, if they didn't make the grades, they were going to sue! 16000 RN students and these 17 miss the details, and a lawyer takes the case? Really? Is he a new grad himself???:down:

I think these are the only 17 willing to SUE.

I was on excelsiors site 2 days ago and I was looking at their survey catalog and i was reading excelsior grads complaints 90% of it was complaining about the CPNE and how they hate it. They felt like it was a scam to take their money. How excelsior needs to not have it on a pass or fail, but graded.

They were truly grateful for the program bring easy for working professionals, but wouldn't recommend the program due to the CPNE.

I have read excelsiors catalog, fees, requirements, rules, and felt like it was not for me. I don't know if these students are playing dumb, or really didn't read up on anything about the school beforehand. Sad.

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Specializes in Psych; Substance Abuse.

Yes guys, I had to share this because I thought it was quite bizarre.

Although there are times I get annoyed with the fact that it is taking ME forever to finish my degree through excelsior, I understand the concept of self paced and self study. As many of you mentioned many people do think this is the easy way out. I constantly find myself defending excelsiors program at work.

I would love to see the outcome of this case.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

This is why I always encourage people to download and READ the nursing catalog. It's all in there. ALL of it. I am a huge fan of personal responsibility. But I would bet this gets settled out of court, too. Lawsuits are more expensive to endure than just paying off the plaintiffs. $10 million? Seriously? Ugh.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.
I think these are the only 17 willing to SUE.

I was on excelsiors site 2 days ago and I was looking at their survey catalog and i was reading excelsior grads complaints 90% of it was complaining about the CPNE and how they hate it. They felt like it was a scam to take their money. How excelsior needs to not have it on a pass or fail, but graded.

They were truly grateful for the program bring easy for working professionals, but wouldn't recommend the program due to the CPNE.

I have read excelsiors catalog, fees, requirements, rules, and felt like it was not for me. I don't know if these students are playing dumb, or really didn't read up on anything about the school beforehand. Sad.

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I agree...it IS sad. The CPNE was not a last minute thing. It had been the talk of the town lonnnnnnnggggg before I applied, so they can't say that didn't know about it. I had been out of school for a very long time before returning for an ASN degree. Back in my day, everybody always wanted to know, "what's the final exam like". It seemed to be human nature. So I find it sooooooo unbelievable that these students didn't know. Throughout my experience during my pursuit of the RN, everybody who asked me about Excelsior College instantly we directly towards questioning me about the CPNE. I them of my knowledge of it and later, my experience. It actually got to the point where I would tell students to focus on first things first (the exams), and then focus on the Cpne when you get to that point.

No one made these people test when they did. If they finished the exams within a year, for example, they EACH had SIX WHOLE YEARS to prepare for the CPNE. That's more than enough time to prepare well enough to nail the CPNE on the first attempt, even if they spent just ONE year on nothing but that final exam....

My my top three tips for the CPNE for those who are readying themselves:

1. KNOW THOSE CRITICAL ELEMENTS

2. KEEP THOSE NERVES IN CHECK

3. DO NOT DISCLOSE YOUR EXAM DATE: this secrecy goes a long way in relaxing you in the sense that you won't make a careless mistake due to being pressured to pass because so-and-so knows you're testing, and they are waiting to hear how you did...what they don't know won't hurt YOU!!!

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