warning to all excelsior students- i want all potential and current students to know what happened to my girlfriend. take it for what its worth. my girlfriend was a california excelsior student for 6 long yrs (worked full time, supported and took care of her 3 kids) . she spent thousands & thousands of dollars for very expensive books, tests (about $200 per test). skills bags ($150), dvd ($130) , flashcards ($25), audio cd ($25), workshop ($700), and the outrageously expensive and outrageously easy to fail cpne (the 3 day clinical examination that must be passed to receive your rn degree). she failed the first cpne (as way more than half do). that meant another $1800 to retake that. of course, there were airline tickets (about $500 per trip x 2), hotels (about $450 per cpne) and car rentals ($250 per trip). all together she spent close to $20,000 to obtain what is essentially a worthless degree. not one of the 14 hospitals she contacted would hire her when she told them she was an excelsior graduate. are you hearing me? not one. so, when they tell you they're accredited, yada,yada,yada - remember it doesn't mean you can get a job. she tried to enroll in 3 regular, legit college programs. they all refused her because she already had her degree and rn license. so now, she can't even do that. excelsior knew years ago there was a problem. they had the opportunity to work with the ca board of registered nursing. they didn't. if you don't believe me - go to their site. type in 'excelsior' and see for yourself. also, go to georgia's nursing website. see the problems there. nurses are being denied jobs because they're excelsior graduates!!! don't let this happen to you. go to a respected and accepted college.
Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.
Thanks!!! I know the safety net is there for repeats but it just seems like so many are failing lately and over just such minor things. I know we shouldn't base ourselves on what others do and just focus on ourselves. I truly have only one shot at this, sick child getting support from my neice to fly in and help my husband etc... and will not get that chance again. So, all or nothing for me. Thanks for the support!
I was in a very similar situation when I took the CPNE. Hugs to you- I can totally empathize. :heartbeat
Thanks!!! I know the safety net is there for repeats but it just seems like so many are failing lately and over just such minor things. I know we shouldn't base ourselves on what others do and just focus on ourselves. I truly have only one shot at this, sick child getting support from my neice to fly in and help my husband etc... and will not get that chance again. So, all or nothing for me. Thanks for the support!
I also feel your pain. I had 1 shot at it. If it didn't work out for me, I was thru. It is stressful, but the nursing functions are VERY basic. It can be done if you don't let nerves get to you. Just do what you know is right, and do it the way EC wants it. It will be fine. I passed each element the first time thru, even with the nerves.
Thanks to all of you. I know I can do this and getting the added oomph and support from you is just what I need and why I come here. So, if I get a little emotional I am sorry but when I see these other posts from people who haven't gone through what we have yet feel like they know everything it just gets to me.
warning to all excelsior students- i want all potential and current students to know what happened to my girlfriend.
few years back book companies were scamming people. she would have started when this problem was ramped. they have a huge "scam alert" on their site (at least they did) many people have been dupped by this.
while in the lvn program i was told many times that kaiser in ca. will not hire excelsior grads. (just repeating what many nurses told me)
your sharing your personal experience and your in alot of pain. watching someone you love go through this must be difficult.
excelsior has helped many lpn/paramedics reach their goal of becoming an rn. those who succeed spent alot of time researching what they were getting into and had ample of clinical experience prior to starting.
i was in that program and dropped it because i didn't feel like i had the support structure i needed. many people do not need that and do well with this program. i have finished my lvn program and i feel good about a rn program now.
joining excelsior is like being given a new rope.... you can either lasso your dreams or hang yourself.
Yep it costs alot of $ and heart ache but when I opened up the mail today and to see my RN state board lic., it was all worth it. I could not have done it anyother way, with family life and working full time....oh and it took me 7 years!
My sister-in-law is also an EC RN BSN MS and she never had any problem with being hired by a Hospital, in fact now she is an Adminstrator.
Some states are definately more difficult to work with.....
Sorry to hear bout your wife's issue with finding a job:banghead::banghead:. Was she working in a healthcare facility while she was in school? I did the excelsior program and it worked out for me:up::up:. I knew when I started that because I started after their deadline, I was unable to relocate to Cali, unless I wanted to work at a VA or Corrections. Is possible for you guys to relocate? Goodluck to both of you :bow:[/quote']
I just started the excelsior program, and it is expensive and I just failed my first exam that I paid for...I'm just wondering how can I get out of all of this mess if I continue to fail or if I want to quit now. I tried to stop payment once and the financial company would not allow me to stop payments. You have to pay no matter if you do it or not. That is terrible and a person doesn't really know how its going to pan out because you have to take it from one exam to the next then those dreaded clinical. I have been told, but not from the companies themselves, that I can do my precepting clinical at my current place of employment and at the local hospital in my area. The only downside is that I did not ask them beforehand and I didn't know to ask. I just took the sales rep guys word for it which is not a good thing to do. I did not know what I was actually getting myself into. I do know that if I study and pass the exams there is a chance that I can pass all of the rest and my clinical or there is a chance that I can pass my exams but not the clinical. I wanted what I thought was an easier way out and I got my wish, but always be careful what you wish for. No, I don't believe in magic and its got nothing to do with religion...it just has to do with what is real and by chance and by knowledge. I don't know what to do.
country Since you seem to have signed up with one of the publishing companies (Excelsior College does not employ salesmen), you are stuck with the contract. You could have cancelled in the beginning, but that time has passed. You can quit the Excelsior program, but you will still have to pay your debt to The College Network or whichever publishing company you signed up with. Your post does contain an inaccuracy. If you are with EC, you do not do a local clinical, but do the weekend CPNE at one of the testing sites. However, if you are in the Indiana State Univ. program, you would do a local clinical that you set up with your own preceptor and clinical site. Since you are started, why not give this program a chance so that you aren't out all that money for nothing? You can pass those tests and pass the CPNE just as well as anyone else.
I wanted what I thought was an easier way out and I got my wish, but always be careful what you wish for. No, I don't believe in magic and its got nothing to do with religion...it just has to do with what is real and by chance and by knowledge. I don't know what to do.
Excelsior's program definitely isn't an easy way out ... and I'm sorry you learned the hard way about signing contracts. Sounds like you signed up with The College Network. Which exam did you take that you failed?
I'm having a reeeeeeeeeally hard time understanding why someone would choose a program based on thinking it would be the "easy way out." I'm concerned when I see nurses that aren't academically minded and just want to get school over with but I'm also really worried about how people plan on learning how to give the best nursing care they can if they just want to slide by. One of my biggest pet peeves is a minimalist attitude. Drives me up a wall. Choosing a program that meets your logistical needs isn't what I mean (ie. I'm not downing EC) but choosing one because you think you can use it to skate by? Lame.
Actually, it depends on the state. Here in WA we have to do 200 hours of preceptorship after the CPNE before we can sit for the NCLEX. (I really don't care because once I am done with the CPNE 200 hours of work doesn't seem like much) Most people do it where they work but some have had issues at hospitals due to insurance so most that I know do their preceptorship at nursing homes etc... and don't seem to have an issue.
:banghead:. Was she working in a healthcare facility while she was in school? I did the excelsior program and it worked out for me:up:
:up:. I knew when I started that because I started after their deadline, I was unable to relocate to Cali, unless I wanted to work at a VA or Corrections. Is possible for you guys to relocate? Goodluck to both of you 
:bow:
BBFRN, BSN, PhD
3,779 Posts
I was in a very similar situation when I took the CPNE. Hugs to you- I can totally empathize. :heartbeat