Anyone else studying for CCRN exam?

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  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 LPN school.
I believe Burnt is talking about her Critical Care Examination Review book. It is about $19 on Amazon.com (cheaper than her own website!).

How's the studying going car?

Yep, thats the one

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Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.

Hi my fellow CCRNers!!

How is the studying going?? I know it is a holiday weekend but is anybody hitting the books this weekend?

I am going to see if I can get our Education Department to order Dr Laura's DVD course for nurses to study. Unfortunately, they don't let people check them out, so they would have to view the DVD's in the ed department.... So many people have asked me how I did it and are interested in her course! I think the reason so many people have started studying but never kept going is they just didn't have the right material!! Dr Laura just helps you remember!! When I say ADH, you say

______!!! Who will ever forget that??

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Specializes in CVICU, MICU, CCRN-CSC.

Ok guys, I am getting discouraged. I don't have the Gasparis tapes, but I do have the AACN review course, the Dennison book (with CD) and the green Gasparis book with the questions. The AACN CD's are useless....the cardiac review one, the lecturer says "So,....) about a hundred times I can't listen to it any more, I want my money back. I take the test on the 18th. I am still scoring around 50 -70% on the pass ccrn quiz questions and reveiw the book when I don't understand something. Some of the things, we don't practice at my hospital. Like some of the vent settings. And we don't monitor SVO2. I have deceided I am going to take the test on the 18th and take my chances because I have to pay 100 to reschedule it. If I don't pass, I will give it up and buy the Laura tapes (which i should have bought first but I thought the ones fromn the AACN website would work since they do give the certification). Boy, was I wrong...those review CD's from AACN make me want to scream. So hopefully my two books and the CD will give me enough info....I am getting so discouraged I feel like an IDIOT when I get those results on the Pass CCRN quizes. I am reading all of the rationals and stratagies, even if I get them right. I guess this is more of a vent.....AAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHH.....

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Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.
Ok guys, I am getting discouraged. I don't have the Gasparis tapes, but I do have the AACN review course, the Dennison book (with CD) and the green Gasparis book with the questions. The AACN CD's are useless....the cardiac review one, the lecturer says "So,....) about a hundred times I can't listen to it any more, I want my money back. I take the test on the 18th. I am still scoring around 50 -70% on the pass ccrn quiz questions and reveiw the book when I don't understand something. Some of the things, we don't practice at my hospital. Like some of the vent settings. And we don't monitor SVO2. I have deceided I am going to take the test on the 18th and take my chances because I have to pay 100 to reschedule it. If I don't pass, I will give it up and buy the Laura tapes (which i should have bought first but I thought the ones fromn the AACN website would work since they do give the certification). Boy, was I wrong...those review CD's from AACN make me want to scream. So hopefully my two books and the CD will give me enough info....I am getting so discouraged I feel like an IDIOT when I get those results on the Pass CCRN quizes. I am reading all of the rationals and stratagies, even if I get them right. I guess this is more of a vent.....AAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHH.....

It is OK...relax, you still have lots of time. Have you been able to identify your weakest areas? Cardiac is the largest area and with that being your specialty, that will give you a big plus. For endocrine, know acute hypoglycemia, DKA, HHNK, SIADH, and DI. For renal know ARF and CRF and the major electrolyte disturbances, also prerenal causes and renal causes of failure. For GI know liver failure, *Pancreatitis, bowel infarct, esoph varices. For multisystem, know *sepsis, SIRS, common injuries coming into an ED, a little bit on burns, OD's, & poisonings. For Hem, know DIC, sickle cell crisis, the function of B cells and T cells and the Oxyhgb dissociation curve. For neuro, know the bleeds, how herniations present (uncal vs supratentorial) and meningitis, know what to do to decrease ICP. With the synergy model, that's not difficult, don't stress out on that one. Now, I personally don't know what to tell you on Pulmonary...that was the hardest part of my test! But definitely now how to interpret ABG's, ARDs, PE(how do they present), asthma (in the ICU setting), COPD, Pulm contusion, flail chest.

With Cardiovascular being 32% and Prof care and ethical practice being 20%, that is over half the test you should have NO problems with!!

The GI, Endocrine, Hem, Renal and (to a lesser degree) Multisystem sections of the test were really straight forward on my exam. If you can concentrate on those few major diseases/pathologies in those areas, you will have no problem with those areas.

You CAN do this!! Try to relax...some of the questions on Dennison are the exact questions on the exam (I don't know how she gets by with that, but oh well....) You CAN do it without Dr Laura's course...people do it ALL the time. If you need any help with any specific areas, let me know. I don't remember any of the test anymore, I will help you just from my own preparation.

Hang in there! :yeah::yeah::yeah: you can do it!!!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiac, Education.

Hi CVICU RN,

A little pre-test jitters are normal. Everybody gets them.

Do you have the 88 page application packet? Go through the packet and do all the test questions in there (even the PCCN, CMC, CMS, Pediatric CCRN, CCNS........all of them!) It will help you get an idea of what types and format of questions you may get.

Another way to calm your nerves is to buy the $50.00 SAE (self assessement exam) on-line from AACN. It will help you practice, but you also get contact hours for it. http://www.aacn.org/certcorp/certcorp.nsf/vwdoc/SAEEXAM

Don't reschedule your exam; trust me...........it will just prolong your agony!!!

Review the books you have and keep taking the practice quizzes.

Make sure you are focusing on the things that are on the test blueprint. http://www.certcorp.org/certcorp/certcorp.nsf/e2adc54ac4b1fc078825692f006d1826/9fbcc3eace387e5288256671007795f8?OpenDocument

Focus on cardiovascular and pulmonary. Know ABG interpretation, ACS and anatomical localization of acute MI on a 12 lead EKG, ie know which leads are inferior, septal, lateral, etc and what the possible complications are.

