I am wondering if there are any Texas nurses doing the EC program or any nurses that have graduated from the program? I have been doing some research and am very confused. I have 6 credits I need to do before starting the actual nursing classes. Would you suggest doing those through EC or another school. I have been an office nurse for 20 years and before that 10 years of hospital. I am sure I want to pursue this goal, but am very nervous.
Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.
you can go to your local community college and take the clep ... did you look on the clep site for a location....
i'm doing excelsior and i am trying to figure out how do you clep. i am also in the army and know they have dantes and i am trying to figure out how to do that too and where are the locations that you go to to do these things.
first i'd like to defend myself (being an ec graduate from texas) and also ec. ec nursing program is highly recognizable in the state of texas. you sit for boards just as u would being a graduate from any other nursing program. although there are some states that does not recognize ec degrees, fortunately texas does.
ec does not require you to locate a facility for clinical rotation.
ec takes care of compiling various locations in which u may earn clinical hours. locating your own clinical site sounds like something u may have heard from indiana state uninversity.
i know i'll recieve flak for this but...
only the finest graduate from ec. you must be self motivated, highly determined and a complete self learner. you got to be a "go getter"
not by a long shot do i consider my education to be "spotty" because i can practice as an rn in the state of texas as well as any other state regardless of where ec is located.
I spoke to a woman in the HR department at Memorial Hermann, who is working on her PHD in nursing. She told me that online or EC is the way to go nowadays. She has never done online and has no discrimination whatsoever to EC graduates when hiring at her facility.
CLASSICDAME, I CAN'T BELIEVE A HOSPITAL PAYS YOU TO BE SOMISINFORMED!!! Excelsior College is part of the New York State University System and it's nursing program is over 35 years old! Not only is it NLN accredited, it is "Exemplary", is your alma mater "Exemplary" or merely accredited? EC has a very a strict Clincal Performance Exam (CPNE) that is very tough and designed to test the knowledge of potential Graduate Nurses. They offer ASN, BSN and MSN programs. The education is not "Spotty" unless you are "Spotty" as your courses are all done independently. They pass the CLINICAL Rotation minimal hours test in Texas as well as the nation because.....to qualify you must be an LVN/LPN or Paramedic, D.C., DDS, or other qualifying licensed individuals. Therefore, you already have say 900 (Texas) hours of clinical for the average LVN, so Excelsior verifys your license and your experience. BTW, LVNs in Texas almost always have more clinical hours than most ADN, BSN programs, usually around 1000-1200, plus 900-1000 classroom hours crammed into a year or 18 months. EC students must go to one of only a handful of Regionally accredited Testing centers at major hospitals with University affiliations. For instance, I traveled from Texas (Plano and Amarillo are Texas sites) to Racine WI, just to TEST. The Clinical Examiners are FULL TIME INSTRUCTORS for University of Wisconsion, at least when I went. Your are soooooo not informed. So before you further damage the reputation of the hospital you work for any further, please do a little research. You might be surprised how many bosses you have that may be EC grads! I know FNPs and MDs with EC degrees. EC is a college of choice for the US armed forces and a leader in Distance Education. Their NCLEX pass rate surpasses most institutions and only the strong survive. You wont find a better bunch of nurses than EC grads.
LUBBOCK GAL.....welcome to the site, great question....is EC for you....hard to say.I am an Odessa boy and sure miss Taco Villa and the Red Raiders!!! If you are a indepedent learner and don't want to sit in a brick and mortar building for two years...jump on it. The thing you will find about EC is that there is a ton of networking, students helping students, alum helping students and so on. EC is great to work with and the cost IS NOT any more than a traditional college. I should know, I teach for an accredited nursing program. When you add up your tuition, gas, books, lab fees and such, you will run 10-20K at most public schools. I paid around 10K total, in which EC lets you finance part of your fees by spreading them out, plus you pay as you test, not all at once. Pay to register, then pay to test. Please call them and talk to them, the phone call is free. Visit their website www.excelsior.edu
ERDude,RN:yeah:
Excelsior College motto..."what you know is more important than where or how you learned it"
You would go to the Education office on the base & they should show you the steps for utilizing the Dantes & Clep.
I'm doing Excelsior and I am trying to figure out how do you CLEP. I am also in the Army and know they have DANTES and I am trying to figure out how to do that too and where are the locations that you go to to do these things.
Regarding Excelsior college working in certain states limitations, if I get the LVN-RN through them but get my BSN through chamberlain.edu or another program does this help. I assume the State board of nursing will only need to know about the BSN or do they want proof of RN clinical hours for example? Thanks for your input.
One of my co-workers did the EC program and has been an RN for several years now. I am taking the CPNE (clinical exam) August 1-3 in Amarillo. The test is $1825. It is a 2.5 day exam. Yes, it is strenuous...they don't want to pass people who endanger patients. The greatest cause for failure, however, is NERVES! (forgetting simple things like when to wash hands or not making sure the side rail is up and call light within reach before you leave the room.) The company I work for paid for my books through a publishing company. (I would suggest eBay purchase of the same books...much less expensive). It takes a lot of discipline but having watched fellow students grow into knowledgeable nurses...I'd do it again in a heartbeat!
Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.
have you heard good things about the amarillo site... i am applying for the cpne tomorrow and will either go to plano or amarillo.... i would much much rather drive to amarillo...even though it is 300+ miles more...
one of my co-workers did the ec program and has been an rn for several years now. i am taking the cpne (clinical exam) august 1-3 in amarillo. the test is $1825. it is a 2.5 day exam. yes, it is strenuous...they don't want to pass people who endanger patients. the greatest cause for failure, however, is nerves! (forgetting simple things like when to wash hands or not making sure the side rail is up and call light within reach before you leave the room.) the company i work for paid for my books through a publishing company. (i would suggest ebay purchase of the same books...much less expensive). it takes a lot of discipline but having watched fellow students grow into knowledgeable nurses...i'd do it again in a heartbeat!
I have heard good things about them...also, they have a shorter wait list for scheduling CPNEs......also a great hotel about 3 blocks distance away...
I applied for CPNE in January and selected to accept either Plano or Amarillo.....After5 months I contacted them. I got an e-mail asking if I would take Amarillo because they could get me in sooner there. 2 weeks later I had a date.
I think Excelsior is a great option & I wish it was for me. I've decided when it's time to becaome a RN to not go that route only because I wish to work in CA,etc down the road. Thank you for the feedback.
One of my co-workers did the EC program and has been an RN for several years now. I am taking the CPNE (clinical exam) August 1-3 in Amarillo. The test is $1825. It is a 2.5 day exam. Yes, it is strenuous...they don't want to pass people who endanger patients. The greatest cause for failure, however, is NERVES! (forgetting simple things like when to wash hands or not making sure the side rail is up and call light within reach before you leave the room.) The company I work for paid for my books through a publishing company. (I would suggest eBay purchase of the same books...much less expensive). It takes a lot of discipline but having watched fellow students grow into knowledgeable nurses...I'd do it again in a heartbeat!
Sounds like you know what is best for you....everyone needs to do what works best in their own lives. Good luck with traditional school! Keep us posted when the time comes. :-)
txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN
4,373 Posts
you can go to your local community college and take the clep ... did you look on the clep site for a location....