Pros and Cons of Excelsior Nursing Program

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[Dave]

I have received many emails relating to the Pros and Cons of the Excelsior Nursing Program.

So I would like to put up a page on this topic to help those trying to decide what path to take in their education.

I need your help, so please chime in with pros and cons and I will put it all together.

Thanks Dave

[lenbow]

Pro:  No traffic
Pro:  No waiting period to start
Pro:  No homework
Pro:  No timeframe-you can go as slow or as quick as you want
Pro:  No classtime
Pro:  No interference with work

Cons:  Many different sources to study from, have to figure what works best for you, not others

[Lisa, RN]

Pro: Getting credit for already having knowledge! And for having had clinicals, and healthcare experience.

Con: It takes a LOT of discipline to make yourself study on your own, when you're not accountable to anyone else. Except yourself.

[jjodii]

Pro- You are able to work it around your life.
Pro- It is a self-motivating experience.  Once you get a taste of success... that drives you to the next test, and so on.
Pro- There are so many people who have done this before us, and with us... that created a lot resources and support to pull from (like this message board).

Con- Misconception that this way is a "shortcut".
Con- It does require time to study.  You have to find that time.
Con- It is EXPENSIVE.  Especially for those who fall for paying thousands of dollars for 3rd      party study guides... OUCH!

[becky214RN]

Pro-you have a test scheduled and you are not ready...don't fail it, just reschedule it.

Pro-if you do fail a test, you can re-take it.

Pro-No attendence points lost because your child is ill and you can't make it to class.

Pro-You can continue to work a full time job on what ever shift you desire...no lost wages while you go to school.

Pro-Support...support...support...Study groups like this with thousands of people to support each other.

Pro-It is a pay-as-you-go program.  You don't need to drop thousands of dollars at a time...even the CPNE can be paid for in 6 payments.

Pro-immediate gratification of knowing your grade as soon as you test. 

Con-Your entire clinical is your final exam...done with strangers in a place you have never been.

Con-If you fail a test you have a waiting period before you are able to re-take it and you pay full test cost again.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
For those who think they can not do this because they will never be able to find the study time...where will the study time come from for the traditional program?  You don't FIND time too study..you MAKE time to study.

For those who think it is TOO expensive...a co-worker of mine paid $14000 (tuition and books and "fees"...and could only work part-time while going to school..and had to accept a shift she did not like. 

For those who feel they do not have the discipline...try a single course...get the book from eBay, test when ready...before enrolling.  Some of the basic courses can be done before actual enrollment.

[Lisa, RN]

One of the biggest PROs I've experienced so far is how empowered I feel, doing things this way. Maybe it's just my inner control freak exerting herself, but I feel like I'm totally in charge of my education, you know? And I'm doing this on my own, but at the same time I'm not alone -- and I have you peeps to thank for that! Awwwww. 

[adoradawn]

Aloha,

Thank you!! I very much appreciate your posts, as I am concidering entering the L.P.N. to R.N. program. I would like to enter a.s.a.p. Though I have concerns:
1. Do people who graduate get hired? Do employers repect this program?
2. Are there really instructors to awnser questions?
3. What other resources are there for the students in this program?
4. How do I connect with other people in the L.P.N. to R.N. program?
5. Is this program as rigorus as a traditional program?

All responses are greatly appreciated.
Have a beautiful day and study hard!!!
Looking forward to your reply!!

Mahalo,
Adora
adoradawn@hotmail.com

[becky214RN]

Welcome aboard!
1. My employer is paying about a third of my expendature for going through Excelsior...and there are former grads practicing in the area around me, so yes...we get hired and are respected.
2. Yes, you can contact academic advisors.You can even contact the "librarians".  Excelsior is there to help you find success.  If YOU are successful, then they will be too.
3.Many books may be purchased from eBay to keep costs down.  You may use the virtual library.   The practice tests for each course are wonderful!  This site is a wealth of support and information!  The people who post here are fantastic!  Someone is sure to have some input on any topic or problem.  I could not have come this far without them.
4. Connect through this forum and through others like Yahoo and TCN.  You can post questions or comments (as you did) and you can also send a message directly to an individual.
5. The program is as rigorous or as laid back as you make it.  You go at your own pace.  I started off only able to study a few hours a week...then I had the opportunity to step it up...and have since taken 7 exams since July 16th...You set it yourself.

