resqyou35

I am about 1-2 years out, but I am preparing myself for CRNA school. Prior to nursing I work at a high volume, high quality fire rescue service as a Paramedic for 10 1/2 years. I did my ASN with Excelsior online and had great grades. I might also do my BSN with Excelsior. I tried the traditional route but couldn't with family and work. I currently work in the ED at a level 1 trauma center. I will be transfering to either CCU,MICU very soon. For those with insight: Will going though Excelsior's ADN hurt my chances that much? Considering that many RN-BSN programs are also mostly online, will also getting it through Excelsior make a difference? What Critical Care area typicaly is looked upon more favorably? Any advice to which classes to take after BSN and before application to help prepare and make your application stand out better. Anything to give myself the an edge. Thanks!

While working as a Paramedic, we had a foreign body obstruction call that was "corrected" prior to us getting there. The staff at the Assisted Living center where no help and literaly getting in the way. We moved him to the Rescue and started treating him while our Engine crew got his paperwork. He was moving good air with no SOB. He suddenly went to a profound bradycardia then to aystole with no pulse...wires were connected to EKG. While wating for paperwork we called the recieving facility since he was a DNR, but with no paperwork given by staff yet. He came back to a S. Brady with no meds besides AMBU bagging him with 100% O2 and brief CPR. In Florida he is only a DNR if the original papers are with the PT. Must have had a strong vagal response. We did get the DNR paper just in time to see his HR return. We were awarded a "Field Save" by the department for a Do-not-resucitate!!

I was told that I would have to submit a "petition for variance" with my application. Has anybody had any luck with finding any information about the form or format they want it to be made?

i talked to vickie boyd, a supervisor at florida bon, and she stated that they were waiting for excelsior to send a list of students that were enrolled or graduated in the nursing program prior to 10/11/2007 who were also non-lpn and lived in florida. excelsior recomended waiting until the fl bon has the list in hand before sending in your applications for the nclex or endorsement. personally i have to give thanks to exclesior for all their hard work in representing the college's and our interests before the bon. i also have to thank the florida board of nursing members who gave us due proccess and a fair ruling. hopefully with the new curriculum changes being made by excelsior will make florida and other states happy with the quality of graduates that excelsior is producing and alow direct licensure of future students.

i called yesterday (10/11/07) and spoke with the state boards office at excelsior and they stated the state did side with "us" and are now allowing non-lpn gradutes to sit directly for nclex in florida. i called twice to make sure i heard correctly. i am assuming that those who tested in other states, like me, can now endorse in with no problem. i called the state bon but they could not offer information either way. they said it would be a few weeks before an announcement was publicly made. the person i spoke with at florida bon did not seems sure about the information. look for the meeting minutes and/or a announcement on the state's web site. before you pop the cork on the celebratory champaign, call the state and excelsior for yourself and verify what i heard.

For those that were able to go to the the FL BoN meeting yestarday 10/11/07, what did the Board say? I called the office in Tallahassee and they were not much help.

just for infomation.... i did see excelsior on the agenda for the 10/10-12 meeting in jacksonville. mr. garcia, i'm sure you also read this forum. please do what's right. grandfather us in or at the very least grant a case by case review for approval of licensure. the students of excelsior's nusing program come forward with considerable previous clinical and real world education and experience. we are well prepared to practice in a competent and safe manner.

I talked with Paula at Excelsior College's State Boards Office and they are planning to get on the agenda for the October 10-12 meeting in Jacksonville. She asked me to put the request out on this forum to send them all the letters and responses that you have given and recieved from Mr. Garcia, Senators, Congress members, or other people and e-mail or fax them to [email protected] or (518) 464-8777. With so much at stake for us, I am planning on attending the meeting. It is at the Hyatt at 225 East Coast Line Drive Jacksonville, Florida, USA 32202 Tel: +1 904 588 1234 Fax: +1 904 634 4554 The rates are a LITLLE HIGH $229. Of course its on the water. Lets cross our fingers that Excelsior and the Fl BON will come to a good "compromise".

I was also told by the Florida BON and Exclesior excactly what has been stated in other posts. "Take another state's NCLEX and endorse in". I wonder if past applications are public record and proof can be found to document letting non-LPN graduates endorse in can be found. I also have been sending E-mails and letters to my State Represenatives and Mr. Garcia. I have heard basicly the the Florida's BON did not accept Paramedics for direct licensure was due to the disparity of "clinical" hour difference of LPNs vs. Paramedics. Couldn't Medics work as graduate nurses for a certain amount of hours at a facility as a compromise before sitting DIRECTLY for Florida's test? I know the BON's responsiblity is ultimatly public safety but there is ALWAYS a compromise possible. Another compromise would be evaluate applications on a case-by-case basic for Non-LPN grads of Excelsior.

Thanks Mondragon for the link. I fired off mutiple e-mails yestarday. Please, any current and past grads in Florida, get fired up and started being heard. I was told by Excelsior there are a little over 200 people enrolled that this change is affecting. Anybody that was a Paramedic graduate that went throught the endrosement route please send me a private message. Thanks!!

I know of at least two people that are Excelsior grads that routinely look at the threads here. One is a "moderator". Both were also Paramedics and had "no problem" recently endorsing into Florida withing the past couple of years. I have already sent E-mails followed by regular mail letters to my State Reps and my congress man.

I recieved the now dreaded letter from Excelsior telling me about the FL BON's sudden change TWO DAYS before my NCLEX (which I passed!!). I too was told the same thing when researching whether to do Excelsior. Hey Florida, why the sudden change? I have contacted Excelsior and they said that they are trying to resolve the matter with FL. I have been a Firefighter/Paramedic for 10 years. I have also worked in hospitals as an ER Tech. I have made many contacts with nursing directors at several different hopitals. I was told that when I finished I would have a job waiting for me, but now everything is on hold. I will be applying at the VA hospital but since there are none in my general area it will be a 30 -40 mile drive plus it is going to take a lot more time to start working then if I had just been able to endorse. I also plan on calling Mr. Garcia and writing. Hopefully this can all be resolved quickly.

txspadequeen921, i was a studying madman. i had time off and knew i needed to get this done fast...until i ran out of $$$. i did the same with the practice tests. i did every one of the practice tests for the nc 1-7 classes. i figuered, if i pass them, i had a pretty good possiblity of passing the real test. i also did the che education cpne prep course in san jose, ca and that helped me big time with the cpne.

Sunny, I Started in August 2006 and completed all nursing concepts in under two months and did the CPNE end of March 2007. Now just waiting to get background back from North Carolina and test. I could have done everthing a month or two faster if I had more $$$$. Granted I have a very supportive family and a firefighting job with a great schedule so I could do it as fast as my budget would allow me. If all you need is NC 1-7 and CPNE I think it is possible. Good Luck. Yancey

I just tested in Racine and passed. I took Tina's workshop (http://www.cheducation.com/Schedule.html) , in California and I place my passing in large part to the preperation I received at her workshop. LPNs have a leg upon us Paramedics because you have been doing this work (minus the RN pay). Whatever background you have get the mnemonics, learn them, know section 4 of the Excelsior book and just RELAX!!!...easier said than done but just go slow and deliberate and write down the grid and refer to it frequently as you go. Good luck.