kimlpn

I graduated in 2005 from EC. I have been working in pediatrics since 2005. I am currently enrolled in Thomas Edison's RN-BSN program.

The clinical at Excelsior is fairly expensive. I took it last a year ago and paid about $1250.00. The clinical is tough but very doable. I liked the Excelsior (Regents) program. I feel that I learned a lot and I was able to continue working and caring for my kids. This is a great program for those that have families and need to continue working. As with any program, it has it's downfalls too. Good luck in whatever route you choose, Check out the distance learning section of allnurses....you will find tons of useful info on various distance learning programs. Kim--RN as of 2005!!!

I have been an LPN for several years and graduated recently from RN school. I am working on a peds step-down unit that gets pretty busy. We usually have 2-3 patients. We see lots of the home vent kids (I worked the past 5+ years with home vents--so this is an area I am comfortable with). My discouragement comes from the way assignments are made out. It seems like because I am the "new" nurse that I tend to get rooms that are far away from each other or if I get a difficult patient and a more stable one, they move my more stable one and give me an equally difficult one. When they move the patient it is usually just to another room in our unit. Several nurses complain about the moving of patients. Now, I can see this being justified if they move a patient who is not iso out of an iso room to make way for an iso patient... There seems to be one charge nurse who likes to give her buddies these really easy assignments (same room patients, less demanding patients with lower acuity)...it is just frustrating!!!! I see them sitting together gabbing and eating while I (and others) barely get a bathroom break! Anyone else have these problems or similar??? How do you handle this??? (I am not the only one that notices this either...no one says anything because they don't want to get on anyone's bad side) I like this job and plan on staying a year to get good experience...I am just down about some of the unfairness I see....and so little that can be done. Thanks for listening. Kim

especially in the ICU setting you should be careful with medications. These patients are fragile! I have never heard or seen anything that equates to this wide variety (essentially you were setting your own time frames and amount)....I really agree with the other posters--this was a pretty big error. Your book gives generalized dosage info--it does not take into consideration patient status...as this is something you must assess. If during your assessments after a few administrations of the med, with no effect, why did you not call the dr.?????

I simply wouldn't have carried through with an order that wasn't complete. I am a new RN working in a critical care unit. We do not follow orders that do not have the correct data (med, dose, route, frequency). I would have immediately did a telephone clarification with the Dr. This is pretty basic. Unfortunately, if your hospital policy is the same (orders need all the above data) as mine, then you failed policy. Regardless what the drug book says--you really should have called...and especially if the drug was not effective after a few doses. I would comply with the restrictions. Kim--RN:)

I somewhat disagree with the above poster about HH being only for experienced nurses. I pretty much started out in HH and learned so much. I did pediatric HH for years. I had some clients with very interesting and rare conditions. I learned how to work with the vents, trach's, gt care, dressings....the list could go on. If you get involved with a good agency that holds classes and inservices, then this may be a great option for you. I am now an RN and have been working in the hospital on a critical care pediatric unit....that vent and trach experience is sure a plus!!! Most agencies have a clinical case manager covering all hours that you can call in the event you need advice. Start out with some easier cases and take training courses--you may find this is something that you like. Kim--RN now :)

Do you have children? This is a fairly common problem--and more so for boys. It is not always an issue of enabling.

My daughter did the same thing...although she finally totally trained at 3. She would pee in the potty but ask for a diaper to poop in. I think this is fairly common. Boys are typically slower at training than girls...I would just keep up with the praises and it will happen one day. Kim now RN :)

I have found that those who do the most complaining are the nurses who really aren't doing the best job. Hang in there! Make a list of the things that need to be done and mark them off as you go. Like the other poster said grow tough skin...NEVER clock out before your work is done--you are owed this time!

Wow! I haven't been on here in several months. I did not realize how EC was looked at so negatively on these boards...and to me it is more on the boards than in real life. I have had no problems obtaining jobs. Ignore it and move on!

I passed the CPNE a year ago. It was stressful, but it was doable. I agree that you could get a CE that was really picky...although this was not my case. Study and do your best...its a roll of the dice.

Some of my on-line courses through the local community college were more intense than the ones I went into class for. I felt like I was doing more research and writing than in my traditional classes. I really think it also has a lot to do with how much effort the student puts into their course work. I know I learned a lot in my non-trad studies.

LPN-- Take more time with the preparing. I thought 5 was difficult mainly because of the content being somewhat dry to me. This is how I order the exams in level of difficulty...CPNE,2,1,5,4,7,6,&3. Cpne hardest and 3 easiest for me. Just pick up where you left off and dig in. Maybe try taking 7 while you are wating to retake 5. NC7 is basiclly nursing history, laws, different nursing delivery models...I actually kind of liked it. Everyone falls off the path at some point--get back on and you will be done soon. Kim

I guess I am weird too LOL! I have done nothing but trach care and vent clients for 5 years. It is rather strange to be eating your lunch in a chair situated right next to the suction container with yellow sputum floating around :) I used to bother me but time has made that change. Kim

I have heard the new Texas site is good. I believe there are some posts on a site called alittlesarcasm.com from someone who has gone there...and YES, it was positive! Kim

