EC Students - CPNE Eligible Group :)

Nursing Students Excelsior

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Thought I would start us a thread to keep up with our little group of people that have finished or will be finishing the last exam in the next few weeks.

Me, I am done with exams, scheduled my FCCA and it will be here next week with completion by months end. The only other little obstacle is my PF Info Lit course, waiting on my book now, should be here this week. I plan to knock it out the day it gets here.

Its been a long year. I enrolled in July 2011 and finished my last exam this month. I am so ready to get done with this program and get out of a job I hate and get into a job I love.

I'm in VA so I have a few hoops to jump thru to get licensed, I will apply for and actually work in NC.

I'm hoping to schedule my CPNE for June/July and will probably go with NPAC, I have heard great things about Albany and Syracuse, so it looks like New York will be my best bet. I am scared to death of NY, I'm used to dirt country roads but will deal with it when I get there. I would really love to find someone here that I can possibly meet up with at the test site to go thru this nightmare with me, seems it does work out sometimes where a few of us do manage to have the same dates/sites.

So, where is the rest of CPNE ready folks at? For those of you working tirelessly to get that last exam in and make the deadline for the paper FCCA.......work hard and get it done so you can join in with the madness of the CPNE prep.

Lisa

Specializes in Cardiac.

Just finished Info Lit thru Penn Foster, didn't do as well as I wanted because I was in a hurry to get it done, but its done. I need to call and get my transcript sent tomorrow. FCCA has been mailed in, hoping to get my pass email this week. I have all of my paperwork in line for CPNE, I get my physical tomorrow morning. Everything is falling into place, finally! I have been watching Sheri Taylor videos in the online workshop, focusing on care plans for now. I have learned ALOT! Its making it seem a little more doable. So happy to be moving forward!

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Specializes in Cardiac.

FCCA was graded today (Tuesday), I think I mailed it Friday. Passed! Not a bad turn around. My CPNE status is unchanged and I am impatiently waiting for that to open up for Application. I have everything in line except for the SPAC background, still waiting on it to be completed, should be any day now.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Oh Lord! I just finished reading the entire cpne study guide, over two days. I took notes along the way and made a list of the critical elements. Some areas seem easy, some not so much....especially the ones at the end for Enteral Feeding and such.

I am so happy that part is over. I learned alot from the guide especially about care plans and little specifics here and there. Still waiting on my background check. They called today to see if I wanted to proceed with my order for the SPAC package (duh I paid for it), but since I had ordered the one for NPAC a week earlier, they wanted to make sure it wasn't an error. I changed my mind and decided to go with SPAC.....I need that thing like now, I want to apply and its all I am waiting on.

I'm working on my study plan over the next few days on how I am going to practice daily. I know I will write out a grid daily, do at least 1 lab daily. Care plans come from Sheri a few a week. Still working out the kinks and want to devote at least 2-3 hours a day of practice, since I am not planning on testing till June I will have 2 months to get it down.

I work 11-7 nights and have a good hour downtime at night (on good nights) and I plan to practice on some of my patients at work. I have a few who are night owls and like to hand out with me and talk so I plan to practice, practice, practice - the excelsior way. I have to chart of several pts nightly, I'm trying to figure out a way to incorporate my narrative notes into my actual charting I do at work. Like, going the extra mile to chart a narrative note based on information gained from on of the assessments. Still working on that part though.

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Specializes in wound care, sub-acute, community nursing.

getting closer foy you!! I'm still waiting for the FCCA to comeon the 9th!! I'm taking A&I lit in a few weeks and Sociology the week after that...then no more non nursing courses! yahoooooooo. :yelclap: I'm going to the MD next week to have my medical form filled out by the doctor (and get my PE while there) I also have to update my CPR too. I also need a passport. Hoping to sign up for Sherri's workshop mis April and start that. I have read almost the entire study guide.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Bumping this up for the current group. I am waiting on that background check to be finished and I can apply for my CPNE. Hoping tomorrow.

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Specializes in wound care, sub-acute, community nursing.

