CEN as a new grad ABSN?

[cheezbawl2003]

Hey all;

I graduated in August from an ABSN program, and I passed NCLEX a few weeks ago. For my last semester, I completed a 216 hour preceptorship/transition to practice in a very busy ER. I loved the work, I loved the environment, and I really would like to work in an ER ASAP.

With that being said, the time that our program graduates is less than optimal, as most new grad programs already selected their candidates. Still, I've knocked out my PALS, ACLS, and BLS renewal, and I'm working on my NIHSS (whenever their ancient servers allow me to complete more than one segment at a time, of course -_-)

My question is this: is it worth trying to get my CEN now? Will it look like "hey, this guy is motivated and a self-starter" or will it look like "this guy is a pretentious prick and way too much of a go-getter"? To that end, since I already graduated from an ABSN program, I am slightly worried that too much, too fast will give a negatively overzealous impression.

Just wondering all y'all's perspective on things :)

Thanks for your feedback and time!

[DayDreamin ER CRNP]

CEN recommends two years of RN experience in ED first. You lack that. So I would say wait until you actually have experience. A 216 hour preceptorship is equivalent to five weeks on the job.

I totally agree!

while you probably have the knowledge and ability to pass this exam, I think it goes beyond being able to study and know how to answer the questions. Having two years of experience will help you to better understand why the answers are the correct ones.

I've seen so many new grads take TNCC and pass but barely know how to apply that to his/her everyday practice.

I have both my CEN and TNCC and I think I had a better understanding after a year of experience. Studying was much easier with some experience and I knew the "whys" of my answers.

You may also find that your facility will pay for some classes and may even reimburse for testing if you pass. Our department does so that was a big help for me!

[oceanhugger, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I know it’s been a while, but did you end up taking it?

[cheezbawl2003]

Thanks for the thought! :)

I did not wind up doing it. I forrest-gumped my way into a job; when I was taking ACLS, a classmate happened to be a recently retired CNO who passed my name and number to a unit manager who hired me just over a week later. This particular hospital also has a very open policy of mobility, so after 6 months on my own (+10 weeks of new grad/new hire) they allowed me to move to the ICU, where I am currently still precepting. I might move into the ER a year or so from now too to expand my skill set, but I am absolutely loving ICU (even with all of the knocks and curveballs it's throwing at me), so we shall see what the future holds.

[Xance]

That is the value of networking right there @cheezbawl2003. It's good that you managed to get hired into somewhere that you can move to different units rather easily, that means that if you were to tire of one unit or poised to burn out you can easily transfer to another unit instead of transferring to a different company/facility altogether. That is a great policy for both you and the hospital you work for and allows you to gain experience from other departments and just as you said it improves your abilities as a provider.

Do not be afraid to show your stuff and show them that you have some knowledge and/or skills. I was a new grad (still am technically) and was hired at the first ED I applied to, talked my way in. I did not lie, I told them that I have experience at lower licensure levels (EMT-B and Navy Hospital Corpsman). Although those were at lower licensure levels I stressed that I am willing and eager to learn and that prior experiences provide me a foundation that I am happy to expand with learning and experiences provided at that facility. I turned down that job offer that came the next day in lieu of an even better one where I work completely independently and remotely on ships.

The point is that I would advise anyone getting other alphabet-soup to add to your name, whatever that may be, know that it is merely that; alphabet-soup. It does nothing but give you a piece of paper and some letters telling others you passed a test. The real value of those I believe comes in how you can use that attained knowledge, like if a new-grad showed up with a CEN or TNCC and thought they were hot stuff I would be hesitant about that. However, if someone who also doesn't have experience and wanted to go into the ED or wherever and had some more alphabet-soup following their name but was more humble about it and open about willingness to learn, that's a winning formula. Do not let the mass of letters following someone's name determine what they do and do not know. I have met emergency nurses who don't know which end of a scalpel is the pointy end and I have met some who are stellar, and both of these were as an outsider when I was an EMT-B. I'll bet both examples of RN's I saw have TNCC/CEN/[insert other fancy letters], so let that be a lesson that the certification by itself is worthless, it's still mostly about your attitude, willingness to learn, personality, etc. All things that merely getting a certification will either help or hurt depending on how you choose to leverage it.

[cheezbawl2003]

As a followup for the unlikely scenario that someone happens to stumble upon this conversation in search of their own answers;

I took that job, moved from MS/Tele to ICU within 7 months, and 2 years later am now an ICU charge RN and PICC trained. It's definitely more important to have a good attitude and a willingness to learn than anything else, which is how I was approaching the test. So, my answer, as a now experienced nurse, would be this:

feel free to take the test as a method of proving to your potential employers that you are serious and passionate about the field, but do not think that it will actually make you any more prepared for your first day on the floor.