Science771

Nice! I had a similar experience. I passed the CPNE the first time around. Then passed NCLEX-RN on the first try with only 75 questions. I was certain that I failed only to find out that I passed. After all this time, it still feels like a miracle. Some years later I met a nurse's aide with a chip on her shoulder, bitter because she had failed her boards 5 times after graduating from the prestigious brick and mortar 4-year university in the area. Before her, I met another girl in the same situation on her third try that I tutored and helped pass her boards. Not sure what ever became of the fifth tryer though. I feel like I got a good education because I reached for further understanding, not just passing. But somehow, I feel I could have gotten a better education from a brick-and-mortar school. But dealing with some of these new grads from local schools, most of them come to the floor not having a clue about assessments, nursing judgement, or clinical skills. It leaves me wondering, what did they learn in their program and clinical. Taking into consideration, a lot of them have no prior nursing or healthcare experience, which was my situation starting out as an LPN from a local community college, I can kind of see how. But later as an ADN RN grad from Excelsior, I'd already previously worked as an LPN in nursing homes and hospitals for years, so I was not really a brand-new nurse by then. That, along with the CPNE and NCLEX prep made me an incredibly strong new RN. Sometimes it depends on your instructors too. Though Excelsior had its issues, I think it was a good program and fit for me when I graduated. I think some people go beyond accreditation, getting caught up in name brands and what looks good on paper. Apart from your nursing program, it is also your healthcare background, experience, motivation, guidance, and a commitment to daily learning and growth that make the difference.

I completely agree! Emtpbill, you seem like a stellar RN and healthcare professional. EMTs/paramedics are first line with critical care skills and more than qualified to bridge to an RN. I would feel 1000% more confident hiring you than I would a new grad who is brand new to healthcare from a brick & mortar school. The state systems are biased and don't take into consideration the full concept of Excelsior's nursing program. Even though I don't fully agree with some of Excelsior's practices, I think Excelsior's nursing program and it's grads should be given the credit they deserve. There are some things about some local nursing programs I don't fully agree with either, including the one I graduated from before bridging through Excelsior. In the hospital where I work, when the associate degree nursing students come to the hospital, they are mainly doing aide work, may rarely get to pass meds under an instructor and might get to see or help with a nursing skill or task once in a while. Even my LPN clinicals taught me more than a lot of them are learning. Preparing and going through the CPNE was way more educational than that. Also, seeing that many of the brick & mortar students have no prior medical experience, they would need more supervised instruction. Excelsior definitely is not a diploma mill handing out degrees. Only those who went through Excelsior can fully grasp how rigorous the program is, how well it prepared us, and how hard we worked to bridge to RN. The cons I find with Excelsior is their of lack transparency regarding state licensing and some of their unfair testing practices, such as failing students for trivial things that are not based within rubric guidelines. It probably wouldn't hurt Excelsior's cause to have in person, supervised clinicals for every online theory class just to satisfy all the states, which would remove state barriers to nursing licensure for grads and RNs.

For some reason, the link will not even paste correctly. So, go to Excelsior University's web site and on the main page, click on "about", which is next to the magnifying glass search icon. Then click on "regulatory transparency". Once you've done that, click on the "Accreditation, Approval, Licensures, and Disclosures" option. Then click on "Required State Disclosures". Then scroll down the page and you will see the list of states that are not licensing Excelsior nursing grads. Simpler search option, type this link in a Google search: "https://www.excelsior.edu/about/transparency/state-authorization-disclosures/." God bless.

