Rn to MSN

nurse2033, MSN, RN · Mar 19, 2011

Excelsior has been great for me. It is also the largest nursing school in the US (20,000 students).

Guest27531 · Mar 19, 2011

Will Excelsior accept an ADN into a MSN program? I think you would need a BSN first. Anyway, it worked well for me to obtain a BSN because I already had many college credits from three different universities and Excelsior accepted them all. Most programs will only allow you to transfer a certain number of credits. I had college credit from the University of Texas, Hunter College in NY, and the College of Mount St. Vincent in NY so I was thrilled to find an accredited nursing program that would accept them all.

I will say that I did not find the nursing course practicals to be very easy and I think with my education and background, I should have found them to be a breeze. My basic training was at St. Vincent's Hospital (3-year diploma program). I graduated with honors and when we graduated those in my class could do almost anything...we could even take charge of any floor in the hospital. I was very confident in my knowledge and skillset because our education was so comprehensive. I also had 4 years experience, including 2 years of Critical Care when I started the Excelsior nursing program.

I found the written exams to be very easy (just like studying for state boards) but the practical exams, not so much. If you decide to do it, be prepared to study exactly what they tell you...it's like learning lines for a play and if you say any of the lines incorrectly you may fail on the spot and need to reschedule (and repay) for that portion. Depending on where you live, this could represent quite alot of money, if you need to stay in a hotel when you take the exams.

Ask alot of questions before you register with them so you can be sure it is right for you.