I'm scheduled in Mansfield, OH 3/20-3/22, and I don't have the time or money to go to a workshop. I am going to purchase the DVD from Excelsior. I'm just terrified that I'll get there and blow it. I'm a LPN and I work on a med/surg floor; I've looked over the study guide and it seems pretty simple to me, and I'm afraid that I'm overconfident. Need advice, support, encouragement, etc ....

Kim

I recommend Robs CPNE robescpne.com. Also frequent the EPN CPNE board at Excelsior College website to get your questions answered. I really encourage you to memorize all the critical elements to each area of care because if you forget a step during the assessment or forget to doceument a step then you will fail the PCS. Forget about your medsurg experience when preparing for this test. Focus on knowing the Studyguide inside out and knowing how to do all the labs the Excelsior way. Many people fail with hospital experience because they are so use to doing it their way. If its not done the Excelsior way then you could sabatage your weekend. Also many people pass without attending a workshop. Just practice until you know it like the back of your hand and get your nerves under control because it is a very stressfull weekend. Good Luck and I wish you the best!

A lot of people pass without a workshop. (A lot of people fail, too!) I didn't pass, but I am still not convinced that a workshop was necessary. However, knowing your critical elements is necessary. The EC DVD was useful in that it did show the flow of the weekend. I would recommend Rob's DVD as well along with the EPN and utilizing the EC staff for care plans and questions. There is a lot of stress management that goes into this CPNE. I wanted out when I got to PCS #4; I didn't really care anymore. Of course, the result speaks for itself.

Don't waste your money on the Excelsior DVD. Seriously. Buy Rob's.

I passed without a workshop. I do recommend Robs CD and EPN. Know your critical elements,use mnemonics, a grid, and practice the labs until you can do them in your sleep! It is not a test of your hospital skills,forget that and do it all their way. No exceptions!

my cpne starts tomorrow afternoon :sofahiderand the one thing i can tell you just from studying for this test is 50 years of icu nursing experience will get you nowhere for this experience... i have completely had to retrain myself to think the way the that ec wants me to...when you have been a nurse for a while then you learn the shortcuts and eliminate what is not needed just due to lack of time. there is none of this with this test and you must readjust yourself to take things step by step...after saying that this is nothing that you probably don't know very simple basic nursing skills. what has tripped me up is the paperwork. i hate care plans with a passion ...i find them useless and a waist of time:barf02:. this is one of the things that was pointed out to me in my workshop...as a lvn i am a workhorse, i can hit the floor running in what ever med-surg situation you put me in (thank you:thankya: agency nursing) however, i was like "what the h*ll is this " when presented with all this paperwork..yikes ...why write it down good grief just let me do it:yeah:... i can critical think all day long while working on the floor but where i fall short is getting it down in paper:hdvwl:..not documentation ...

i took a workshop in the beginning of my studies way back in jan 2008 then again about 3 weeks ago to finalize things. i took the same workshop , clinical prep exam with lynn fredrick. to me she cuts the crap and gives me just what i need...i know it's been done many times but i don't see how people pass without doing a workshop. i see so many little things that result in failure and that study guide is 500+ pages for me it is just way to hard to sift through...however, i have read the whole study guide i just needed my reading reinforced....