As far as the additional classes with more clinicals in place of the CPNE, students have reported that those are also an evaluation of clinical skills similar to the CPNE and still use unstandardized and unfair testing practices. Regarding the quality of Excelsior's clinical or theory content itself, I thought it was excellent. And, after going through Excelsiors program successfully myself, I would also 1000% pick an Excelsior grad to be as competent, if not more so, then graduates of other online or brick and mortar schools offering the same degree level. LPNs or military corpsman would not need to go back to basic clinicals to learn entry level skills as they already have that clinical experience. Excelsior is a bridge program to expand your knowledge and practice to the next level. I work with some nurses from brick & mortar schools that I would not trust to take care of a fish, let alone a human being. However, when it's all said and done, the number of states that will not license Excelsior nursing grads is on the rise. Check out this link. You may have to cut and paste it. Scroll down once you click on. https://www.excelsior.edu/about/transparency/state-authorizations-disclosures/ For starters, you should not have to scroll down once you click on the link. It should be at the top of the page and the message itself should be on the main page of their website, readily available for all potential students to read. So, I can't give Excelsior a passing grade for transparency. Also, the degree also may not be respected by employers and coworkers, which could make or break your career. When I went to Excelsior, the online world was not nearly advanced as it is now as it was fairly new & primitive, and information was not always readily available. But even now, it still seems to mainly come from outside sources, as Excelsior does not seem to go out of their way to communicate this to potential students. Future students should enter the program as informed consumers and not find this out years after graduation as I did.

In your spare time, check out this link. Scroll down the page once you open it. https://www.excelsior.edu/about/transparency/state-authorization-disclosures/ I truly wish I would have come across your post before January 6th. I would have warned you then. The Excelsior University Associate Degree in Nursing program has faced significant criticism, with some users strongly advising against it, citing concerns about program legitimacy and state board approval. A major point of contention is the program's CPNE clinical exam, with some reporting that outside workshops are needed for success. Additionally, some states are reported to have restrictions or outright denials of licensure for Excelsior graduates, due to the program's accreditation status. Key Issues and Concerns: Accreditation: Excelsior's Associate and Bachelor's in Nursing programs lost ACEN accreditation, and while the MSN and RN-to-BSN programs are accredited, this may impact the recognition of the ADN degree. State Board Approval: Some states have denied or placed restrictions on licensure for Excelsior graduates, citing concerns about the program meeting educational requirements. Clinical Exams: Excelsior's clinical exams, have been criticized for using unfair, unstandardized grading practices. Some states give lack of concurrent clinical experience with all the theory components as reason for the school not meeting the state's educational requirements. Program Reputation: Some employers may not recognize or respect the Excelsior degree, potentially limiting job opportunities. Positive Perspectives (though less frequent): Some graduates, including those with prior experience (like LPNs), have found success and increased opportunities. Excelsior's flexibility may appeal to those who need to work while studying. Some individuals have been able to transition into graduate programs like NP programs. Recommendations: Check with your state's Board of Nursing: This is crucial to determine if the program is recognized for licensure in your area. Consider alternative programs: Community colleges and traditional nursing programs may offer a more recognized and potentially better-supported education. Be prepared for potential challenges: If choosing Excelsior, be prepared for the possibility of additional costs, a potentially lengthy process, and potential limitations in some states.

If I would have known what I know today when I enrolled in Excelsior's associate degree nursing (ADN) program, I would have NEVER done it. Here in my part of New York, it has been nearly impossible to get hired by any acute care hospital because of my degree. From people on my job treating me like I'm not a real nurse and whispers about me being a fake RN to finding out that certain states outright will not license Excelsior ADN nurses by exam or endorsement, I realize that I've made a huge mistake. I guess I could reinstate my LPN license if I had to work in one of the off states like Melissa did. But that is a slap in the face after enduring such a rigorous bridge program. Not sure if it would even be worth it. The horizontal violence, bullying, incivility, and toxicity in nursing is already out of control. This is just one more strike against me as a minority male GLBT nurse. I went on to get a bachelors in nursing from a local university, but some employers look right past that and back to my excelsior degree, because it's the one I had when I passed the NCLEX RN "on the first try." Some of the girls from the prestigious universities in the area were on their fifth try and still failed. The ones that did pass and now working as new grads don't seem to have any clue whatsoever, not even basic nursing skills. But I'm looked at as the fake RN. I do my job exceptionally well. Patients and doctors that I work with can verify that. But it seems to be more about titles and who you know, rather than what you know. I wish I could do things over again and go to a traditional program for my associates if I were going to be an RN again. But after 23 years of being a nurse, I would not choose nursing at all. It has become a never-ending cycle of endured abuse. Apart form this, I'm crazy about nursing. But overall, I can't wait to be done with the profession and never look back. Do yourself a favor and choose another school besides Excelsior's ADN program. With all the things you will have to deal with in nursing, you don't need a school with a bad rep and another strike against you. You want a degree that will be accepted in all states without restriction.