Anyone else studying for CCRN exam?

Specialties CCU

Published

  1. I have or would like to get my CCRN certification: (you may select more than one)

    • 851
      Yes
    • 17
      No
    • 365
      If yes: I get some kind of financial reward or incentive to achieve and maintain certification.
    • 331
      If yes: There is no financial reward or incentive at my institution for CCRN certification.
    • 360
      If yes: I have or can have CCRN on my name badge or there is other forms of acknowledgement.
    • 291
      If yes: I find the certification has empowered my practice and would encourage others to pursue it.
    • 13
      If yes: It really hasn't been worth the work and I would discourage others from pursuing it.
    • 5
      If no: I don't have the certification and feel no need or have had negative experiences.
    • 53
      If no: I would like to pursue it, but have had difficulty getting motivated.
    • 12
      I am undecided.

379 members have participated

Is there anyone else out there who is currently studying for the CCRN exam and would like to start a thread as perhaps a study and support group? I have just applied for the exam and have not yet set a date, but about in 3 months is when I will be taking it. I would love to be in communication with others in the same boat! I hope there is at least one other nurse out there! Thanks!

deeDawntee

Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.

Hey Burnt!!!

Thanks for asking. I found this article about the benefits of hypothermia to protect brain function in pt's who have had cardiac arrest. This describes exactly our protocol.

http://www.news.vcu.edu/vcu_view/pages.aspx?nid=1486

Yep still watching him warm up. We can't even use finger sticks to check blood sugars. Can be too much stimulation and put a pt into v fib.

Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.

OK my fellow CCRNers!! I am giddy with excitement and joy!! I am sitting here with the patient I was talking about last night who was warming up on the hypothermic protocol. Before I left, the neurologist was here and it didn't look good. He had negative doll eyes, no response to pain, the only improvement was a very weak cough reflex with suctioning. I wasn't very hopeful when I left. But when I came back to night, the man is back, there is a spirit back in his body!! He is following commands, moving all extremities and can answer simple questions by nodding or shaking his head. I even had to get a restraint order so he wouldn't pull out his ET tube. I have never been so joyful in my whole career having to call for a restraint order!!! It is truly miraculous. The family doesn't even know at this point. I hope one of them calls so I can tell them or that someone comes in early. The family wants a family conference tomorrow to discuss end of life issues. They don't know how well he is doing!!! Isn't that the coolest?? (no pun intended) I just had to share with somebody!!!

:lol2::lol2::lol2:

Specializes in MICU, CCRN.

This hypothermia protocol sounds very interesting, I wonder if we have a similar one on our CVICU...we don't on our MICU. I might have to check into it Do they use this protocol for anything else besides cardiac MI's/arrests? I don't know anything about it. :)

Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.

I googled hypothermia treatment and there isn't much out there about it as yet. I know that it is fairly new. There is an actual cooling vest with a sticky substance on it that sticks to the skin, and goes around the abdomen, lower chest and legs. There is a machine called "Arctic Sun" which is manufactured specifically for this kind of thing. You take a core bladder temp (usually) and hook it to the machine, and it does everything else for you. It takes about 8-10 hours to get the body cooled down to about 91 degrees and they stay at that temp for 12 hours. That is when paralytics and sedatives are used. You do not want these people shivering, they need to be totally at rest, with no metabolic demands whatsoever. Then it takes about 12 hours to rewarm them. The heart is very susceptible to vfib when it is cold. You stimulate them as little as possible. No finger sticks. Turn them gently. If they are a larger person they are put on a rotation bed so that we don't have to move them whatsoever. I am looking into more information about it. Apparently an article was written about it in one of the recent nursing journals. It is truly miraculous.

Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.

OK everybody how is studying going? I haven't studied for several days with my work schedule and need to get reinspired. Anybody have any word of inspiration out there? How about you Hooz??? You CCRN certified nurse you!!!!

:zzzzz:zzzzz:yawn::yawn::bugeyes::bugeyes:

Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.
OK everybody how is studying going? I haven't studied for several days with my work schedule and need to get reinspired. Anybody have any word of inspiration out there? How about you Hooz??? You CCRN certified nurse you!!!!

:zzzzz:zzzzz:yawn::yawn::bugeyes::bugeyes:

Hooz has been busy at work, LOL.

OK, here's my inspirational message. I decided I am NEVER going to take that test again :lol2: I am going to keep my certification current by doing CEUs or whatever is required. It's sort of like the NCLEX...........none of us want that experience again ;)

Another study tip that might help - take a week off of work and do nothing but study for CCRN. That worked for me. The on again/off again study did nothing for my retention of the material. Take good notes during the Dr. Laura tapes so you only have to ask once.

I had to laugh, the woman next to me next to the test was making weird body movements and I could tell she was going through the mnemonics for SAIDH from the tapes. I almost started laughing! I constantly had Dr Laura statments going through my head during the test, like "when I say SAIDH, you say WATER". I highly recommend the tapes!

Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.
Hooz has been busy at work, LOL.

OK, here's my inspirational message. I decided I am NEVER going to take that test again :lol2: I am going to keep my certification current by doing CEUs or whatever is required. It's sort of like the NCLEX...........none of us want that experience again ;)

Another study tip that might help - take a week off of work and do nothing but study for CCRN. That worked for me. The on again/off again study did nothing for my retention of the material. Take good notes during the Dr. Laura tapes so you only have to ask once.

I had to laugh, the woman next to me next to the test was making weird body movements and I could tell she was going through the mnemonics for SAIDH from the tapes. I almost started laughing! I constantly had Dr Laura statments going through my head during the test, like "when I say SAIDH, you say WATER". I highly recommend the tapes!

Thanks HOOOOZZZ!!!! Don't you absolutely love that woman!!

Honest to God, I love to say to people at work: "Another life saved for 1/3rd the salary of a plumber!!" or "You need a nurse to save your life!!" Thanks for the inspiration!!! :lol2::lol2::lol2:

Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.

Check out this CCRN video from Youtube!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSt_QCiG1Iw

Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.

Two thumbs up to this video. Please notice in the first sentence she says, as long as you score 100% of some areas; you will pass the CCRN.

Please note ********I have said before I am very weak in cardiac******* Heck, I had to teach myself how to read a 12 lead EKG and which lead were what. Despite my weakness, I passed.

To give you some motivation, the following were my scores:

cardiac - a measly 53% :trout:

pulmonary - 86%

endocrine - 100%

hematology/immunology - 80% (I thought? I was very strong in that area)

neurology - 100%

GI - 71% (thought I was strong in that too!)

Renal - 67%

multisystem (shock, I love shock) - 80%

professional/synergy model - 92% (these are therapeutic communication questions.......easy, peasy) :lol2:

See my friends - you can do it. Look at my 53% in cardio - hard to admit to in the CVICU forum :monkeydance:

Pick something easy and make sure you know enough to score 100% in. That is my tip for the day, (a day consisting of 4 nights in a row totaling over 55 hours, and 14 hours today :uhoh21:)

And Dawn, I wished I worked with you......I think we could have lots of fun and be very productive together.

Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.
Two thumbs up to this video. Please notice in the first sentence she says, as long as you score 100% of some areas; you will pass the CCRN.

Please note ********I have said before I am very weak in cardiac******* Heck, I had to teach myself how to read a 12 lead EKG and which lead were what. Despite my weakness, I passed.

To give you some motivation, the following were my scores:

cardiac - a measly 53% :trout:

pulmonary - 86%

endocrine - 100%

hematology/immunology - 80% (I thought? I was very strong in that area)

neurology - 100%

GI - 71% (thought I was strong in that too!)

Renal - 67%

multisystem (shock, I love shock) - 80%

professional/synergy model - 92% (these are therapeutic communication questions.......easy, peasy) :lol2:

See my friends - you can do it. Look at my 53% in cardio - hard to admit to in the CVICU forum :monkeydance:

Pick something easy and make sure you know enough to score 100% in. That is my tip for the day, (a day consisting of 4 nights in a row totaling over 55 hours, and 14 hours today :uhoh21:)

And Dawn, I wished I worked with you......I think we could have lots of fun and be very productive together.

That is sooooo sweet Hooz!!! Hey, I have 3 dogs at home!!! Dogs are the best and I love shock too. They are the funnest patients!!

OK where do you live, maybe we'll have to move!!!! hehe

HEY and those scores look damn good for someone who partied in Vegas the week before her CCRN exam, you little stinker you!!!!

I'm looking at doing my exam 8/13, I am not sure yet, or 8/23. I'll let you know. (I have until 10/10 but don't want to wait that long).

Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.

I'm looking at doing my exam 8/13, I am not sure yet, or 8/23. I'll let you know. (I have until 10/10 but don't want to wait that long).

Exactly! I had until December to take my CCRN for my work bonus. 4 bucks an hour which they already paid me for.....as long as I passed before December I retained the 4 bucks an hour.

Why wait till December when I could take it now? I wanted that test OUT OF THE WAY! :trout:

Will PM you where I live......don't want to reveal my identity! If someone were to study hard enough on my user name; they would know where I lived :idea:

Specializes in CVICU, MICU, CCRN-CSC.
Passed :monkeydance:

If I did it, you all can do it too! I have finally figured out what the synergy model is---------a fancy name for therapeutic communication. I loved those synergy model questions :wink2:

There was a lady at the next computer BANGING her calculator for about an hour disturbing me. I don't know what test she was taking, I didn't need a calculator for anything. Total test time=2 hours, 3 hours allowed.

Thanks for your encouragement!

:balloons::balloons::balloons::balloons::balloons:

:biggringi:pumpiron::icon_hug:

Congratulations!!!!

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