Review the other categories following the test blueprint.

Also make sure that you know normal lab values.

As you are currently taking the practice exams in the resources you have purchased keep track of why you miss each question that you miss.

Did you miss it because you read the question or the answers incorrectly. If so, make yourself slow down and read more thoroughly.

Did you miss it because you are totally unfamiliar with that particular content. If so, review some more in that area.

Did you miss it because you "read too much" into the question. If so, stop doing that............take the question at face value. All of the necessary information to answer the question is supplied.

Focus on key words such as best, initial, priority, post-op etc to give yourself clues about the question. Also, the priority in answering critical care questions is always Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability. Actual problems are always higher priority than potential problems. And pain and patient safety are also important.

After that.............most of the test is mental. Tell yourself going in that you are an excellent test taker, that you are a competent critical care nurse and that you will do well on the exam.

Go down and check out where the exam location is about a week ahead. Plan where to park. Plan to arrive a little early the day of the exam. The proctor will orient you to the computer and will give you some practice questions. Your test "time" doesn't begin until after you finish the practice questions.

If you feel yourself freaking out during the exam.........take a few deep breaths and remind yourself again that you are an excellent test taker, that you are a competent critical care nurse and that you will do well on the exam.

You can mark questions that you are unsure of and go back to answer them at the end. If you really don't know the answer at the end.........narrow it down and take an educated guess.

Have faith in yourself. The CCRN exam is difficult enough that you will feel challenged...........and you will truly feel that you have accomplished a goal when you are done................but it is not so difficult that it is impossible.

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Specializes in LPN school.
The AACN CD's are useless....the cardiac review one, the lecturer says "So,.... about a hundred times I can't listen to it any more, I want my money back. Boy, was I wrong...those review CD's from AACN make me want to scream. S

Haha, my unit has the cd's I made MP3s with the intention of listening to them....you're so right about the cardiac one....it drove my wife crazy when i'd listen to it on speakers (..."sublingual nifedipine......arrrrgggg! the way she says that makes my skin crawl")

I agree the audio is useless.

Keep plugging at it - to repeat the oft said advice: start practicing the mental aerobics of doing a couple hundred questions in one sitting, so you don't mentally fatigue on test day

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Specializes in LPN school.
I took the review class this year as a sort of intro to the material. Now I want to get a good review book, then take the class again next year, then perhaps seriously prepare for the exam. Any recommendations for review books?

The gasparis materials

don't get audio of anything - get videos if you want the multimedia experience

Dennison's PASS CCRN is pretty cool too - the cd anyways

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Specializes in LPN school.

Well guys, I just took the first 150 Dennison test - and I BOMBED it: 64%. I'm reviewing the questions now and a TON of them are the really easy ones (a surprising amount of the synergy ones.... *shame*) that I just clicked an answer without really thinking about it.

The complex ones I think I spent more time on and generally I got them right, although pulmonary I got 57% on so I really need to review that. And hemo. And more cardiac.

This CD is a GREAT diagnostic tool though; it's too bad they don't sell the CD alone for a reduced price.

Don't feel too bad, CVICURN - I'm in the same boat you are :-) We'll pass it; this just lit a (new) fire under me

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Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.
Well guys, I just took the first 150 Dennison test - and I BOMBED it: 64%. I'm reviewing the questions now and a TON of them are the really easy ones (a surprising amount of the synergy ones.... *shame*) that I just clicked an answer without really thinking about it.

Aww Burnt, cut yourself some slack. I think I made a 49% on my first shot at the 150 question test. I agree, it is a great diagnostic tool!

Hang in there; you WILL PASS.

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Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.

Hey Burnt!

64% is great for your first time through! My scores were low the first pass through too. You only have to improve by about 6%!!! You will do great...just keep plugging away!!

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Specializes in CVICU, MICU, CCRN-CSC.
Well guys, I just took the first 150 Dennison test - and I BOMBED it: 64%. I'm reviewing the questions now and a TON of them are the really easy ones (a surprising amount of the synergy ones.... *shame*) that I just clicked an answer without really thinking about it.

The complex ones I think I spent more time on and generally I got them right, although pulmonary I got 57% on so I really need to review that. And hemo. And more cardiac.

This CD is a GREAT diagnostic tool though; it's too bad they don't sell the CD alone for a reduced price.

Don't feel too bad, CVICURN - I'm in the same boat you are :-) We'll pass it; this just lit a (new) fire under me

I am going to review pulm tommorrow and take the Dennison 150 test...I'll post how bad I stink at it tommorrow.....:uhoh21::uhoh21::uhoh21:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CVICU, MICU, CCRN-CSC.
Well guys, I just took the first 150 Dennison test - and I BOMBED it: 64%. I'm reviewing the questions now and a TON of them are the really easy ones (a surprising amount of the synergy ones.... *shame*) that I just clicked an answer without really thinking about it.

The complex ones I think I spent more time on and generally I got them right, although pulmonary I got 57% on so I really need to review that. And hemo. And more cardiac.

This CD is a GREAT diagnostic tool though; it's too bad they don't sell the CD alone for a reduced price.

Don't feel too bad, CVICURN - I'm in the same boat you are :-) We'll pass it; this just lit a (new) fire under me

I am going to review pulm tommorrow and take the Dennison 150 test...I'll post how bad I stink at it tommorrow.....:uhoh21::uhoh21::uhoh21: I love the CD I wish there were more available. That is the only way I studied for the NCLEX.

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