Ccrn

EastCoast · Oct 21, 2003

New CCU,

i think you will find everyone's answer is different and is really dependent upon what kind of learner you are and the methods.

i found that the laura gassomehtingorother tapes were helpful and she had a down to earth way of teaching.

focus on stuff you know you don't know well. get stronger in the areas you are well versed in.

there will always be that surprise quesiton or 2 good answers but focus and buff up on your weak points. practice tests are a great thing too.

good luck.

KathleenRNICU · Nov 19, 2003

I became a nurse in July 2000 and went right to work in the MICU. About 2 years later I started studying for the CCRN exam using the Laura Gasparis-Vonfrolio tapes that EastCoast was referring to (I think). She is funny, very entertaining, and provides a good basic review of critical care topics. A few months later I took a practice test and did rather poorly, so I got serious about studying. I bought the Critical Care Nursing review book published by Springhouse. It is Q&A format organised by subject and the explainations are great!! Very Detailed! I also used the CCRN Review written by Laura Gasparis and another nurse whose name I have forgotten, as well as the AACN's book of CCRN practice tests. I would recommend using more than one review book, because they all seem to emphasize some different topics. I also recommend taking several practice tests to get used to the test and to guage your progress and identify your weaknesses. I studied (seriously) about 10 hours a week for 3 months or so and I passed with flying collors in April of this year.

Good Luck!