Designed for Clinically Experienced Health Care Workers

Excelsior's rigorous nursing curriculum is tailored to the learning needs of adult students with substantial clinical experience, and other selected professionals who hold degrees in clinically oriented health care fields, including individuals having successfully completed 50% of the clinical component of an accredited nursing program. Examples include:

• Licensed practical / vocational nurses
• Paramedics
• Military service corpsmen
• Physician assistants
• Respiratory therapists

Rigorous Assessment

Based on an outcomes assessment model, the program includes the Clinical Performance in Nursing Examination (CPNE® ). A mandatory, hands-on clinical experience, the CPNE assesses a student's mastery of the full domain of nursing practice, including critical thinking and clinical reasoning.

Nationally recognized as reliable and valid, Excelsior's rigorous assessment of clinical competency across the lifespan delivers:

• NCLEX-RN pass rates comparable to the national average
• Consistently high ratings from supervisors

Recognized by Veterans Affairs Hospitals Nationwide

VA hospitals recognize Excelsior nursing program accreditation nationally, as outlined in the Hiring Policies section of the VA Nursing Brochure (PDF):

Minimum qualifications for appointment as a VA nurse are:

• U.S. Citizenship (non-citizens may be hired on a temporary basis when qualified citizens are not available)
• Graduation from a state-approved and NLN/CCNE accredited school of professional nursing
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a State, Commonwealth, or Territory (e.g., Puerto Rico) of the United States and in the District of Columbia
• Successful professional record for experienced nurses
• Personal interview
• Satisfactory physical examination (may include drug screening)
• English language proficiency