Jess~ Congrats!!!! Personally, I don't think it matters where you test. I took the CPNE at SRMC in Atlanta. I really think they strive to make sure everyone is treated in a similar manner. I loved my testing site. My friend took the CPNE in Madison and had a great experience there also. Best advice--BE PREPARED!!!! If you are prepared the site should be irrelevant! Kim

Hello... It is possible to complete the program in a year. I had all of my generals finished through my local CC. I started the NC exams in October of 2003 and took my last NC in July 2004. I then had to wait until January 2005 to take my CPNE...I passed it a few weeks ago. I did not have my name on a cancel list to take the CPNE earlier because of the holidays and everything. If you get on a cancel date you could have maybe a 3 months wait or less. I believe you can be on all the CPNE sites cancel list. I advise to take the free content guides for each exam from excelsior and buy some general nursing books. Use the content guides to look up the info required for the exam in the text books. I think a good Fundamentals (like Kozier), med-surg, peds, etc should do. I also have a great book with a little of everything in it called Lippencott's manual of nursing. Buy a good NCLEX review guide to supplement questions and use to look up the content. The excelsior practice exams are really good too! I am awaiting my graduation date in March and will take the first available NCLEX exam date that will work for me...so besides the waiting all I have left is to study for the NCLEX. I also maintained a 3.77 GPA during the entire thing with excelsior...so it can be done with determination. If you are not self motivated you will find this extremely difficult.... God Bless and good luck, Kim

I have been an LPN for almost 10 years and enjoy it! Yes, I have been looked down for being a "low paid nurse." I just thought of it this way....I am still making more than the average wage earner...so it can't be that bad!!! I just finished up my ASN degree and do look forward to better pay and more respect HOWEVER I contribute much of my nursing career experience and success to being an LPN. Kim

i think deaconess is a great way to go for those that can not attend traditional college courses and have no clinical back ground. i really don't think it is tooo unreasonable considering that this college allows for most students to receive some kind of student aid. my husband received his bachelors degree from uf traditionally--talk about debt lol! uf is a state school--was it worth it? yes. learning is invaluable and what a great way to invest. i did ec because i have been an lpn for almost 10 years...had i not had experience in the field i would have highly considered deaconess. good luck to all deaconess students!!!! i have heard more positives than negatives about this nursing program. kim

WOW!!! They really are a bunch of weasels...glad I was informed of them and their ways--I stayed clear and stuck with only Excelsior!!! Kim

I took the EC workshop in Albany and thought it was pretty good. It is now a 3 day work shop. The labs they have set up are almost the same as the real CPNE. I guess I recommend taking things directly from EC....but I have nothing else to compare it to. I did learn some things that really helped me pass! NOTHING is more important than knowing that study guide though. I took the EC on-line care planning course and found it extremely helpful also. I passed with NO repeats on anything and was on my way home around 10 a.m. Sunday morning. Kim

I don't think LPNs are going anywhere too soon!!! I have been an LPN for 10 years and always found jobs I like. I just finished my ADN program and am happy to move along, but in no way do I regret being an LPN. I however don't think LPNs should just be allowed to test out of the NCLEX RN. I worked very hard to do my generals and nursing courses and think if anyone wants to be an RN they should also. I do, however, think if LPNs are phased out employers need to give assistance to get RN training and allow so long to attain it. I realize having been an LPN so long that we do a lot of overlapping skill areas but we still all must meet certain criteria to be able to sit for RN boards. ALL nurses are needed--unlicensed assistive personal in general are what has creeped into our territory. Insurance companies and sometimes employers like it--cheaper labor but unfortunately NOT the same skill...we need to stand up against this. Kim

Well.....I don't ever want to experience something like it again..LOL You must perform to perfection. You get a big guide that outlines everything expected of you. If you know this guide inside and out and practice, practice, practice then it is very doable. The stress is very intense. Your examiner's are all at masters level or higher and they are not there to teach but to evaluate you. Don't do a program like this unless you are self motivated and very dedicated. It is doable though, and in my opinion a great program. I took all of my generals at a local CC so that all I needed to take were the nursing courses and clinical from Excelsior. Visit their web site at http://www.excelsior.edu or call them at the free number listed at the bottom of the web site. Speak with admissions to clarify all of your questions. I have grown sooo much as a nurse and learned sooo many valuable things with this program. I am thankful to have avoided daycare for my daughter by taking the program. Kim

I just took and passed my last requirement for EC this past weekend. The last requirement is called the CPNE--it is a clinical exam over a weekend. Glad it is over!!! I liked the program but you must be a very self disciplined person to do this. I would advise you to stay away from publishing companies because you can get books from ebay/half for a much lower cost. EC has the free content guides that tell you what will be covered on the exam--you just look up and study it from common nursing books (med-surg, peds, fundamentals.) Ec also offers on-line nursing concepts prep courses--I am not sure but I think soon they will have it for all the nursing classes for the ADN program. The clinical was a very stressful thing. I will be preparing to take state boards at the end of march/early April. It is nice to be GN now :) Kim GN

Unless you enrolled with Excelsior before Dec 03 you will not be able to become licensed there...that is by sitting for boards or transferring in...unless things change. I don't see them changing anytime soon either. If you plan to live in Cali in the future I would look into another program that Cali will accept so you can practice as an RN when you are done. Fortunately I enrolled before the Cali cut off date and have finished the program! Good luck, Kim