CCRN "Cram Cram Repetition Nail it"

A nuts and bolts view of studying and taking the CCRN exam. This article is intended to encourage nurses to go for the challenge of sitting for the exam. The journey is as rewarding as the certification itself. Specialties Critical Article

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CCRN "Cram Cram Repetition Nail it"

I decided after 28 years, to clean house with my nursing career. I freshened up my resume, took all the free online CEU courses I could, and yet something was still missing. I already had a Masters Degree in Nursing and worked in ICU/ PACU. I originally took the CCRN 25 yrs ago after working in the ICU for 3 yrs. I didn't even study and passed. Fast forward 25 years. I was very nervous about what could have changed in 25 years. I took a 3 month Webinar and bought the PASSCCRN book and CD.

Whether it's your first time or not, I'd like to impart some tips to those having trepidations about this "monster" of an exam.

CCRN Exam Tips

1. Working in an ICU definitely gives one an edge. There's just a plethora of daily experiential knowledge gained.

2. The prep books out there are WAY too detailed. Think about glossing over a subject, not being an expert at it. Don't waste your time. The Internet can answer any anatomy/ patho question in seconds.

3. You don't need to take Laura G's course. Any good overview course will do. If SIADH/ DI is taught, it's all the same basic science.

4. The test didn't really include any of the new evidenced based practice, because it needs to speak to a wide audience of small suburban hospitals as well as cutting edge facilities.

5. Don't study things down to the molecular / anatomical level- I.e how kidneys filter, potassium pump, every S/S of a disease, reading 12 leads. You'll make yourself crazy.

6. For nursing ethics, choose the answer that seems most 'nice"

7. I was warned about "signs" like Cullen's, Kernigs. There are hundreds of these. Don't bother.

8. Protocols- Forget about it! Ranson's Criteria for example- it's academic. Real surgeons don't use it.

9. Electrolytes- stick to the biggies: Potassium, calcium, magnesium, and how the body and EKG reacts to high and low values.

10. For hemodynamic monitoring, just know which value goes up and down based on fluid, failure, shock, MI. The questions on PASSCCRN are too complex for this test.

11. Start out with U-tube videos. They are brief and give base knowledge. They are a wonderful way to see and learn.

12. I made flashcards and walked around with these for a month: electrolytes, types of brain bleeds and txs, types of lung diseases, cardiomyopathies, list of cardiac meds and how affect preload, afterload, BP, table of stenosis/ regurgitation and murmurs associated with, DI/SIADH/DKA, weaning criteria, formulas. Most topics can go on one or two cards.

I was surprised at how brief the questions were. The practice questions circulating the web were more challenging. In the end, my most cherished gift was not the card I received. It was the knowledge that I re-learned about basic medicine. It meant so much more to me now, 28 years later, in combination with my accumulated experience. The test hadn't really changed that much at all.....

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bloatedputti

About bloatedputti, MSN, RN

Ruth Baltes, RN, MSN, CCRN

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Thanks for the advice!! Planning on taking the CCRN this summer but it seems so intimidating. Your tips have made it seem less scary and more doable.

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Thanks for the post! Taking the peds ccrn in two days and I'm hella nervous!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ICU, Trauma.

Thank you for this!! Do you recommend memorizing all of the different heart sounds? That was the main thing that I am struggling with while studying for this exam.

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Specializes in SICU.

I plan on taking it in August so terrified

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Thank you, this is very helpful!

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Specializes in IV Therapy, Trauma Nursing, SICU.

Good Luck to us!!! Thank you!!!

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Interesting topic. I have a very different perspective on the subject. I'm an ICU nurse with experience and also travel to different ICU in the nation and learn new things and advanced technologies frequently. I've been told I'm very bright and typically an overachiever. I passed NCLEX my first try with no studying, top of my nursing class, etc. I work in a facility now that does ECMO, LVADs, CABG's, CRRT, many Swan's, IABP, etc. I failed the CCRN exam yesterday.

Perhaps it was just luck of the draw. I'd say 90% of my test was extremely advanced cardiovascular and metabolic questions. Just about everything you mentioned to not worry about, I had on my test. I probably had 15 questions with every number a Swan-Ganz catheter can yield and a list of lab data and a clinical presentation of the patient, the question was to diagnose and fix it essentially. I even had a few questions that wanted me to give the milligram dosage of the med that I would use to fix the problem.

One that especially annoyed me was the question that involved me knowing the best Dilantin dosage for a post seizure adult, including the 24 hour max amount they can receive and if it should be administered with D5W or NS. Also you had to know what the post-ictal stage was.

Those of my friends that have their CCRN told me I would do fine and thought I was lying to them when I called and said I failed. They didn't remember questions like that or near that difficult. The test is random chance if you'll get a huge percentage of very difficult and tricky worded questions or more manageable reasonable questions.

I plan to take it again because the CRNA-DNP program I'm applying to this summer looks favorably on it but go in forewarned. Don't blame yourself if you fail, you just drew the short straw.

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Specializes in Critical care.

Our manager gets a bonus on her LEM, based on the percentage of her nurses who have certification. So guess what she did? Made CCRN mandatory for all of her staff! I have never bothered getting my CCRN for several reasons. First, there is no monetary compensation, they will reimburse the testing fee, but no wage differential. Second, the nurses I have seen who have their CCRN have not impressed me with their critical thinking skills for the most part. Third, I am an old man, and the thought of taking an exam for the first time in 20 years was intimidating. Fourth, my past experience with exams showed that people with actual floor experience read too much into the questions. Since I like my manager, and my job, I decided to give it a go.​ Our manage bought the group AACN study package (~$1000 for up to 30 participants), which is the only thing I used. Wrote the practice test at the back once, listened to the lectures once. Wrote the CCRN yesterday, and passed 104/125 questions. Don't be skeered of this exam! Do prepare with the AACN prep, several of the questions were verbatim in the real exam. The AACN prep also gives you insight into what the question writers are looking for, although I disagreed with several of them, I knew what to answer when I saw the question.

Cheers

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Specializes in SICU.

-Pass CCRN was too complex for the test

-I like Gasparis, i thought she broke things down and had little fun mneumonics that i could remember (I'll take the large bowel)

- I bought the AACN purple book, questions were similar, but i definitely found the CCRN easier than i thought i would

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Specializes in ICU, PACU.

Sorry, I never saw this question. Yes, know those superficially. I assume you took test already. Just know the main ones of regurge, stenosis and where to listen to on exam. Aortic, pulmonic, triscupid, mitral where to place scope. what s & s see with regurg and stenosis ( edema, JVD,SOB, dyspnea, chest pain...) Did you pass?

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