Texas Excelsior Alumni: Help with Legislation to Protect EC

Raggedy Ann · Mar 26, 2009

Thanks so much Eric. I, too, am from Texas, and I am working on becoming CPNE eligible. I am sure going to do my part...This just makes me sick! I really do appreciate your support since you are already done doing your part to help excelsior plus the ones of us that have not completed our requirements yet, and those that want this opportunity in the future. You are Awesome! Traci

bjbabs24 · Mar 26, 2009

They must only send it to texas students. Can you post a link or anything so the rest of us from other states can help you guys?

KGarrett · Mar 26, 2009

:banghead:Thank you so much Eric for posting the information on Texas EC students. I am CPNE elgible and currently awaiting a date. This whole thing is ashame it really makes me upset. EC has been around since 1975 and has always been in good standards. I will be writing a professional letter to our representatives. We also need help from other states.:typing

madisent · Mar 26, 2009

Hey Guys,

I am in the same boat. I am half way through the program.

I had to go through Excelsior because I did not pass the Exit Hesi with a 850 I had a 838 so i could not get my ADN degree going through a traditional school. I will write my representives.

Will I not be able to get my RN degree through excelsior if this bill does not pass or take the NCLEX in Texas?

Please explain.

Madisent :cry:

KGarrett · Mar 26, 2009

Hello Madisent I think that u should continue ur studies keep focused and maintain ur grades. EC has been around since 1975 formerly known as regents college its in well standards. I spoke with a board representative and she stated that Texas board of nursing wants to verify that EC clinicals are comparable to traditional schools. Keep prayerful about the situation. And dont forget to write a letter to your senator in Texas.

RN34TX · Mar 31, 2009

I sent letters to both my state Rep and Senator as soon as I got the e-mail.

I just wish we could have gotten more notice to be in Austin today or I would have been there.

no1shome · Mar 31, 2009

here is the email...

your urgent help needed

contact your state legislators today

i am asking for your help in contacting your state legislators urging them to support bills that have been introduced that will maintain excelsior’s nursing program as a viable option for working adult, health care professionals to become rns.

during last year’s session, the texas legislature modified the nursing practice act in an effort to open texas to innovative nursing programs and provide guidance to the board of nursing in approving out-of-state programs by requiring it to approve a program approved by another state if the standards of that state are “substantially equivalent.” unfortunately, the board of nursing has indicated that it does not view excelsior’s program as “substantially equivalent” to texas in-state programs, and it wants to require traditional clinical training for excelsior’s associate degree nursing graduates.

this is despite the following facts and indicators of program quality:

excelsior college is approved by regulators in our home state of new york.
excelsior is accredited by the commission on higher education of the middle states association of colleges and schools.
our school of nursing is accredited by the national league for nursing accrediting commission – the associate degree program has been continuously accredited since 1975.
the school has twice been designated as a center of excellence in nursing education by the national league for nursing and is one of only 13 such centers nationwide.
excelsior’s graduates consistently pass the national nurse licensing exam (nclex-rn) the first time at a rate equal to or higher than the national average.

two legislative bills are being introduced

two identical bills have been introduced, one each in the senate and house, that will provide for continued recognition of our school of nursing as being “substantially equivalent” to texas in-state programs.

the senate bill is [color=#0068cf]sb 1397 (introduced by senator deuell)
the companion bill in the house is [color=#0068cf]hb 3230 (introduced by representative pitts)

you may view these bills at this web address by entering the bill numbers into the "search legislation" box at the top of the middle column: [color=#0068cf]http://www.capitol.state.tx.us.

without the guidance that these bills will provide to the board of nursing, excelsior’s nursing pre-licensure program as an alternative, nontraditional means for working adult professionals to become an rn may be in jeopardy.

send letters of support

we need you to send letters and emails to your state senator and representative today asking them to support these bills. if they are not members of the senate health & human services committee or the house public health committee, ask them to urge their colleagues who are on these committees to support the bills. hearings on these may take place as early as march 31, so please send your letters and emails right away.

to locate the address for your senator and representative go to [color=#0068cf]http://www.capitol.state.tx.us and fill in your address in the “who represents me?” box on the right-hand side of the page.

these letters should be in your own words and should tell the legislators your story:

why you want to become an rn and how important it is to you and your family.
why you chose excelsior college to earn your degree.
how your current and past clinical experiences are helping you to achieve your goal.
let them know how rigorous the program is.

be sure to include the program quality bullet points listed above and to write a letter that is professional in nature. you want to make a good impression of yourself and excelsior’s program.

please send copies of your letters and emails to [color=#0068cf][email protected] so we know which legislators have been contacted.

