TX Medics

Howdy,

   I am a recent graduate of Excelsior’s ADN (8/15/2021).  Submitted transcripts and fee’s to Pennsylvanias BON. Got my ATT with Pearson Vue and took my NCLEX-RN ON 10/15/2021.  6 days later got my official email saying I passed. Currently work at a fairly busy, local ER and absolutely love it. Compared to my Medic salary, and this is with 24 years experience, I got an almost immediate 50% increase. Once you throw in shift differentials and crisis bonus it’s taking me to about 100k a year, and that’s working 1 extra shift every two weeks. 
   Don’t let things you see on some boards scare you, Excelsior is 100% legit. It’s not the faster or easier way, atleast not for me. They are changing the curriculum around to appease BON’s but I see it only as a good thing. The CPNE is extending until the middle of 2022 to serve students who were not able to get it scheduled before the actual stop date of January 2022. Doing clinical hours in a hospital will only make you better.  There are some things, as nurses, that I never did as a medic, straight Cath patients, inserting a foley, and putting a gastric tube down ones nose or mouth, never had to as a medic. But when I started in the ER I made it clear to the other RN’s, who knew I was a medic before becoming an RN, and most are more than happy to show or talk me through the procedure.  Just don’t do things you have never done because now, as an RN, you can.  Speak up if you’re unsure of a procedure. They will think highly of you rather than if you try it and f’ up so badly or worse, hurt the patient.

   I know I kinda of got off topic and I apologize, but I get excited when I hear other students going through what I went through, at Excelsior.

  DM if you want to know more of my journey to become a Registered Nurse.

Thanks Emtpbill - my only concern really is that 500 hours and what else I'll need to do specifically for the state of Texas. I'm reading that I need to provide a self study report to the state? No idea how to do that. I guess I'm just hoping to find someone here in Texas that has recently gone through the school and can help guide me on what the state will require. When I contacted Excelsior and asked these questions, I was given the 'well - that's a state specific thing so you need to contact the State of Texas Board of Nursing....'

So I'm enrolled in the paramedic tocrn bridge from excelsior as well, did you ever find out the answer to your question? I can't find any info on it either.

@TX315 Do you mind telling me what ever happened with this? What form does the preceptor need to sign? I need to find out if my current job is acceptable for the provisional license.  

@Lucas @MiraJo - nothing's happened yet :) I'm still taking classes. Because I work full time on 48/96's with two young kiddos - and don't plan on leaving my current position at the FD I've only been taking one class every 8 weeks. I won't start my provisional license nonsense and all that for another year. Sorry I'm not much help just yet :(