deej

Welcome to California... Call BRN and see if you can use a CLEP exam to satisfy the sociology requirement; if they won't take the CLEP score directly then you should still be able to have the score sent to a community college and get it on a transcript that way.

Hate to say it, but the Lousiana RN application specifically states "Graduates of Excelsior College must submit a copy of their LPN license." http://www.lsbn.state.la.us/documents/forms/initialexaminstructions.pdf They don't have an endorsement application on their site (not that I can find, anyway) so I don't know if you can license out of state and then endorse over. As always, call the state for the final word.

Nope, unless you are an LVN/LPN or paramedic, you won't be able to enroll in the Excelsior program. If you're starting from scratch, your best bet is to go directly into a traditional 2 year RN program.

Doesn't sound too "online" to me.

That's absurd. You were hired, you were on the floor, you had obviously satisfied your preceptor that you were a competent nurse...and only THEN someone raised a nonexistent "issue" with your education? I hope you have a union. That's why it's so important for EC grads to fight the disinformation and ignorance that opponents of nontraditional education try to spread.

I just enrolled in the University of Wyoming online program. They accept the EC science classes (A&P, micro, etc.) without lab, which was kind of a big deal for me; I don't want to have to retake them unless absolutely necessary. They are also reasonably inexpensive for out-of-state students. Dundee was my 2nd choice. It's fairly inexpensive (about $10K, I believe - hey, it's all relative) and seems like it can be accomplished pretty quickly. My ultimate goal is an NP, and I decided on UW's BSN as being the best route to that end. YMMV. As was stated above, check for NLN/CCNE approval. One or both is a must. Dundee is NLN, UWyo is CCNE. You should be able to get some tuition reimbursement from your employer for your RN to BSN. I know my facility offers it, so I'll be looking into that.

I went to Tina's (CHE) workshop. The labs were set up identically to the actual CPNE. (When I say identically, I mean identically. The wound simulator for the wound packing station was the exact same one I used on the CPNE.) PCSs are hard to simulate, but her mnenomics and grids were a big help. I passed the CPNE the first time (Plano, 7/05). I chose her workshop mostly because it was local to me, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone. I'm reasonably certain you can also take Chancellor's workshop without signing one of their contracts. Call them and ask.

Yes.

Presented without comment: http://www.azcentral.com/families/education/articles/0914apollo14.html There are lots of other RN to BSN programs out there. Quite a few of them specifically state they will accept new grads. Most of them are substantially less expensive than University of Phoenix.

Those numbers came from a page on EC's website for National Nurses Week. It's no longer available on EC's website but you can find it in Google's cache. The Fresno City College numbers came from BRN's website.

Huh? In any event, EC's NCLEX pass rate for 2005 was 90.30%. The national average was 87.46%. Just to stir the pot some, the largest RN program in California (Fresno City College) had a 74.25% pass rate in 2005.

What - if anything - does NP licensure have to do with RN to BSN education? NP programs are now all Master's level, and while individual programs have differing entry requirements (some require a NLN/CCNE approved BSN, others are happy with any bachelor's degree; more than a few programs don't even require a bachelor's) the BRN NP application doesn't address baccalaureate education at all.

Well, considering there is no such thing as a "BRN approved/accepted/accredited" RN to BSN program, I don't think you have much to worry about. As someone above stated, the main thing to consider is the potential acceptance by future MSN/NP programs; as long as your RN to BSN program is NLN or CCNE accredited, it should be accepted by most MSN programs. Check with potential schools to see if they require NLN or CCNE. Also, if you want PHN licensure in California, your program has to be NLN approved or meet the BRN's requirements. Most NLN/CCNE RN to BSN programs have a community health practicum, which is what BRN is looking for. (I don't know what the "BORN" is; the California Board of Registered Nursing refers to itself as BRN.) BRN's stated mission vis-a-vis nursing schools is stated on its website: As an RN to BSN program is neither prelicensure nor advanced practice, approval of such a program would fall outside of the purview of BRN. Also, the list of RN to BSN programs on BRN's website is woefully incomplete. Sonoma State and Chico State both have NLN accredited RN to BSN programs, yet neither is listed on BRN.

Sure it specifically mentions EC. Graduates of schools outside the United States or graduates of non- NLN or CCNE accredited programs may be asked to provide additional information following review of their application. See? It specifically mentions NLN accredited programs. There ya go. Now, had it said "graduates of non-NLN or CCNE accredited programs, excepting of course certain NLN-accredited programs that certain people don't like," then we'd be in trouble. DJ (EC grad, oh, California RN, by the way)

Here's a link I found while googling around: https://allnurses.com/forums/f17/ccne-vs-nln-accreditation-76354.html As long as your program is either CCNE or NLN approved, it's fine. Stay away from programs that aren't accredited by either.