Nice!! I can't wait to apply so I can start a workshop. I really don't want to do that until I have a date. Get my FCCA MOnday :)

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Finally got everything in order and have officially applied for my CPNE. I put a ready date of May 25th.....hoping! I plan to call and call and call to see if there is a cancellation date....I really want to get this done.

I had an issue getting the background check uploaded since it was a PDF so I only uploaded the front page in jpeg and just emailed the full report. Hoping its ok. I'm so excited to get here......now the real fun begins!

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Specializes in wound care, sub-acute, community nursing.

Yes...it will be books and more books practice and more practice from here on out for you. I am enjoying a small break now. Been trying to study sociology--but man--it's boring. I need to start getting everything in order so I can apply as soon as I am eligible. Hoping to have my FCCA graded by 4/16. Then I can apply and hopefully apply in Albany or Syracuse for July, this will give me 3 month of study time...maybe August at the very latest. May will be crazy for me with the kids still in school and SOOOO busy with sports I don't see myself devoting the time I need to take that month so I can devote all of June and July to studies. Good luck!! Keep us posted on your CPNE date!!:yelclap: You will do well, I can just tell!

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Remember I got my FCCA two days early that I was scheduled, since yours is due to you Monday you may even get it Friday or Saturday. Open that sucker up and get busy. I know yall are going to laugh but it really is a stupid easy as it appears to be, especially one section....took 5 minutes top to do it. The others, go with your gut instinct and knock it out and mail it back. THere is no reason to hold it for 10 days when it can be done in 2 days or less if you just sit down with your book and do it. I must have done it completely correct because I got no feedback or corrections, just a "congrats, you passed" and that was it. Mine was received on Monday and graded on Tuesday.

FYI- if you are going to SPAC, order your background check NOW....it takes forever because they have to verify your employment and that requires a form be filled out adding in another challenge of waiting on another person.

My NPAC background check was done in less than 12 hours....so no biggie there. Everything else is fairly doable in a short time frame if you have a valid CPR cert that is current. I used a copy of the photo I had to have made for my NCLEX - PN 2 years ago because I look the same. Health form was no biggie.

I know the website says that the CPNE application will be reviewed and completed in 7-10 days by EC....I wonder if I call once its complete and accepted, if that is too early to check for cancellation dates? Any vets out there care to comment on that part.....am I overly ambitious?

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Specializes in homecare, rehab,sub acute.

Wow Nervous1 your moving full speed ahead !! Im right on your heels, lol :) I am currently waiting for my FCCA to arrive on monday. I completed Info Lit this past weekend now all I have to do is clep Analzying Lit. I plan to apply for CPNE at a MPAC site as soon as I am eligble. I just printed the application and Im am getting documents together so it will be ready to go in the mail when the time comes. I am also setting up my home lab w/ dummy. I still have to order a few more things and I plan to get Rob's CPNE DVD's this week and start watching that while I wait for the 500 pg studyguide to arrive. I also want to start Sherri's online workshop in a few weeks to work on careplans. I have been on sick leave from work for a week and a half and had lots of time to think. I have decided that I need to devote all of my time to studying so when I return to work Monday I am resigning as Unit manager/ MDS coordinator so I can be a staff nurse, I need to perfect my clinical skills and I really don't need any added stress from my job at a crucial time such as this. I work 12-15 hours somedays if I am on call manager or when state surveryors pay our facility a visit. I don't want to risk not being prepared for my clinical because my job put so much pressure on me. I just thank god I passed all my exams in 7 months ( I enrolled in aug) with all the stress I was/am under at work. I think that stress also put a fire under my bum to finish quickly! My family supports my decision and I feel a ton lighter. This group really gives me encouragement also. The fun is really starting now. :) So exciting !!

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Specializes in wound care, sub-acute, community nursing.

I'm getting excited too. I went for my physical today and had titers drawn (I couldn't get my old records so did it all again) I just want then FCCA to arrive so I can get that going. Winters, we are on the same schedule!! when do you plan to take the CPNE?

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Specializes in homecare, rehab,sub acute.

BostonNurse I plan to test in June or July at a MPAC site :)

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