Masters in Healthcare Admin or certificate?? Any ideas or suggestions??

[rebel100]

One thing about Excelsior's program is that it does not qualify for federal financial aid because it's test-based. You have to take out private student loans to fund the program. There are less protections with private student loans if you are temporarily unable to pay them back for whatever reason. Since Excelsior's website is down right now for maintenance, I can't verify if the loan program they work with has variable interest rates. I know many other private student loans do. I think Excelsior offers some scholarships, though. You also have to verify if Excelsior's program qualifies for licensure in your state. Some states do not recognize the degree.

All valid concerns, you certainly need to work out the issues. I would urge paying as you go. Used books from ebay/amazon, pass a test, study for the next...it doesn't get truly expensive until your near the end. Of course expensive is relative. Last time I looked the only state that had no provision for Excelsior students was California, and even they made an exception if you had a couple thousand hours working in another state.

[sanantone]

Since the website won't be up again until later tonight, I can't check it. According to this article, California and Maryland will not license Excelsior graduates. 13 other states have restrictions or additional training requirements.

Some states reject nurses from NY online school - The Pulse - timesunion.com - Albany NY

If this article is accurate (and up to date), some of these additional requirements are difficult to meet. Some states require that you have to be licensed and practice for awhile in another state. Georgia seems to require 1 year of experience as an LPN or to do a post-graduate preceptorship. The additional training hours required by some states can be another financial hardship if these aren't paid experiences.
What States Will Accept a Nursing Degree From Excelsior? | eHow.com

[rebel100]

Since the website won't be up again until later tonight, I can't check it. According to this article, California and Maryland will not license Excelsior graduates. 13 other states have restrictions or additional training requirements.

Some states reject nurses from NY online school - The Pulse - timesunion.com - Albany NY

OK...so your possibly restricted from two states. South Carolina isn't one of them...work in one of the other 48 states plus Guam and Puerto Rico.

I'm not at all convinced this would be the best course for the OP...but I think it opens a lot more doors than any Masters. It's also a building block approach that gives a couple of plateaus along the way about every 12-18 months where she will enjoy slightly higher pay and access to a larger colleague pool that can help her position herself for success.

[sanantone]

I found this on another forum, but this is from 2009.

1. canada-canada nurses: only lpn's qualify for the excelsior college program if they reside in canada.
2. alabama
alabama state board evaluates excelsior graduates on a case by case basis. since 2000, any graduates with significant hours of rn experience may apply for endorsement and possibly be accepted for endorsement by the alabama state board. contact the state board for details.
3. arizona
excelsior students will have to complete 120 hour precepted experience set up by excelsior college, after finishing the associate nursing degree requirements. then they may apply for the nclex-rn. students may endorse into the state with 960 rn hours. (9/2006)
4. california
all excelsior adn graduates who enrolled on or after december 6, 2003, may apply for endorsement with an unencumbered rn license and will be considered by the california board of nursing on a case by case basis. contact the state board for details.
5. colorado
colorado asn graduates sitting for boards: anyone registered before january 1, 2006 will be grandfathered in with no changes to them as long as they keep their registration with excelsior active by paying the applicable maintenance fee each year. those who complete an associate degree and are not lpns will need 750 additional clinical hours. those who complete an associate degree and are lpns will need 350 additional clinical hours. the state of co is currently working on a plan to make those additional clinical hours available. (9/2005)
6. florida
florida state board accepts all lpns. non-lpns doing the rn program through excelsior college can still endorse into florida, however the state board will now require 2 years of rn experience outside the state of florida.
7. georgia
georgia state board only accepts excelsior college graduates through reciprocity if enrolled before july 08. see these links:
information from georgia secretary of state press office
important information for excelsior students and graduates in georgia...
8. illinois
all graduates must endorse in with 2 years of rn experience.
9. kansas
kansas residents: check with the kansas state board of nursing about additional clinical hours needed.
10. kentucky
this board is requiring that all graduates of all nursing schools do a 120 hour preceptorship upon completion of the nursing program.
11. louisianalpns or graduates with 50% traditional nursing school clinical hours who complete the excelsior college nursing program may apply for the rn examination. all non-lpn graduates must endorse in with 6 months rn experience
12. maryland
all graduates enrolled on or before july 24, 2006 and graduate before december 31, 2007 will be eligible to apply for the rn examination or endorsement. contact the state board for details.
13. north dakota
all graduates may endorse in with 400 hours of rn experience
14. oklahoma
for initial licensure, students are required to pass two 30-hour precepted experiences in psych and ob administered by excelsior college before graduation.
15. vermont
vermont residents and excelsior college: you will need to take your state boards outside the state of vermont and work 480 clinical hours (roughly 12 weeks) before you can transfer your rn licensure into the state of vermont. (11/2006)
16. virginia
effective may, 2008: virginia board of nursing has passed a new regulation that says anyone not enrolled with excelsior college by april 2 of 2008 will not be allowed to sit for state boards. those who were enrolled as of april 2, 2008, will have to complete their degree by december 31, 2009.
17.
washington
only lpns with 200 hour precepted experience set up through a washington nursing commission approved facility may apply for examination. graduates who were originally lpns may endorse in with minimum 200 hours rn experience. all non-lpn graduates with rn experience may be denied endorsement and will have to appeal any denial.

[GoodYellowDogs]

Remember too that with a nursing license in ANY state, you can work for the federal government as a nurse (i.e. fed prisons, the VA), evern in CA and other states that do not license Excelsior graduates.

OK...so your possibly restricted from two states. South Carolina isn't one of them...work in one of the other 48 states plus Guam and Puerto Rico.

