tmjones1

I've heard from many that try and go further south (in Florida) that you really need your BSN under your belt to get in the door. Of course, any certs really help anytime to be fair.

Pay- $27 on up.... usually (HCA pays less.... $22-23) go from there Hospitals- VA, Navy, Sacred Heart, West Florida, Gulf Breeze, Santa Rosa further out you have North Okaloosa and Fort Walton beach. (Really depends on where you want to live) Staffing- depends, but Sacred and Gulf Breeze are almost always hiring I recommend starting applications the second you think about leaving. Some places (HCA- West Florida) take forever to process a new nurse (2-6 months) and get them hired and into the system. Also, with some HCA and other hospital facilities, you may have to do a Star RN program when you get down here... granted it gives you a automatic in at the hospital and you start work right away, you have a 2 year contract to fulfill and if you don't you are responsible for the payment of monies back to the Star RN program (haven't done the program but heard the stories of 15-20k, you work off the loan as you work for the hospital, if you decide on somewhere else to go work, quit or get fired.... that's money you need to repay.)

What are your back grounds? Are you both brand new?

Good Luck Bill!

Good luck Bill!

I'm afraid that they will not take the credits. You can see and check, but none of the schools would touch my credits. And several schools told me that they were thinking the classes would need to be redone. I wish you the best of luck.

Chances are slim that they will honor that and shorten your time.... but I wish you all the luck.

Northwest Florida.......

Shelia- congrats!

Thanks Pixie! You did a great job on a lot on this topic with lots of posts, guidance and knowledge and you and several have been instrumental in the beginning. I hope people do pass this program, but for me I guess I need more of a brick and mortar thing.

No offense taken. I think it is more of a pride thing for me. I don't like failure and it being on my record. Tis true that most programs don't take Excelsior credits but some brick and mortar schools will take some of those credits from what I am finding. You never know till you try, and sometimes you succeed.

Keith- You are a wise man and I am following in your foot steps and finding another route. I haven't gone to the CPNE but I know several who have and have failed at least once. Several like you, have spent extra money on workshops and books just to try and get through. Just because they post that people have been passing the CPNE- it doesn't say if it is their first, second or last try or if they are even the same students returning; how many dropped out before that, and how many people actually take the CPNE during those years…. I am a paramedic of 5 years and I currently work in the hospital side of things. I am currently in limbo until June 23rd, due to apparently not understanding that the semester program rules now applies to the do it at your own pace (beware the fine print kids and read those e-mails thoroughly). I had a just applied for LS1 at the end of March, but apparently my date to take the test was the last semester day in April. Because I didn't take the test on time” I got a Fail on the test and now have to repay the money for the course. (I never even paid the money to pearson vue to schedule my test…). I even paid for the pre-test as well, which I can still access but not the actual part of LS1 to take the test, apparently the pre-test dates do not correspond with the actual class dates. I did call about this and I asked how can you put me in a semester program when I have to pay extra and travel to a completely different location to test anyways (nearest pearson vue site is about a half hour away)? I was informed about the changes only when I asked, and then I got a hem-haw answer about the wait times increasing, and the loss of testing sites. The person I chatted with over the phone, told me that they were always looking for hospitals to help expand their program and for new testing sites and that would help bring the wait list times down”- I did inform her that I am here to pass this program and get my RN, not to locate them hospitals for them to test at”. I was going to appeal, but I am done with this. This is the third time, the rules have changed in this program- once was the requirements after I had been accepted and passed that baloney class that was 1 credit, then it was the fees for testing and class itself, and now the semester rules. Also, the CPNE wait times have now changed on the website- if you notice it says 5 months in one spot, and a little further down it states the wait times are 7-12 months, which coincides with my friend who failed and they told him that it was a 9-15 months wait (since 12 months is the average of the 9-15 time frame.). http://www.excelsior.edu/schools/nursing/cpne/application-and-payment Keith- I am sorry that you too found this out late in the game. But thank you for reporting your issues as well. All others- When I started I found the tests challenging in the beginning, but then they seemed to get a lot more difficult after differences. I wish anyone else well and good luck in their journey. A friend who did pass at my hospital said he noticed a lot of changes over the last year with his program as well. He passed the CPNE and was doing the BSN program but has gotten out of it. Check and print that list of CPNE hospitals, because my old list I printed looked a lot fuller before the first of the year. If this is your only option and you think you can do it, fantastic. If not, or you're unsure; I recommend a backup plan or a regular brick and mortar school. For me- I will take the LS1 test and then bail. I cannot fathom giving these people more of my money except to get my grade up ( I only have 1 D” out of all of my 275 college credits and that was a long time ago) so this was a shocker. But to give them more and more money and then $2300+ to say ok, I will see you in a year (what the bugger am I supposed to do for a year? Twiddle my thumbs and call every day several times a day for a opening (notice on the payment page the new fees for dropping your date))???? Not barring travel, lodging, yearly fee costs, and that graduation fee? Oh and add in the wait time after you pass the CPNE for everything to transfer over and take the NCLEX date? I think not. I have other schools I am interested in and I am going to explore other options. I took this program because I believed it was going to work with me and my schedule, be cost effective and timely. I was incorrect in this assumption.

I'm noticing that as well....

Congrats on passing!

It gives me hope as well, and congrats to passing!