According to the MBON site, you can apply for endorsement with either 1000 hours of practice in the last 5 years or an approved refresher course. The endorsement page states only that the initial licensure program be NLN approved (specifically: 5. A minimum of 1,000 hours of nursing practice in the five years preceding the application or the satisfactory completion of a Board approved refresher course for an active license. and 6. Graduates of schools outside the United States or graduates of non- NLN or CCNE accredited programs may be asked to provide additional information following review of their application. http://www.mbon.org/main.php?v=norm&p=0&c=licensure/endorsement.html) So, get your WV (or other) license, take a MBON approved refresher (their site lists two approved online courses and a bunch of onsite ones), and apply away. Also, MD is a compact state, right? Although, if your primary residence isn't another compact state (DE or VA, for example) I don't think you can play that angle. I don't live in a compact state, so I'm not 100% sure on how that works.

The test IS the class, in a manner of speaking. You don't turn in assignments, you take the test. It's not online because you have to go to a secure testing center so there's no question as to who actually took the test.

There is only ONE course you have to take from Excelsior that is $250/credit hour, and it's only ONE hour (for a total of $250), and you can waive it with previous coursework or probably use a CLEP exam to get out of it (the information literacy requirement). It wasn't required when I enrolled in EC, so I don't know all the details on it. The rest of the courses aren't charged on a per-credit basis, but rather on a per-EXAM basis. The seven required Nursing Concepts exams are each worth 4 credits and cost $215, for a cost per credit of $53.75. A&P and the rest can be taken from a community college; personally, I took A&P, micro, patho, and a bunch of other exams from EC (example: the A&P exam is 6 credits for $255 - $42.50/credit.) I had my English, history, psych, and other liberal arts credits already in hand from a CC. I was able to use all of my Excelsior credits toward a BS degree from another school, as well. There are some fixed costs from Excelsior: $895 enrollment fee, $450 annual fee, $490 graduation fee, $1625 CPNE fee. Those aren't due all at once, so you can budget for them. (All these numbers are current from EC's website; log into the publications request area and find the "How much will your associate degree in nursing cost" PDF file.) Excelsior isn't Title IV approved, so you can't use GUARANTEED federal loans. You can get non-federal student loans with a slightly higher interest rate. EC has information or google "Plato loan" or "Private student loan." They also have payment plans to spread out the fixed costs. For the vast majority of my NC exams, I used the previous editions of the textbooks, which are generally available for little more than the cost of shipping. You don't need the 6th edition of a book for $100 when you can get the 5th edition on half.com for $5. The study guides are FREE on EC's website.

The naysayers won't care. California doesn't accept Deaconess, either, even though it is NLN approved and features clinical hours concurrent with theory. Some hospitals won't hire you, some will. Recruiter A at a given hospital might not even call you back for an interview, whereas recruiter B at the same hospital will give you an offer. Another option: once you get your RN, go for a BSN or MSN from a "real" school. You can bury Excelsior on your resume after that.

Concur. There is a very wide range of EC RN grads, just as there is a very wide range of non-EC RN grads. The EC RN typing this right now has been teaching BLS/ACLS/PALS for a few years (12/2/2) and is amazed at the inability of some non-EC RNs to perform complex nursing tasks such as checking carotid pulses, assembling preload syringes, etc. Unfortunately, some hiring managers (and others) tunnel in on the word "Excelsior" and lose all ability to assess someone's qualifications in a rational manner. A prudent course of action would be to look for initial employment in an area similar to where one is presently employed. An LVN working in a SNF probably won't be an attractive candidate for a med-surg position as an RN, whereas an LVN working in the ED would probably be a sure bet for an RN position there. The first job is going to be the hardest to get. After a year or two in an acute care setting as an RN, no one (tunnellers excepted) is going to care where you went to school.

I just got hired by a major hospital chain (not Kaiser) in the Bay Area. Excelsior didn't come up once during my interview. Time from first application to first job offer: about 2 weeks.

You're going to have to contact Excelsior to see where they will send the exams. From their website: For Exam Students Testing Internationally We regret that if you plan to take Excelsior College Examinations outside the United States, Canada or U.S. Territories, you may not register online. Instead, please contact Excelsior College for further information. You may contact us in any of the following ways: * Email: Send a message to [email protected] * Phone: Dial your international access code and 518-464-8641 * Fax: Dial your international access code and 518-464-8777

Unfortunate, but I guess the good news is that the nursing shortage in California is apparently over.

I don't think the CPNE site in Phoenix is active anymore. I sent my CPNE app in December for the WPAC (Long Beach/San Diego), and got the letter asking me to pick another site or wait a year or more. I picked Dallas (Plano), and I'm getting dates from May-July. FYI.

I always wear a t-shirt under scrubs (except when I did a couple of shifts in the OR.)