CCRN (Neonatal)

Specialties NICU

Updated:   Published

Hi guys,

I have been studying for the CCRN (Neonatal) for a little while now and I noticed that there is hardly any information out there as to how people have studied for it, sources used, outcomes, etc, so I thought it might be beneficial to start this discussion.

I used the AACN certification review course to make a review, then added notes from the core curriculum textbook that AACN also recommends using. I then also took the 150 question practice exam through AACN, and I have very mixed feelings about it.

Please feel free to share what you did and/or wish you would have done to prepare for the exam or any questions that you may have.

Specializes in NICU.

Isn't that an Adult certification for non direct care nurses? Most NICU nurses choose RNC-NIC or CCRN (Neonatal). I had to look up CCRN-K to see what it is.

1 hour ago, NICU Guy said:

Isn't that an Adult certification for non direct care nurses? Most NICU nurses choose RNC-NIC or CCRN (Neonatal). I had to look up CCRN-K to see what it is.

Thanks for the correction, I've been referring to it as the CCRN-K this entire time, ha! According to AACN, the "CCRN-K" is for those who influence care but do not provide primary care. I will be taking the Neonatal CCRN, hopefully the admins will allow a correction.

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Title and original post edited.

1 Votes

I have both my RNC-NIC and my CCRN-Neo.

Far more nurses have the RNC than the CCRN, so it's easier to find study information and materials about the RNC (both on AN and other sites).

You can use the exact same study materials for the CCRN as you can for the RNC; whatever people on other forums have recommended for RNC study should be fine for you.

In my experience, both exams had the same degree of difficulty and covered more or less the same information (CCRN had a couple more cardiac questions than the RNC, but that was the only content difference I noticed).

The bigger distinction, IMO, is that the CCRN questions were not written as clearly as the RNC questions. It reminded me of nursing school, when students would get frustrated when a question was unclear. I figure it's because the RNC probably has a much larger volume of NICU nurses to write/test the questions (since so many more people have the certification), whereas the AACN, which writes the CCRN, is primarily an adult organization with very few neonatal members (and probably even fewer neonatal question writers/testers).

1 Votes
Specializes in NICU.

This book is the best!

https://www.nicusolutions.com/scripts/site/certification-review.php

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