Excelsior College Required Exams for ASN Degree

Excelsior College requires that you pass certain nursing and general education exams to earn your Associate of Science in Nursing Degree. Study for the Excelsior courses using Rue Learning Systems™ and Nursing Exam Preparation materials, then take and pass the standardized exam to receive credit from Excelsior College.

 

You may already have some college credits that may be transferable into this program. All of these nursing and general education exams may not be required. Rue’s Educational Consultants can help you determine what courses you actually need to earn your degree.

 

The following exams are required to earn your Associate of Science in Nursing Degree from Excelsior College:

 

Associate of Science in Nursing Degree
Total Degree Credits Required: 67



 
General Education Requirements 
Credit Hours
Information Literacy (a)
1
Written English Requirement (b) 3
Humanities
6
Social Sciences
        Life Span Developmental Psychology
3
        Sociology
3
Natural Sciences and Mathematics

        Anatomy and Physiology (c) (j)
4
        Microbiology (j)
3
        Mathematics 
2
Electives (d) (e)
6

Total General Education

31



 
Nursing Component

PHASE I
 
  Transition to the Professional Nurse Role* (f) 3
  Essentials of Nursing Care: Health Safety 
3
  Essentials of Nursing Care: Health Differences (h)
3
  Foundations in Nursing Practice** (e)
3
PHASE II
 
  Reproductive Health*** 3
  Health Differences Across the Life Span 1 
3
  Health Differences Across the Life Span 2 
3
  Health Differences Across the Life Span 3 
3
PHASE III
 
  Focused Clinical Competencies Assessment (FCCA) (g)
2
  Managing Multiple Patients/Working in Interdisciplinary
  Health Care Teams (g)
2
PHASE IV
 
  Clinical Performance In Nursing Examination (CPNE®) (i)
8

Total Nursing

36

 
 
(a) Rue does not have a Learning System for the Information Literacy course.
(b) This requirement must be completed within the first 13 Excelsior College credit attenpted.
(c) The Human Anatomy and Physiology requirement can also be met by: Anatomy (2 credits) and Physiology (2 credits).
(d) Requirements for the AS degree include a minimum of 6 credits of arts and science electives.
(e) Requirements for the AAS degree include a minimum of 6 credits of free electives or arts and science electives.
(f) Students are eligible to take this requirement when all 8 of the nursing theory requirements and 21 of the required 31 credits in general education are successfully completed.
(g) Essentials of Nursing Care: Health Differences can be waived if you hold a valid and current U.S. LPN/LVN license and have demonstrated success on the NCLEX-PN within five years prior to enrollment in the School of Nursing. Submit a copy of your LPN/LVN license and official transcript to Excelsior College as part of your enrollment so they can validate your license and award you credit for this examination.
(h) This examination may be scheduled after the entire FCCA requirement is successfully completed.
(i) Must be completed no more than five years prior to the date of enrollment in Excelsior College and before any nursing component requirements.

 

Course Descriptions

 

You may already have college credits that can be applied to some of these Excelsior nursing and general education courses. Contact a Rue Educational Consultant to learn more.

 

Essentials of Nursing Care: Health Safety (3 credits)
This examination tests the ability to apply concepts and principles related to medication safety, physical safety, emotional safety and environmental safety. In addition, application of the nursing process to care for patients across the life span in relation to common health needs such as health promotion, wellness and self-responsibility is tested.


Essentials of Nursing Care: Health Differences (3 credits)
This examination tests the ability to apply concepts and principles relevant to the nursing care of patients across the life span with common health differences related to nutrition, elimination, oxygenation, fluid and electrolyte balance, rest and activity.


Foundations in Nursing Practice** (3 credits)
This examination tests the ability to apply concepts and principles in a community setting relevant to the nursing care of patients across the life span who are experiencing chronic illness, disability, or end of life, with primary health concerns including comfort, pain and sensory impairment.

 

Health Differences Across the Life Span 1 (3 credits)
This examination tests concepts and principles related to the application of the nursing process to care for patients across the life span who are experiencing health differences related to cardiovascular and respiratory illness or abnormal cell growth.


Health Differences Across the Life Span 2 (3 credits)
This examination tests concepts and principles related to the application of the nursing process to care for patients across the life span who are experiencing health differences related to behavioral, cognitive, regulatory, and metabolic dysfunction.


Health Differences Across the Life Span 3 (3 credits)
This examination tests concepts and principles related to the application of the nursing process to care for patients across the life span who are experiencing health differences related to musculoskeletal disorders, infectious and communicable diseases, tissue trauma and neurological dysfunction.

 

Reproductive Health*** (3 credits)
This examination tests the ability to apply concepts and principles related to the application of the nursing process to the care of patients across the life span with nursing care needs related to human sexuality, congenital anomalies, genetic and reproductive disorders. In addition, this examination tests the nursing student’s ability to care for the childbearing family.

 

Transition to the Professional Nurse Role* (3 credits)
This examination tests concepts and principles related to the professional role development of the registered nurse. Emphasis is placed on supervisory and delegation functions of RN practice as well as differentiating levels of RN practice. In addition, the examination tests factors affecting the healthcare system, knowledge and skills necessary for functioning on interdisciplinary teams, legal, ethical, and educational aspects of nursing as well as the influences of history, nursing organizations, and regulatory bodies on nursing practice.


Anatomy & Physiology (6 credits)
This exam includes an understanding of anatomical and physiological factors involved in the functioning of major body systems, with emphasis on systems that maintain, integrate, and control body functions.

 

College Mathematics (6 credits)
Tests for material generally taught in a college course for nonmathematics majors and majors in fields not requiring knowledge of advanced mathematics.

 

English Composition (6 credits)
This exam assesses the ability to do the kind of writing that explains, interprets, analyzes, or presents and supports a point of view, as well as to apply the principles and conventions of standard written English.


Ethics (3 credits)
This exam measures ethical knowledge as it applies to practical ethical situations. Application of knowledge about ethics is accomplished through the use of case studies and related sets of multiple-choice questions. Knowledge categories include basic theories and concepts such as utilitarianism, natural law theory, justice, duties and obligations, and rights.


Foundations of Gerontology (3 credits)
This exam covers concepts and definitions, demography and statistical/empirical trends. It covers the biological, physiological, and sociological aspects of the aging process, death and dying, economics of aging, work and retirement, and political and public policy.


Introductory Psychology (3 credits)
This exam includes topics such as learning and cognition, behavior personality, perception, motivation, emotion, lifespan development, and social psychology.


Introductory Sociology (3 credits)
This exam deals with social institutions, stratification, social patterns, processes, changes, and the sociological perspective. It emphasizes facts and concepts as well as general theoretical approaches.


Life Span Developmental Psychology (3 credits)
This exam covers developmental psychology throughout the life span. It measures understanding of the concepts, covers principles and theories associated with life span development, as well as the ability to apply this understanding in specific situations. The ASN student will be expected to integrate content across the stages of the life span.


Microbiology (3 credits)
This exam tests for a knowledge and understanding of bacteria, algae, fungi, protozoa, viruses, and their relationships with humans. It includes introduction to microbiology, biology of microorganisms, control of microorganisms, disease and resistance, biology of infectious diseases, and industrial and environmental microbiology.


Religions of the World (3 credits)
This exam reflects an interdisciplinary course of study of the major religions as viewed in their social and historical contexts. It draws content from sociology, psychology, and philosophy.

 

*Course previously known as Transition to the Registered Professional Nurse Role
**
Course previously known as Essentials of Nursing Care: Chronicity
***Course previously known as Essentials of Nursing Care: Reproductive Health

 

Material compliments of Excelsior College.