Buying CRNE prep guides early on in the program

petethecanuck · Aug 4, 2011

The earliest the CRNE can have any changes to it's format is June 2015; well before you graduate in two years time.

see: http://www.cna-nurses.ca/cna/nursing/rnexam/default_e.aspx

As such, if you have the cash to spare and time to review the prep guides it certainly couldn't hurt. Personally, I would spend the time really learning the material first before looking at the prep guides.

If you do purchase any guides, just know that a new edition of each prep guide (and the CNA guide too) may be released before you write your CRNE.

Good luck!

joanna73, BSN, RN · Aug 4, 2011

I agree with Pete. By the time I started studying for the CRNE last year, it wasn't a big deal. Neither was the exam. Why? Because I applied myself consistently through my 4 years academically and clinically. They will prepare you. All those theory classes we dreaded? Pay attention. The exam is theoretical.

Spend the time learning what you need to know now. Download some of the CNA position papers on their website. Then, in your final year, you can start looking over the prep guides. Those guides should be a review of what you will have learned. Good luck.

27400 · Aug 4, 2011

Hey everyone! I wanted to get your guys' opinion on the topic of CRNE prep guides. I'm in my second year of nursing school right now and I was wondering if it's a smart idea to get Mosby's and Lippincott's prep guides right now to start practicing CRNE type exam questions as I go along in the program. I was at my school's bookstore the other day and was looking through the practice questions in Mosby and they all seemed very similar to how my professors word questions on our exams. Has anyone bought the prep guides so early in the program? How often do they get updated? Just looking for some input :)

It depends which resource you use. CNA prep guide and Mosby prep guide (blue and green), I would say save your money till you're in 4th year... or at least at the end of 3rd year. Mosby Comprehensive (blue and orange), I would say YES if you want a condensed CONTENT review over the summer-- but other than that I find the Mosby Comprehensive not that great in preparing you to take the CRNE because their questions are straight pathophysiological (that's just my two cents). However, if your school ask questions similar to the Mosby Comprehensive review, then go for it... Lippincott, I have it but didn't use it so I can't give you a review on it. Right now, passing the CRNE should be the least of your worries you have lots of time to study for the CRNE.

shawtee · Aug 5, 2011

Hey everyone! I wanted to get your guys' opinion on the topic of CRNE prep guides. I'm in my second year of nursing school right now and I was wondering if it's a smart idea to get Mosby's and Lippincott's prep guides right now to start practicing CRNE type exam questions as I go along in the program. I was at my school's bookstore the other day and was looking through the practice questions in Mosby and they all seemed very similar to how my professors word questions on our exams. Has anyone bought the prep guides so early in the program? How often do they get updated? Just looking for some input :)

Buying the books now could be a bit too early as they could end up coming out with a new edition, however, with that said, practicing and understanding the questions in advance is not such a bad idea. While some editions are old, they still are practice questions and this is helpful. My best advice is to get familiar with nursing knowledge (competencies, pharmacology, med-surg, etc) before actually getting into practicing questions. If you want to start studying from now, you can purchase a Mosby comprehensive guide and start making some notes based on that guide. Be advised though, this guide contains LOTS of information so don't get too overwhelming. Doing a few questions never hurt, so go for it! And when you finish your fourth year, you'll know that studying for the CRNE last minute is NOT a good idea.. take it from someone with experience Hope that helped!

27400 · Aug 5, 2011

A little warning though, a few of my study buddies and I found some mistakes on the Mosby Comprehensive...

lemidora · Aug 6, 2011

Thanks for the advice, guys! Greatly appreciated :) 27400, I'll definitely keep in mind the mistakes issue when I'm studying for CRNE two years down the road.

Cojute2011 · Aug 10, 2011

Hi Lemidora:

I think is a great idea to borrow previous crne guides from the library, though you are doing your second year of nsg. It can even help you to obtain better marks in your nursing theory exams and prepare you for that big day!!! By the way how do you like the program? do you have an idea of what area you want to work when you are finished?

lemidora · Aug 10, 2011

Hi Lemidora:
I think is a great idea to borrow previous crne guides from the library, though you are doing your second year of nsg. It can even help you to obtain better marks in your nursing theory exams and prepare you for that big day!!! By the way how do you like the program? do you have an idea of what area you want to work when you are finished?

That's a great idea! It never even crossed my mind to borrow the ones from the library. Thanks!

I really like the program so far. Not going to lie- first year was a bit of a drag because I didn't have many nursing classes but I loved the ones I had. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the program because I have a lot of clinical hours coming my way and nothing but nursing courses from here on. As far as the area I want to work in, I've set my sights on forensic nursing for now because I kept going back and forth between getting a nursing degree or a criminal justice degree so I figured combining the two is the best thing for me. However, I'm not ruling out any of the other areas... who knows, one day I might get over myself and realize that I like peds!