Anyone currently studying for the CEN exam??

Specialties Emergency

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Hi!!

Is there anyone else out there who is currently studying or is planning to take the CEN certification exam sometime in the next 6 months or so who would like to start a thread as a study and support group?

Personally, I have just started this process and would really like to have a support system through Allnurses.

Thanks very much!! Hope to hear from you soon!!

Specializes in ER, SANE.

I did not know if I wanted to stress during National so I am going for the good info and the good time. I always love to meet new people and enjoy visiting with everyone! I will be with a group from Kansas! Hope to see you there!

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Specializes in er.

:nurse:

I just started studying for my CEN> I ordered the review book from ENA thought it may be most helpful. Has anyone purchased the practice exams or have any other suggestions?

joy:)

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Specializes in ER/PICU/Amb. Care.

Joy,

I have been studying for a couple of weeks, about 10h a week. I am entering my final semester for Adult NP & expect to take both cert. exams in late winter. I purchased the ENA Core Curriculum, it is a fine book but lacks real depth. Additionally, I have the audio CDs from MedEd, they are excellent, I listen to them in the car as well as home . I recommend them. Laura Gasparis' CEN review book is a book of exam type questions that I am also finding beneficial. Lastly, I make flashcards at flashcardmachine.com It is free and I will share them if you like. If you make some we can share. Its really easy & free. The more I study the more confident I feel. I am an RN for 10y with ER,PICU & ambulatory care experience. Let me know how your studying is going. Its nice to know Im not alone in this endevour. Best of luck.

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I already mentioned this earlier, but wanted to reiterate, PLEASE think about the basics, the ABCs and the nursing process. If the question is about what you would consider for a patient just arriving, remember you'd always assess before acting. Also, on the ABCs, I found several, probably 4 or 5, where I think I probably got them right because I chose "A" (airway) over the "real world answer". The only example I can think of was about a patient who comes in hypotensive and tachycardic. In real life, you'd start a line and give fluids ASAP, but on the test, there's a "put the patient on oxygen", can't remember if they were also SOB, but in any case, I still think most of us would jump to the "C" and start an IV and give fluids, but I answered using the "A" answer, which was oxygen, and you don't get results about exactly which answers you got right/wrong, I remember thinking there were several questions just like that, and I passed with several more right answers than I'd needed for a passing score.

VS

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Specializes in ER/PICU/Amb. Care.

Thanks VS,

I have found this to be also true in the exam question books am using ABCD then move on, thanks.

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I am going to write the Exam for the Third time. It is sooo much better now that there is only 175 questions. Before you had 250 questions. But the exam is very very picky and you have to know your stuff.

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Specializes in Emergency, Peds, Amb. Surg.

From Mike, RN, CEN

I passed and so can you.

I took a Paragon CEN exam review course. Two days. This after ACLS, PALS, TNCC etc. Then I reviewd the sylabus and used the ENA/BCEN on line test source. One 50 question, one 150 question.

I really did not study that hard. I mean, this is what I do as a profession.

I took the test, done in 2 hours and am now a CEN.

It is doable but you have to have that burning desire.

Sadly, the texts supplied are two years out of date.

Email Cheryl at Paragon Education. She does small courses, Courses on cruise ships and she saved my bacon.

Go for it, ACEP wants us to be CEN's, we want board certified ED Docs..so get on board and good luck.

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Specializes in ER.

Pass!

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Specializes in ER, Trauma, ICU/CCU/NICU, EMS, Transport.
From Mike, RN, CEN

I passed and so can you.

I took a Paragon CEN exam review course. Two days. This after ACLS, PALS, TNCC etc. Then I reviewd the sylabus and used the ENA/BCEN on line test source. One 50 question, one 150 question.

I really did not study that hard. I mean, this is what I do as a profession.

I took the test, done in 2 hours and am now a CEN.

It is doable but you have to have that burning desire.

Sadly, the texts supplied are two years out of date.

Email Cheryl at Paragon Education. She does small courses, Courses on cruise ships and she saved my bacon.

Go for it, ACEP wants us to be CEN's, we want board certified ED Docs..so get on board and good luck.

I've got a course that I put on as well. Big, small, local, nationwide - just get in touch with me. right now we're taking registrations for one in Greenville SC Jan 31-Feb1, 2009.

Send me a private message if you want more information.

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA,PACU.

I am taking this exam 2 weeks after. Once you pay for the test--you will have 90 days to take the exam. What I do is reveiw the test questions of the sheehy's Reviewer for CEN. This week --I will have to read it for the 5th round.

Hopefully--my style works--by just reading the questions over and over again--it will be more engaged to one's mind.

Godwilling-- I will pass the BCEN test.

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Thanks to everyone for all your recommendations for review materials. I'm a new grad who has been in the ER for almost 6 months and am planning to take the CEN exam within the year. My work requires that I be certified within a year of starting in the ER, so I'm planning to buy the MedEd CDs (so many of you highly recommended them) and the ENA Review Manual to study each week for the next 6 months.

A NEW edition (second edition) of Lippincott's Q&A for Emergency Nursing is going to be released Sept.4th, 2012. Planning to buy that as well when it's released. Should be good!

Still debating whether to buy the Pass CEN. I've seen mixed reviews. Anymore thoughts on that book??

You all are so encouraging...I'm feeling less fearfull after reading this thread and more mentally focused and determined to pass this test :)

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Specializes in Emergency, Med/Surg, Vascular Access.

Let us know what the new Lippincott book is like! The reviews on the older edition seem pretty mixed.

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