Helper-T

Just passed Excelsiors "Transition to Registered Nursing" ! Studied 10 days for it using practice tests anywhere I could find them. Of course, none of the content was on the real test, but somehow it helps to do those practice tests. The Board of Nursing recommends answering 3,000 - 4,000 practice questions before taking the NCLEX. Passed it with a B. Onward to 5 more !

To SeattleGirl - I actually found Excelsior to be CHEAPER than the LPN to RN schools! Here is why: 1 - If you already have all your pre-reqs completed, Excelsior charges $275 for each of the next 7 exams you will need before you can sit for the CPNE. That's about $2100. 2 - The CPNE is $2100. 3 - Enrollment fee is $80 & Register fee is $975. 4 - Total cost of Excelsior is less than $5,500. The cheapest LPN to RN program I could find was over $12,000 - and ALL the programs require PRE-REQS - some only require 3, but others require 7 or 8 or more. Excelsior wants you to have at least 6 pre-reqs, which they sell to you if you don't have them - via CLEP. CLEP is accredited by all colleges out there - but you can study on your own by using CLEP Practice Test and Study Guides | Pass your CLEP Exams fast! - I passed 7 CLEPS by using this website. I studied 2 weeks each & then paid the $90 ($70 + $20) for the exam at a local college that proctors CLEP. Or, you can sign up to your local college & go to class for these pre-reqs. I hate class, so I took the CLEPS for all but 3 of them which forced me to go to lab (Anatomy I, II & Microbiology.) You will have books expense, but you can download books, buy used anywhere (half.com, ebay) or - study the chapters for that test, suggested by Excelsior. Excelsior has a free test guide that actually gives out chapters & text book names. But, you will have expense of travel to the CPNE exam - where you might have to spend 2 or 3 or 4 nights in a hotel if the exam center is not in your city, so add gas & food to your expense list too. I'm not an Excelsior salesman, & don't get kickbacks and there may be problems with Excelsior in the future, I just haven't personally run into any yet - so we'll see. I, too, was looking for someone who had just taken Excelsior program within the past couple of years but no one responded. So, I just went ahead & took the 1st test. It wasn't that bad, but I only studied about 1 week using those sites that have practice questions guaranteeing you to pass. I passed with a "C," but barely, but NONE of those sites had ANY of the content on the test - none. BUT, those sites do help get you accustomed to taking test questions - so maybe that's how they can guarantee you to pass. I didn't like using this route so I will probably focus on the chapters recommended on Excelsior's test guide. I know of someone who used Excelsior to become an RN from years ago about 10 or 15 years ago. She is now an RN. I have never been able to talk to her directly, all I know is she was an Excelsior to get the RN, but then went on to a real college to get her BSN. Either way, it don't matter - jobs don't care WHO you use to get your RN or BSN. They only want you to have it. They will teach their way, but it's up to you to stay LEGAL in your job. Helper-T.

Hi SeattleGirl - Excelsior Rn program has been around for years & years. About 3-4 years ago, some of the states began NOT accepting Excelsior students. Excelsior sued those states & from my knowledge, every state now accepts Excelsior, but there are about 15 that have additional requirements. Link: State Board Requirements - excelsior.edu The point is to get your RN license as quick as possible - without having to sit for hours in class. I took the time to attend classes for LPN to RN bridge programs. I did not feel ANY of them were "safe" and I did not feel that ANY of them were going to give you a "good" education. You could pass, yes, while sitting in class for hours & freely giving away your time & labor - after 1 to 2 years of weekly clinicals which would range up to 12 hours a day. In LPN school, we literally could have learned EVERYTHING in 4 months. The balance of 8 months was torture, threatening & demeaning to students - and we HAD to be there 5 days a week. The last 4 months of the program, we would literally go to the clinical site - and sit at the cafeteria lunch tables, or on the inside of the stairwells that no one uses anymore - because there were too many students & not enough patients or nurses. EVERY ONE of my class passed the NCLEX - despite this lack of clinical experience. It's all about passing the NCLEX and getting your licensure. You will be really trained on the job. THATS where you will learn well! Remember, very few states require a Nursing instructor to be a "licensed teacher." So, NONE of them are safe!! Most of these Nursing Instructors do not know HOW to teach!! Therefore, you don't receive a "good" education anyhow. Seriously. The nursing instructors only have to have BSN's - in nursing. I have never found one to be a licensed teacher. Never. Not even the Dean of Nursing, or any Directors of Nursing. Meanwhile, to answer your question 3, I have dual enrolled in Excelsior & a "real" college BSN program. The "real" BSN program doesn't start yet. My goal is to have my RN license before it starts. Upon receipt of my RN license, the "real" college will give me 60 credit hours towards my BSN. I took all my 60 pre-reqs through a "real" college - not Excelsior. But, I used CLEP to test out of 24 of those pre-reqs. Although a "real" college will not give me credits for Excelsiors 7 nursing tests, I will get 60 credits upon receipt of my RN license - despite I used Excelsior to do it. It just does not matter WHERE you get your RN license. Hospitals don't care, no one cares. They just want you to have it. They will teach you properly - THEIR way. As far as the Excelsior 2 to 3 day clinical - it is not a "clinical" - it is a challenge exam. Can you pass it? If you can pass it & are deemed safe - then you can sit for your RN-NCLEX. There are several companies out there that will teach you in 1 week - what you need to know & do to pass Excelsior clinicals. The costs range from $600 - $1000 for that week. If you don't feel comfortable, take it again. This is the route I am taking. I've already passed the 1st exam as I said in a former post. It looks like it's going to be do-able without much pain but personally, I will take 2 weeks to study for each exam instead of one week. Helper-T