thank you,

m. bridget nettleton, phd, rn

dean, school of nursing

RN34TX · Apr 11, 2009

i just got this e-mail today:

fight false information

rally your employers' support for you and excelsior

we appreciate your recent efforts in writing to your state legislators in support of our nursing program. however, a new threat - the implied inferiority of your excelsior degree - has surfaced from the texas nurses association. we need you to urge your employer to support excelsior by contacting the texas hospital association.

the texas nurses association (tna) has been campaigning against sb 1397 and hb 3230 in the legislature, both of which are bills that would preserve excelsior college as an alternative path to rn licensure in texas. although the texas hospital association was an early supporter of excelsior and these bills, the tna is putting significant pressure on the hospital association to support another bill, hb 4355, that would require a "study" of the quality of excelsior's nursing program.

the tna, through various channels and its supporters, has been making allegations that graduates of the excelsior college (formerly regents college) nursing program pose a threat to patient safety. in fact, during testimony given by board of nursing officials last week in the legislature, the bon admitted that there is no such evidence to support these allegations.

tna has been implying that excelsior's nursing program is not "substantially equivalent" to texas nursing programs. tna has even described the cpne as simply a "check-off list."

the bottom line: opponents of excelsior's model of nursing education simply do not understand - or don't want to understand - how it works or respect the quality graduates that it produces.

please let your employer know that false and misleading information is being spread about the nursing program where you earned your degree. if you know of other excelsior graduates at your facility, please join together to speak with your employer. then urge your employer to contact the hospital association immediately, to tell them of their support for you and excelsior college.

please take a moment to print our information sheet "[color=#003399]how is entry-level competency determined?" (word document file). when you speak with your employers, give them this information sheet that demonstrates how excelsior's graduates are well-prepared as entry-level rns, and that they meet the standards expected of all new rns in texas.

sincerely,

m. bridget nettleton, phd, rn

dean, school of nursing

baldee · Apr 13, 2009

This sounds pretty serious. Can we make this a sticky please?

I would like to follow this as a future potential student.

Thanks a bunch.

bjbabs24 · Apr 13, 2009

Baldee, do you think we suffer from short term memory?

You are not a future potential student but instead you post negative things about EC all the time on the Georgia thread. For example just recently you posted:

"But the EC trend is a reality. To deny and give false hope is somewhat misleading. EC is still desperately suckering in new candidates in an irreversible trend downhill. EC has done nothing to bridge the gap over to State certification in a cooperative agreement with ANY state schools administrations." and

"Its not just Georgia. Look at the thousands of posters crying. Would they be crying so loudly and consistently if EC was on the up-and-up?

When any post states any facts contrary to EC and backed up with facts, it seems to immediately drowned out in hundreds of posts. My ire would be against systemically manipulating people by dancing around the truth by omitting of significant and well known facts; while hundreds of 'phantom' posters outright lie.

"Forgive me for saying, and I know a lot of excellent EC grads, but EC is effectively dead and closed its door on opportunity as well as all of its current/new students." posted may 23rd 09 by Baldee. I could add more if you like. You are instead a community college student from Florida. :nono:

You yourself said you don't consider EC on the up and up so now you are saying a couple weeks later that you may be a future student?

So, unless you have good intentions and support fellow nursing students who are having to tackle state issues find a different arena to post your negative comments.

baldee · Apr 14, 2009

bjbabs24,

Because I speculate to find out the limits of logic efficiently, as well as the degree of faithfulness of students, do 'greedy hueristics' make me any less of a person? Although challenging at times, I try to be polite, although some think questioning the status quo is strictly taboo. Of course I'm interested. Nothing is written in stone no matter if you make straight A's, when carrying old baggage around of a couple of C's and a B from days gone past. I've always been interested. That's why I want to keep up with the controversy. That's why I always search here, not to waste time heaven forbid.

I am definitely interested in distant learning, and this is all that is here. So I'm interested. I'm sorry if I don't have time to socialize in a prescribed ritualistic format to find out all the information I can, but I pull about 2 or 3 - 48 hour days per week. And I only have so many breaths left in my life. I don't have time to cut and paste what someone said. Who cares? Its out of context anyway. I'm in the 'here and now mode', and trying not to fall asleep. Forgive me for not being swayed by the siren of trolls. I just don't have time. Did you know today I formulated a relatively unknown relationship in Nutrition and Health that could change health patterns significantly in the future, relatively easily? Well future job security may hold this one back, but not from the people I love. And you are suggesting I start combing through 'posters' logs to find ...? I just don't have the time or inclination. Please forgive me.

But I'm always interested in potential career path institutions and their evolutionary aspects. Organizations are exciting and an opportunity to grow. I do my homework, and don't stumble into the next day if possible. If I question, I am interested.