Big Ups myself. Got my CCRN after only 6 mths of study and 1 yr of exp

TreceRN · Jul 22, 2003

I passed on the first time after working only one year in ICU/CCU. It's a wonderful accomplishment and speaks to your dedication and commitment to professional nursing. Our ICU/CCU has over 80% CCRN staff. I've heard most hospitals run less than 25% CCRN staff. That's surprising to me. Has anyone else heard this? What % CCRN staff do the rest of you all have?

EmeraldNYL, BSN, RN · Jul 22, 2003

Congrats!!! How did you study? How much did you study? Pointers please!!

Ghetto Supersta · Jul 22, 2003

I think our unit has maybe a 5% ccrn rate, if that! out of maybe some 24 rn's on our unit, maybe about 10 of them are bsn. (i'm guessing here, but these guesstimates sound right)

here's what i studied:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/083851474X/qid=1058843955/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/002-5821628-6154410?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

I focused my review primarily on this book. it has a couple hundred questions for review after each unit and 2 very good ccrn-like tests at the end. i found it much more helpful than the pass the ccrn! second edition, which, in my mind, is a waste of time. the crossword puzzles at the end of each unit are a complete waste of time. however, i also purchased the pass the ccrn! second edition because the book has an excellent cardiac section, and i found the info on the cardiac drips very thorough. you can do without this book really. just make sure you know dopamine, nitroprusside, nitroglycerine, levophed, and phenylephrine, how they work, where they work, their dosages, and s/sx of toxicities.

then i purchased critical care examination review and did all the test questions on it

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0962724696/qid=1058844148/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_6/002-5821628-6154410?v=glance&s=books

surprisingly, some questions in this book were also on the test!

oh yeah, and i practiced test questions on the aacn diskette study question thing.

it wasn't easy. i did study.

A/A/OX3 · Jul 22, 2003

I have been CCRN certified for nine years, and ICU for 13 years. Each year I sit for the exam instead of buying CEUs... far too expensive and less stimulating. Everybody thinks I am a loon. At times I would have to agree. I work CVICU at Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX... one of the Magnet Hospitals listed on another post.

I learn with humor far better than any other way. That connection would be tapes, books and videos by Laura Gasparis. You can find them online or Google. About six weeks before I sit for the exam, I put her tapes in the car and play them where ever I go. Then, I go home and answer questions from her test question book, starting with 50 per sitting and building up to 200.

She is the best that is out there and you will die laughing while you learn.

Ghetto Supersta · Jul 22, 2003

Originally posted by A/A/OX3
I have been CCRN certified for nine years, and ICU for 13 years. Each year I sit for the exam instead of buying CEUs... far too expensive and less stimulating. Everybody thinks I am a loon. At times I would have to agree. I work CVICU at Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX... one of the Magnet Hospitals listed on another post.

I learn with humor far better than any other way. That connection would be tapes, books and videos by Laura Gasparis. You can find them online or Google. About six weeks before I sit for the exam, I put her tapes in the car and play them where ever I go. Then, I go home and answer questions from her test question book, starting with 50 per sitting and building up to 200.

She is the best that is out there and you will die laughing while you learn.

Hey there, I noticed you worked methodist, and was wondering what you thought of that hospital, working conditions, co-workers, worker morale, etc?

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 22, 2003

Congratulations!!!! When did you take the test? I've been waiting nine weeks for results of the med-surg test that I'm sure I failed.