i passed excelsior health safety today! barely, with a "c" , but i passed, and since a real college won't give you credit for excelsior anyhow, all you need to do is pass. so, why do we lpn's take excelsior? to get the rn license!!! a "real" college will give you 60 credit hours - towards your bsn - just for having your rn license - with or without an adn/asn (associate's) degree! but, a "real" college won't give you any credit from excelsior, is what i have found, unless you use excelsiors clep tests. clep is usually always accredited by everyone. how did i study? i did not pick up any book - i used health safety questions from 3 different websites (spending $130) that proclaim you will pass if you pay anywhere from $29.95 to $49.95 unlimited attempts. i took these practice tests until i got in the high 90's & then scheduled my excelsior exam fast. this is true, i did pass, but the content of these websites aren't even close to what is actually on the health safety exam. i have not tried excelsior books or practice tests yet. it may be cheaper (& better) to purchase excelsiors for $75 each. i also spent another $10 and got sg101 - which is way too complicated & detailed to study. i took a few looks & opted out of that! the sites i used were www.nursing-practice-exams.com and www.mycourse.minnay.net and www.nursingexam.net ... as i said, there's nothing wrong with using these sites if you want to practice ... but the content of these sites were not even close to what was on the actual test ... but, i passed, as they promised. i'm going to take a different route for the next ones. i don't like just barely passing, even if it doesn't matter what your gpa is! hope this helps! helper-t

Hi LornaGJ45 (Again) !! Were you able to pass the Transitions exam with the knowledge you already have, or did you have to study the Excelsior books (or some other) study guide to pass it? Just wondering if I am over-studying. I hate wasting time to study things that I will never remember after the tests anyhow (unless I get them wrong, that is.) If I pass them, then I already know them anyhow (just won't remember them - lol.) Thanks! Helper-T.

Thank you, LornAGJ45! This helps! Helper-T.

Hi Amberingrace! I am motivated & I think you (& we all) can do it too, but I want to be sure I am spending my money wisely. I dropped out of a "state university" RN program because the quality of their program is severely bad. I can do better on my own ... and if Excelsior is just as good, or better, in quality, then I will have received a much better education anyhow. AND, Excelsior route is actually cheaper !! I am just concerned why EVERYONE can take 2 Excelsior courses before enrolling? Is it because they are easier & enrolling gets you to take the bait afterwards, or is it because they are harder ... and it weeds out the ones who won't do well? I am hoping someone who has recently taken 3 or more of the Excelsior nursing exams can answer this. Either way, it's still the cheaper route & since I don't need clinicals (get them on my PAID job) I don't need to be giving away free labor - and time. Thanks for any replies! Helper-T.

Hi Mazee, If you are an LPN, RT or Paramedic, you can take the RN Associates route at Excelsior. You can take 2 tests without enrolling yet. They cost $275 each. If you then decide that Excelsior is the route to go, then you can finish taking the 5 other Nursing tests. (These 7 tests are IF you have already completed all the PRE-Reqs. If you haven't completed the pre-reqs, then you'll have to either CLEP out of the pre-reqs, take them at another college, or take them at Excelsior.) The info for the RN-ADN is under PROGRAMS ... NURSING ... then Excelsior College | Program Details Hope this helps! Helper-T.

Recently, in 2012, Cleveland Clinic in West Palm Beach, Florida requires a new applicant to take a "psychological assessment" made up of about 20 statements as you fill out their online application, of which the choices are poorly written, but you have a choice of 2, 3 or 4. No more. IF you answer in such a way that you are competent, creative, innovative & will not put up with abuse of SUPERVISORS - you will NOT get hired on. If you choose the answers in such a way that indicates you are dull and abused, you will qualify for an interview. BEWARE!!! If you want the interview, then you must answer in a way that makes you appear that you will put up with management abuse of all employees - and are dull and non-thinking. BEWARE!! This is the honest truth!!

Hello Everyone, I was wondering if anyone is currently taking the Excelsior LPN to RN ... and how goes it??!! I'm not sure of this program, but I thought I would bite the bullet & try to pass the 1st of the 7 exams required. I am also wondering why it is that you do not have to enroll to take the 1st two exams - Health Safety & Transition? Are they easier than the 5 remaining exams, and is this their way of getting you to take the worm? Or, are they harder than the 5 remaining exams - which would "weed out" the serious from those who aren't? Thank you! Helper-T.

Hi StagesOfThePath! I saw you are doing Excelsior LPN to RN. I just became an LPN at 47 y.o. & am now planning to take my 1st Excelsior Health Safety exam (LPN to RN) in a few weeks, so I thought I would ask you if you would recommend Excelsior, or if it is the same or less aggravating as every other college out there... alot of bs & unnecessary torture, that is. I was Valedictorian in LPN school & enrolled in an Advanced Track RN program only to find how terribly unorganized, threatening, condescending & patronizing the directors & deans of these programs are. Although I am on the Presidents List (of a real state college) I chose that specific program because I thought it would be a good education. When I found out that we had to go to YouTube to get videos (no specific video, just find one) that's when I dropped the program. I figured I could do that on my own - and Excelsior seems to have their program much more professionally organized - with an even higher academic content. I did check out 15 other programs within my state (Florida) only to find out that none of them really had a good recommendation. Yes, you can pass - but none of the students thought they were receiving - or had received - a GOOD education. I only need 7 Excelsior courses so my entire tuition bill is only going to be ($2100 + 975 + 495 + $2100 ) .... ($5,500) way less than the cheapest college in Florida!!!!! The only thing is there is no FAFSA with the ADN-RN so I have to pay the money as I go along. I would love to know your thoughts on this if you have time. Good luck on the CPNE !!! Helper-T