I'm not at all convinced this would be the best course for the OP...but I think it opens a lot more doors than any Masters. It's also a building block approach that gives a couple of plateaus along the way about every 12-18 months where she will enjoy slightly higher pay and access to a larger colleague pool that can help her position herself for success.

[rebel100]

Remember too that with a nursing license in ANY state, you can work for the federal government as a nurse (i.e. fed prisons, the VA), evern in CA and other states that do not license Excelsior graduates.

And that's generally at the top of the pay scale...and they will often take an LPN.

[sanantone]

It is hard to get into the federal government, especially if you don't have vet points.

[bsinsc]

Thanks for all the replies!!! I have researched the hell out of this and have tried an alternate route to get the RN to no avail. There is one LPN program locally which does not meet the criteria for transfer into an RN program. There used to be 4 programs, but they have all folded due to the fact that most hospitals at least where I live, are phasing out LPN's. CA does have an LPN by equivalency which I applied for. The program is bit odd in what they ask you to prove. I was denied because I lacked the time in maternal child nursing. They gave me credit for my CNA and CMA if I recall. At the time, I thought well I might revisit this another time. It wasn't very pressing at the time. I again talked to Excelsior about getting into the RN program if I got the LPN by equivalency and they kind of acted like had never heard of that and it wouldn't work. I have heard that in SC, there are roadblocks to getting the RN if you graduated from Excelsior. However, there are now a handful of schools that have the LPN to RN bridge. I guess this has been sooooooo frustrating for me that I just decided that the door must be closed if I cannot get through it no matter how hard I try. Again, that was before I really needed the job with the $ attached. Now I have looked into several MSN programs that do not require you to have the RN before applying. You actually get the RN a year into the program! This is the best option except for the fact that the schools that offer this are nowhere close by and are extremely competitve to get into. So, I would have to try and move for 2 years somehow. I am getting nowehere fast with all of this. I think I might just go sell cars......

[cookderosa]

Thanks for all the replies!!! I have researched the hell out of this and have tried an alternate route to get the RN to no avail. There is one LPN program locally which does not meet the criteria for transfer into an RN program. There used to be 4 programs, but they have all folded due to the fact that most hospitals at least where I live, are phasing out LPN's. CA does have an LPN by equivalency which I applied for. The program is bit odd in what they ask you to prove. I was denied because I lacked the time in maternal child nursing. They gave me credit for my CNA and CMA if I recall. At the time, I thought well I might revisit this another time. It wasn't very pressing at the time. I again talked to Excelsior about getting into the RN program if I got the LPN by equivalency and they kind of acted like had never heard of that and it wouldn't work. I have heard that in SC, there are roadblocks to getting the RN if you graduated from Excelsior. However, there are now a handful of schools that have the LPN to RN bridge. I guess this has been sooooooo frustrating for me that I just decided that the door must be closed if I cannot get through it no matter how hard I try. Again, that was before I really needed the job with the $ attached. Now I have looked into several MSN programs that do not require you to have the RN before applying. You actually get the RN a year into the program! This is the best option except for the fact that the schools that offer this are nowhere close by and are extremely competitve to get into. So, I would have to try and move for 2 years somehow. I am getting nowehere fast with all of this. I think I might just go sell cars......

Those programs are full time (40+ hours per week) and very expensive. I don't think it's 2 years unless you have a non-nursing bachelor's, but that could be wrong. The ones I looked at that were direct entry MSNs did, but that might have been because I "did" have a BA at the time, I can't remember. I think you're up touching the 70k range.
Still, the traditional RN path (ADN--> BSN (or BA) --> MSN) is the cheapest by a landslide. Aboout $45k for the whole process, with a time investment of about 4 1/2 years (assuming you use the BA instead of BSN option).

If I were starting this path, I would earn my BA at TESC using all of the typical pre-reqs inside that degree. This includes lab sciences and A&P with labs. This would fill the natural science requirements plus the general education electives. I would test out of EVERYTHING except nursing pre-reqs, and all the while working as a CNA or CMA part time. If I had to, I'd apply for financial aid to support this process, taking advantage of the Pell grant and 1 year of a student loan. This process would allow me to apply to the local community college RN programs (by local, I'd go up to about 45 minutes around my town). I'd start the first cycle I was accepted. I'd transfer in all my TESC courses, and essentially be left with clinical +
With my uninterrupted CNA/CMA experience, a kick-butt score on my NCLEX, and stellar letters of rec from my employer for the past 2 years, I'd look for a med surg job at the local hospital. I'd pay off my 10k student loan at break-neck pace, picking up every shift I could. I'd "pay my dues" for 1 year, and start investigating distance learning options for an MSN/NP option. At the 1 year mark, if I had the option of employee reimbursement, I'd use it- if not- I'm paying myself. I'd get through the next 2 years of advance practice nursing school WHILE working locally, and I'd graduate. I'd apply back to work with one of the doctors I'd impressed over the past 2 years, and bam, I'd have a career. It would be summer/fall 2017. In the direct entry option, it would be 2016. Not a big enough incentive *for me, when you look at the cost and time involved.

[bsinsc]

Thanks Jennifer (cookderosa)......I do have my BA from TESC so could conceivably get into one of those direct entry MSN programs. I agree that they are expensive, but it just sounds like the best way to get it all done it the least amount of time. I have completed all my pre-reqs for nursing school, but will need to take them over again because they are all over 5 years old which sucks! I'm also up against the fact that even the basic courses english, math etc will not transfer in to most any program from TESC since I tested out. The local tech school here will only give me credit for 2 cleps! so to them I don't even have a BA. I really don't have time to start from scratch....What a quandry!