Hope this helps!
BeckyJ

[tater.jake]

Pro- You are able to work it around your life.
Pro- It is a self-motivating experience.  Once you get a taste of success... that drives you to the next test, and so on.
Pro- There are so many people who have done this before us, and with us... that created a lot resources and support to pull from (like this message board).

Con- Misconception that this way is a "shortcut".
Con- It does require time to study.  You have to find that time.
Con- It is EXPENSIVE.  Especially for those who fall for paying thousands of dollars for 3rd      party study guides... OUCH!

I disagree that it is expensive, except for students who get duped into 3rd party  publishing companies. I project my cost to be $5000 from start to finish. Tuition at Idaho State University is upwards of $2200 per semester for residents and $6542 for not residents. When you take in to account the freedom to study on a night shift at work, or whenever else you can, it's actually significantly cheaper to go with excelsior.

[lenbow]

Tater.jake, I like the price too And no sitting in lecture halls.........

[helloimlost]

EVERYTHING depends on how many courses you need to take and how DISIPLINED you are.  I only had to take 6 courses and Im on my 2 year.  I took 2 tests did great and then stopped .  really sad, but now im rockin and will be an RN this year.  Im a single father with full time medic job so its easy to lose focus.  Not any more.  there are programs (non colege that will get your RN in 18-24 months) out there and some of them including colleges that also take excelsior and CLEP.  How motivated are you???  thats really what matters.  Good luck 

[teresa_anderson2]

PROS:
1.) Classes when you want, where you want
2.) Ability to tailor classes to your learning style
3.) Ability to budget according to your finances, not tution deadlines
4.) Accredited by NLN
5.) Cheaper when compared side-by-side to traditional programs (usually fewer prereqs fees ect.)
6.) If mathematically challenged no math classes
7.) Accepted by most colleges because of NLN accredidation
8.) Ability to drop a class if needed and start right back where you left off!!
9.) As much interaction as you want OR don't want
10.) Ability to move during program without transferring EVERYTHING
CONS:
1.) Must be self motivated!!!  If not you're dead.
2.) Must be able to self assess, strengths and weaknesses (cannot be a procrastinator, you will never test, you will never be "ready")
3.) Little direction, need tons of self confidence
4.) CPNE waiting period
5.) Little companionship with peers, little sense of community
6.) Biases regarding distance learning programs (even thought it is the way of the future by all reports)
7.) It is STILL school!!
8.) No way to suck up to instructors (no brownie point system)
9.) CPNE pass or fail, in clinicals you can mess up and someone stops you and you START again, not go home
10.) CPNE is not usually in home town, must travel
**PROS, definitly outweigh CONS, but still it must be the right program for the right individual, don't kid yourself, if you had a hard time studying in a traditional program, this might not be for you.  Part of you must be into self punishment, lol, or definitly be self motivated or self directed.

[uni verse]

Lots of Pros as others have pointed out

Biggest Con: Not accepted country wide...we need to get together and make our case with these errant nursing boards who seem to think that all learning is done in schools...there is a supposed nursing shortage in the country and they are shutting out perfectly qualified RNs for no reason

Yet they are happy to recruit overseas RNs...

Sometimes i wonder if there really is a nursing shortage?!!!

Cheap work force?

somethings not adding up here folks

[hottiemom04]

???NEED to know what the prerequisites are that need to be completed. EC website is so confusing. i'm just starting out and i don't want to take something i REALLY don't need. can someone please help??!!!!!!!!!!!1

[Lisa, RN]

???NEED to know what the prerequisites are that need to be completed. EC website is so confusing. i'm just starting out and i don't want to take something i REALLY don't need.

Have you actually applied to Excelsior and had your transcripts evaluated? This is the ONLY WAY to truly know what you need to take. Anything else is just hearsay!