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 CCRN.

Burnt 2

I noticed you comment:

"i'm also taking the mp3's to work on my ipod just in case it's slow. "

How did you transfer this to mp3? I have the DVD copy, am I able to do this as well? I'm rather new to mp3's and downloading audio. Any help would be greatly appriciated. I am unable to get online at work and would love to have a way to study while working, or in transit.

Thanks.

Stressgal

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Specializes in LPN school.

Erm.....ended up using the twice-as-toughs and a couple security guys at work last night, so I didn't get to listen to those mp3's

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Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.
Erm.....ended up using the twice-as-toughs and a couple security guys at work last night, so I didn't get to listen to those mp3's

OK Burnt, you have lost me on that terminology. What is the twice-as-toughs? Sounds like locked restraints perhaps? Drug OD?

I had a pt with a pressure in the 70's, an EF of 10%, vented and on Dobutamine/diprivan. She had infarcted with clean coronaries!! Trops and CKMB's sky high. Recent lung CA with questionable mets to the brain. Then I had a 23 yo who has some congenital nephropathy with a creatinine of 2.3 who was doing coccaine, marijuana and ETOH. He came in with a pressure of 220/140's/Nipride gtt. and a severe head ache. So my night flew by? Not much time to study. But an interesting case or two.

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Specializes in LPN school.

Ooo, that vented patient sounds interesting....some kind of anoxic injury maybe? did she arrest? air emboli?

I love those kind of patients

twice as toughs are our hospitals super-restraints

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Specializes in MICU, CCRN.

This is what I love about the ICU, figuring out mysteries. I love working at a large teaching hospital, we have a lot of patients that make us "think" ;)

Guys, I have been slacking this weekend. I've been getting migraines almost everyday the past couple weeks, I finally get to go to the neurology clinic this coming week. Maybe I'll feel up to studying later in the week. Anyone else know when they're testing yet? I still haven't decided:uhoh21:

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Specializes in CCU/ICU.

I am planning on taking the CCRN exam in the near future. I am trying to find some online material without having to buy too much to study for it. Let me know what you find out!

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Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.
I am planning on taking the CCRN exam in the near future. I am trying to find some online material without having to buy too much to study for it. Let me know what you find out!

YYYYAAAAAYYYYYY BeckyKRN, you have found the right thread!! This is what the consensus here has been basically: Get Laura Gasparis Vonfrolios DVD course it is $150 from her website greatnurses.com. Some people have found it on ebay and you could certainly sell it on ebay afterwards if you felt you could part with it!! (She is something else, what an empowering teacher, you may want to keep it!!) Then get her book of questions for the CCRN and their rationales: Critical Care Examination Review by Laura Gasparis Vonfrolis, the best price for this is on Amazon.com 19.11. Also there is one more highly recommended resource Pass CCRN by Robin Donohoe Dennison, it is a huge resource which is good for a reference only, but what is important is that it comes with disc of questions only and their rationales. People on this thread said those questions were a very helpful practice. I'm not sure what the going rate is for material maybe 40-50, you can get that on Amazon.com. Also people on this thread have found some really good websites.

http://www.chartingandassessment.com/CCRN (from ruralRN) and http://www.pacep.org (from Burnt2).

I am so glad that you have found us!!! Hope this helps, others will respond as well.

:groupwelcome::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2::lol2: the 9 of us after we pass!!

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Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.

Hi everybody!

How was the weekend? How is studying going? I have to share with you all a patient I had this weekend. He is a 55 yo 3 ppd smoker who came in with pneumonia and was intubated. This man's lung's are so tight and his COPD so severe that he has an internal PEEP of 30 (without being vented). OK, I don't understand how that is even possible? I just don't get it. Air is constantly trapped in his lungs.

Has anyone heard of that before? This is the first time for me!

The guys fingers are clubbed, obviously he's been in bad shape for a long time. Very sad. They have his vent set at a PEEP of 8. (Why?)

I'll have to try to google this and see if anything comes up. Very strange. I know that COPDers are CO2 retainers, but I thought that meant in the blood gasses. I am confused. No one last night at work seemed to know either. :confused::confused::confused:

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I have such a tiny brain though....oh well, you're right....I tend to have a negative attitude sometimes

does anyone here do cvvh/prisma? I'm looking for some kind of online ed thing

We do CVVH/CVVHD. Our current machines are through Baxter but we will be changing to Nexstage soon. Try searching for CRRT (continuous renal replacement therapy).

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Specializes in LPN school.
Hi everybody!

How was the weekend? How is studying going? I have to share with you all a patient I had this weekend. He is a 55 yo 3 ppd smoker who came in with pneumonia and was intubated. This man's lung's are so tight and his COPD so severe that he has an internal PEEP of 30 (without being vented). OK, I don't understand how that is even possible? I just don't get it. Air is constantly trapped in his lungs.

Has anyone heard of that before? This is the first time for me!

The guys fingers are clubbed, obviously he's been in bad shape for a long time. Very sad. They have his vent set at a PEEP of 8. (Why?)

I'll have to try to google this and see if anything comes up. Very strange. I know that COPDers are CO2 retainers, but I thought that meant in the blood gasses. I am confused. No one last night at work seemed to know either. :confused::confused::confused:

Man that's alot of physiologic PEEP. PEEP of 8 seems entirely insufficient - did they have him set on some kind of pressure support mode with target volumes? Maybe they loaded him with so many beta agonists that it opened him up a little

I may be wrong, but i think an inverse I:E (like 3:1)sometimes helps with those people with wicked stiff lungs

............this is a great ccrn thinking type scenario right here

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Specializes in LPN school.

Addendum: what was his blood pressure with that kind of peep? talk about putting the squeeze on the heart

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Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.
Addendum: what was his blood pressure with that kind of peep? talk about putting the squeeze on the heart

He was on Vt of 580, his systolic pressures were 130-150's. How does that kind of physiological peep develop? The vent was IMV at 22. There was no overbreathing the vent. I had him on Diprivan at 90 mcgs for the night. When I came on he was diaphoretic, although afebrile. I stripped him down, gave him a good bath, got him a fan. He seemed much more comfortable with the cooler temp and the higher sedation (for the night anyway). This poor man at only 55 had been living in a VA home. Estranged from his family and had some severe OCD.

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