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 !!

Just keep studying and it should all come together. Also looking at examples of PCS forms (ex. pg. 528) helps too so you get familiar with what / where information is located. Practice writing out mneumonics and a grid, too for each sample PCS form you find in the Study Guide. Take the Top NANDA labels (pg. 549 in SG) and look them up in the Mosbys book, read through each & highlight some examples of interventions that you might use in a PCS, also think about ones that aren't in there that would work, too, just to get yourself using your critical thinking skills, a lot of the interventions are collaborative ones or are assessments so you wouldn't be able to use them. Have you tried writing down questions and making a weekly CPNE call with Excelsior? I think that helps, too. I also try to write out a list of what I'd like to study and cross them off, then add more (not enough to freak out over, though). Good Luck !! When are you testing?

In my opinion, if you have a lot of pre-reqs to take: take them @ your community college ! A&P, Micro, and Chemistry are so important and are oh so VERY hard online (I took all @ my community college, EC didn't accept my Micro and I had to take online ... it was VERY hard/still enjoyed my class time more and it probably helped me pass the online version). And I'm thinking your sister is telling you to take it @ school b/c it is easier ! BUT if you want to work & be flexibe, don't like your community college & perhaps get finished faster .... then EC is an option. Don't be fooled into thinking this is easy (I"m sure your sister told you how hard the CPNE is ++) I'm still so happy I found about EC and I think I'm getting a great education !! Good luck and continue on in your education b/c it will only open up more doors for you ~~~

I asked a pt. (with dementia) "Are you feeling confused today?" Should've seen the eyebrows rise from family and staff ... yikes !! (background info: he was having blood sugar issues) ... Funniest thing is, he answered "No, Nancy" ... (ha ha , his sister is Nancy and she passed last year).

I think you answered your own question !! You don't want to be a nurse , then don't become one because a lot of people that actually WANTED to be nurses don't like it . I graduated with a Dental Hygiene degree in 1999, with the an inkling that I really would rather be a nurse but hey, the hours were better as a Dental Hygienist and the "wait list" wasn't as long. Well guess what? I hated it ! Now, I've graduated and work as an LPN and am almost finished with my RN bridge program. I am happier now than ever, even though nursing is the HARDEST thing I've ever done, I LOVE it and that makes it worth it !! If your heart isn't in it, then explain that to your husband and do what your heart/gut tells you to do or you will be wasting your time, which could really make you resentful to your husband in the end. Good Luck to you !!

I did one exam every 3-4 weeks, while working 4 days a week, with no kids at home; that was hard enough for me. I can't imagine doing 5 exams in 13 weeks, that would be one every 2-3 weeks ... I couldn't have even get them scheduled with Pearson Vue that fast, as you can only schedule 2 at a time and the dates weren't that readily available here. I'm sure that if "there's a will ... there's a way" !! Good Luck to you !! But seriously, what is the hurry?? Take your time and enjoy learning as much as you can while enjoying life a little ~~

I organized the CPNE guide this way: bought a hanging file folder from Target that is open on the top and easy to get in and out of, printed the CPNE study guide, then I split it up like this, putting each section into its own hanging folder: (also within each section I subdivided them with paperclips/staples as needed) 1. Overview : from the start - pg. 80 2. Planning/Impleplementation/Overriding AOC 3. Required Areas of Care ( I added Mobility (overriding), here so I was sure to look at it more) 4. Selected Areas of Care 5. Selected Aeras of Care (cont ) 6. Evaluation Phase 7. Lab stations 8. Blank forms (I laminated these) and the Index (to the whole study guide) 9. PCS grading tool Now I can just grab out what I want to study and not have to see the whole guide out, this has made my stress level more manageable . I did label the index with what folder I had each section in, too ... so I wouldn't have to hunt for a particular page, it took me a day to get it organized but it works great for me. Hang in there, this is the last hurdle !!

I'm speechless !!! Once I took someone's lunch home by accident (after my dayshift) because it was in the exact same bag as mine AND I drove 30 miles back to the facility to put it back in the fridge because I worried that someone would go hungry or worse yet eat out out of the disgusting vending machines we have at work !!!!!!!! If you will take something obviously NOT yours ...... it's scary to think what else you would lie about !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Narcs, meds, treatments) Disgusting behavior for someone who represents the nursing profession !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just passed both right before Christmas and wanted to tell you guys, it is not tricky, just study and use your critical thinking skills !! I would read something and then think about how it apply to me / my patients, that made it more "real" to me and I also took notes. I used a seperate notebook for each section: 498 and 496, (writing page #'s next to my notes, so I could look things up easier later). I also flagged my books with post it's , using a different color for each module "-). Good luck !!!

Congrats on passing !!!!! And thanks for sharing your success story !!!!!! You must feel like a million bucks !!!!! And it is well deserved !!!!! I, too am not use to failing & just keep telling myself that it will happen @ the CPNE, so be prepared to keep truckin' along & do it right the second time (omg, i hope so) ... Which lab station gave you grief? (I'll study that one twice as hard !!!! ) Agian, congrats & thank you for sharing !! WTG GN ^^^^^^^

I was just going to practice taping with gloves on ... ha ha ... thanks for letting me know tnmarie !! I was waiting for my weekly phone call to ask !! I just checked my CPNE status and all of my documents are ACCEPTED !!! Yippee !!! Now to wait for a date .... That comes through your Excelsior email is what I've been told, is that right?? OMG starting to second guess everything, getting excited. @jsavely5: We should testing around the same time, exciting. Are you working? Im so glad Im only working 4 days a week, instead of 5. I don't think I'll ever go back to 5 days, even when I graduate.