Whadda u think about the college network?

Nursing Students Online Learning

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All of the good and bad...i want to hear it ALL...trying to make up my mind..my bestest friend just signed her life away with them.

Yes I realize that EC has the CPNE to test your clinical skills just like any standard nursing curriculum does each semester, which I have passed, time and time again in nursing school throughout each semester in my four years of nursing training, the hesi exit exam however is a whole different category in itself, it's ten times harder than the board exam, it's a third party vendor and they don't have adequate preparation skills for students to pass it, yet they claim they do, ha, spent enough useless money on that, they just sell their exams to schools in an effort to make money and the schools use it to protect their accredidation....and that's hesi..anyone care to argue..I have seen it first hand, three times failed and it has no bearing on whether a person will pass their boards or not, I passed my boards the first time but failed hesi three times, where is the validity in that, because there is none, and they know it..I am not going the traditional route any longer because they make it impossible to become a nurse, "sciences too old, nursing credits don't transfer" etc..

Online is much more flexible, they will take sciences and other gen ed classes, one step at a time and they let you do it at your own pace...that is what I need in my life more than ever..skipped two commencement ceremonies in the last year...one I should have graduated from but didn't qualify because of hesi, and one I did qualify for today but didn't have the heart to attend because it wasn't my nursing degree, Thank You Saint Joseph College for haunting me 2 years in a row..you really know how stick it and make it really hurt...GREAT POLITICS and caring for students!!

Sorry but this is the truth, comments appreciated but don't knock another school untill you have gone to the one that did this to me and others...

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Pediatrics, Peds Psych, ect..

ITs too expencive they do not "work" with excelsior nor are they endorsed by them. Be very careful i find that people who get the text books as per excelsior get higher grades on the exams and fail less. Do your research there are many yahoo groups you can join

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I would urge ANYONE who has had problems passing a standardized test to not attend Excelsior. The CPNE is NOTHING like traditional programs. It is not a clinical teaching experience. It is like a two day clinical exam on steroids. The level of expectations are HIGH. No offense to anyone but people pass the HESI everyday. Blaming the test and not taking any responsibility for not passing is a HUGE red flag. The CPNE is $2,000+ (with travel, meals) a pop and after the third fail you are out. I would hate to see a second program go to waste because of a final hurdle.

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im looking for a nursing program also and tcn is coming to see me next week...........it seems very expensive.............im also looking at community colleges...........right now i cant find a job as a lpn so anything expensive is out of the question.............

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Specializes in Pediatrics/Adult Float Pool.

just beware when you speak to tcn that you do not have to sign a contract that day--if you do, you will be stuck, regardless of if you finish the program with excelsior or not. take some time and read what you are getting. ask questions of the salesperson. if it works for you, great. if not, keep on moving! that was my big let-down. had too many questions for the guy and wasn't sure i wanted to sign. he got really pushy and rude. you do not have to have tcn,...i almost did it, just because it would be "easy" to have someone mail me what i need when i needed it. glad i didn't, i have come through excelsior's program just fine on my own, with the help of all the people here and on the excelsior message boards. i won't say that tcn is horrible, i know several people who are using them and seem to be doing fine. it's just that you'll owe them the $6-7000 to go through them, plus the actual cost of excelsior-somewhere around $895 to enroll, $440 to stay enrolled each year after the first, about $300 for each of the nursing exams (there are 7 or 8) plus $65 for each practice exam (invaluable!) and then another $495 for grad fees. and $1950 plus travel expenses for the cpne. i know, you've probably heard it all before, but i'd check ebay before i signed a contract...you won't have tcn's "support", but you'll be saving several 1000 dollars and you've got us! good luck in whatever you decide!

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im looking for a nursing program also and tcn is coming to see me next week...........it seems very expensive.............im also looking at community colleges...........right now i cant find a job as a lpn so anything expensive is out of the question.............

Cancel the appointment with TCN if you don't want expensive. Instead, visit the EC website, http://www.excelsior.edu, to learn about their program. Bypass the unnecessary $5000 plus contract with TCN for several binders of info that you can buy used on ebay for $15 to $30 apiece, if you want to bother with TCN study material.

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Specializes in Home care, Case Management, Pediatrics.

;)It took me to post to a couple of forums to find some relief. i signed up with tcn and was worried that I sold my soul to the devil after reading all the negativity. Thank God that I read this one, although it is old forum.

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Specializes in cvicu.

linda -where do you take your exams at -i have program for 4 yrs and need to do -.leta

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I am using TCN, I like it. and yes you have to pay for convenience, I need it I don't have time to look for and read a lot of nursing books. I have passed all my coruses so far,no complaints here.you have to be motivated to do the program.LINDA

So was the material on the test covered in the binders you got?

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Not sure if its TCN or ISU that actually sets up the clinicals/preceptors for you. Sorry...I should have been more clear on that part but the point is the same which is that it is part of this particular program. No you don't need to go through them *unless* you are getting your degree through ISU which they have a partnership with for the LPN to BSN program.

So I had the guy come today and I signed and everything :) really excited. This is how the clinicals work for LPN to RN; for most states in which you are going to be licensed require some clinical hours on top of the CPNE, in that case what you will do is the foot work; find a site where you want to go, talk to them see if they will take you and then contact your rep or the school and they will do all the contracts for you. Now there are some states, like mine :), that do not require any other clinical hours from LPN to RN other then the CPNE, in this case don't worry about it.

Now I have a couple of questions. I don't really care about the money aspect, this tuition was sooooooo much cheaper (around 10000) then going back to Carrington (Apollo, 25,000) or any other tech school which will charge you no short of 18000+, which I would have to move across the country for..... so I am not quite sure why people are saying they are outrageous, because all private colleges are and hate to break it to ya but if you went to a vocational school like me, those credits an't transferable, but I digress. What I want to know it what are the test like and do the modules you buy help? What's the deal with Excelsior not taking College Network's credits??? Because they do, I have a friend who did the same thing and had no problem with enrolling in Excelsior, and last why is the clinical weekend so hard? What is it that people fail at?

Thank you, hope to hear from someone soon!

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ITs too expencive they do not "work" with excelsior nor are they endorsed by them. Be very careful i find that people who get the text books as per excelsior get higher grades on the exams and fail less. Do your research there are many yahoo groups you can join

What does this mean? I know that you can go from TCN to Excelsior, but what does working with them mean??

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

TCN is not a college. They are a provider of study guides, period. They add thousands to the bottom line. You can buy their modules used for a TINY FRACTION of the price. They are not affiliated with Excelsior at all. Excelsior warns prospective students about these companies:

About Test Preparation Services - excelsior.edu

Again, TCN is not a college ... you do NOT earn credits with them.

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