KitkatPRN

Congrats !! I passed at St. Mary's two years ago, best thing I ever did.

You better check with Excelsior because a lot has changed in the last year or so I've already graduated but I saw the changes right as I did. You should get whatever you take approved first, too. I took a math course from Aleks, too ... and it was HARD but I did it ... "in an afternoon .. NOT even close" and I had to get some help from friends. Good luck to you !!

Sounds like you're ready to take the leap :-) . I am glad I did it & it's over with but am always hesitant to recommend it to anyone. Make sure you take the documentation & careplanning conferences though EC when you get done with the exams & are preparing for the CPNE, also I'd give yourself more like 3-4 months to prepare for the dreaded CPNE, sounds crazy I know but it takes that long to really wrap your head around it. Good Luck !!

I have mixed feelings. I passed the CPNE the second time and my NCLEX July 2nd. I'm currently employeed as an RN and loving every second it !! However, if I had it to do all over again, I would've gone to my local community college. Pros: fits into any work schedule, not too expensive (I spent a total of about $12,000 having to take the CPNE twice) Cons: The CPNE is subjective, stressful & if you fail 3 times (people do) you can't even transfer all the classes you've tested out of. The CPNE is your 3 day "clinical" at the end of all the coursework, it's not a teaching clinical. Even if I had passed the first time I would feel the same way. I'm thankful it worked out in the end but still wouldn't recommend it unless you can't go to a school near you.

Thanks for posting these, I know this is an old thread but just what I was looking for !!

I think her online workshop helped me pass the labs, no doubt. I would recommend taking the EC conferences for documentation and careplanning, as well. I didn't take them the first time around and failed, took them the second time and passed with no repeats !! :-) I did not buy Sherri's workbook for careplanning, though ... that may have helped so I can't really say. I do think that what really helped me the second time was that I carried the PCS packet in my pocket for quick reference vs. setting it down on a "clean" surface. I also didn't write out a "grid", I instead wrote my mnuemonics on the Kardex next to each AOC I was assigned, worked much better for me on my second time.

I tested at St. Mary's in Madison, WI for my first time and agian for the second time. I highly recommend this site, I thought the CA was fair and supportative, the hospital was very nice and each room had it's own vital sign machine and pulse ox, it was also organized and the floor nurses were great, they even congratulated me when I passed (they were rooting for me, as well).

Passed on my second try last weekend, thank god !

Just passed the CPNE but it took a second try ! Happy to moving on the NCLEX, and would just like to recommend that anyone taking this route beware and don't take the CPNE lightly. I would recommend taking the conferences offered by EC for documentation & careplanning and give yourself a solid three months of studying every procedure you could be assigned to do & knowing your "critical elements" without even having to look a "grid". Excelisor isn't easy for sure, especially when you get to the CPNE but it can be done. :-)

Sorry you failed TnMarie & I think you have every right to be bitter ! The original poster was asking how people liked Excelsior and I wish I had read some more candid posts instead of sugar coated ones because now I'm hitting the brick wall called the CPNE !! Of course I'm trying my best to be positive but yes, it is SUBJECTIVE and that is what makes it so frustrating and makes it feel unfair hence the bitterness !! Hope you feel better soon, this program isn't for the faint at heart, for sure !! BTW: I'm taking it agian tomorrow ~~ Yikes !!

Please don't think you can grasp the CPNE in a month or less ... bad idea & a waste of your money. In my opinon you should take about 3 months to study ... take the online conferences offered by EC in documention & careplanning, they are VERY helpful !! And give yourself the time to go over all that is involved with the CPNE. Writing a "grid" is great but you have to be able to pull that information out of memory (you won't have the time to keep looking at your "grid" ... 2 1/2 hrs seems like A lot of time, I know ... but it goes by sooo fast). My advice is to give yourself time to truly embrace all that will be expected in your CPNE, set up lab stations, practice on friends/family/or a blow up doll :-). Don't think this is "easy" because it MOST certainly is NOT ... it is harder than it ever was, so past testers giving advice may not know how HARD it is, now ... they could a"risk for dx" in planning, not Anymore !! PLEASE take an EC documentation & NCP online conference !!! Wishing everyone lots of luck & hoping we all see our dreams come true !!!

BarbaraNM: I am retaking it agian next month. I thought I was prepared but there is so much about the test is subjective. I don't know how many took workshops. I can tell you that it's the little things that failed everyone not anything major. I have never failed at anything. I had straight A's in LPN school but this test is like no other. They say they have a 64% pass rate the first time. I never imagined that I wouldn't pass the first time. Your patients will not be textbook, your careplans will be judged differently by every CE and there is definately some luck involved. Even if I had heard this from someone else before I did it, I wouldn't have believed it. Guess you just have to study your heart out, hope for some luck & realize that you have to fight for yourself & that it isn't the easy road by any means. The bad thing is that you can't transfer anything anywhere, so you are either stuck or you quit and waste a TON of $$$ ..... so I'm stuck & trying agian. Wish I had some words of wisdom but it isn't a cut a dry test in my eyes, so everyone has a different experience & yes, a lot take it agian .... and it is the worst feeling ever. Wishing you the best of luck Barbara !

My two cents: if you can do it any other way, do it !! The CPNE is very subjective and there are many gray areas. One of the previous posters said she was the only one who passed on her weekend .. that isn't very unusual either. For the posters who took this a few years ago and passed, great ! but it is much harder now. You can't use "risk for " dx's. You also have to do an assessment to validate your nursing dx .. sounds easy, right? well, hold on because many of the patients have their symptoms under control, so good luck validating your dx. I've heard there are big changes coming in regards to careplans, too. The CPNE is like hitting a brick wall right at the end of your journey & an expensive one at that ! I don't recommend EC to anyone & wish I'd never been so naive to think it was good thing to do. I thought all the "nay-sayers" were just angry they didn't pass the CPNE & they weren't cut out for self-study ... well, I don't believe that anymore after seeing only 1 pass out of my weekend of 6, it was just ridiculous at best.

So true !! I think you did the absolute best thing by informing your DON !! I for one think that it was just an honest mistake and no harm was done, so really? It's not a big deal !! You may feel embarrassed but NO ONE was hurt (WheW) ... and happy dance to that !! We are only human & mistakes happen !! When we give a med, we are more careful for sure, but when we dial a telephone # ... maybe not so much ... give yourself a break, you owned up to it and no one was hurt, which in my book equals a GreaT day/shift !!!!!!!!

I feel your pain !! I'm testing March1-3 @ St. Mary's in Madison. I'm starting to second guess eveything !! OMG, we have so much invested !! Just have to calm our nerves and do what we've practiced over and over and over !! Good luck to you ~~ We CAN do this !!