Cen

GilaRRT · Sep 17, 2007

Sounds like you have employed successful study techniques. As I have stated in the past, the key will be related to how well you understand the question and what it is asking. The test is otherwise pretty straight foreword. The new test items are now in the bank of questions. Make sure you are familiar with the additional material. Please read my prior thread on the CEN updates.

loricatus · Sep 17, 2007

The best advise I can give you now is to try to relax and get plenty of sleep before test day. Nerves and lack of sleep will wear you down and have you start second guessing yourself and your answers to the test. The only other thing I can think of is to brush up, in the next day or two, on areas that you may be weak in (mine were ortho and peds). I also remember getting a few strange pediatric diseases I never heard of before (and, therefore, can't remember what they were).

GOOD LUCK and keep us informed.

PS: I really didn't find it that hard of a test because I went into it thinking I will fail but will leave the test having a good idea of what I would need to do when I retake it (also, I never studied before it because I wanted it to be a practice test). I was shocked that I passed it and attribute it to the lack of anxiety I felt because the results weren't going to matter. So, anxiety is probably our own worst enemy-you have everything you need in your head to pass that test right now.

Medic/Nurse, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2007

Looks like you have worked through the material and I predict that IT will pay off for you in a big way!

Review the items that GilaRN notes and then just briefly review.

Relax, good meal - treat your self well.

Lots of Rest !!!

Give yourself and extra 1 1/2 hours to get there - you can briefly read summaries -

and just chill.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Take the test - you are READY!

Come out with the CEN.

And I think doing it because of the standard that you are setting for yourself very ENCOURAGING! Kudo's to YOU! :balloons:

Test SAFE!

NativeSundance, LPN · Sep 19, 2007

Thanks so much for your advice and encouragement! I should be sleeping right now, but am still up studying. I'm off work through next Monday so I would have plenty of time for a thorough and comprehensive review just prior to exam day. I won't cram because I don't think this is an effective learning strategy. If I LEARN it and UNDERSTAND it, then I won't ever forget it. I have learned much in my study for CEN that I have been able to immediately apply to my daily practice. After 24 years in nursing, there is still no end to learning. I hope there never is!

When I am done with this exam, I plan to start studying forensics and get CFN certified. I can see a big need for this in the trauma room where we tend to throw good evidence on the floor or otherwise destroy it. Unintentionally, of course. We all want to see justice done. We're just in a hurry and the focus is on the patient (as it should be), not the collection or preservation of evidence. Forensics is a very interesting field for me and it would be so (potentially) helpful in the long run!

bigsyis · Sep 20, 2007

Sleep well the night before, and do the other things that NREMT-P/RN suggested.

ALSO, when you read the questions, unless something is just absurdly difficult, go with your gut instinct-whatever your mind tells you is the correct answer the first time you read the question is usually the right one. Often the information given in the scenario, or the question itself, will provide the answer. DON'T overthink or doubt yourself. If you don't know the answer, just skip the question and move on to the next one. When you are finished go back and do the questions that you weren't sure of the first time. I took this exam to become certified, and then recerted once. We were given 4 hours to complete the test. Both times I was out of there in about 2 hours. There were usually a handful of people who finished before me, and about 2/3 of the folks were still there when I left. I never took any kind of review course. I'm sure that with computers things are probably very different now. You sound as though you are as well prepared as you can be. Just treat yourself kindly for the next few days, and I expect that you'll come out a CEN!

NativeSundance, LPN · Sep 23, 2007

Well, the exam is now less than 24 hrs away. Tomorrow morning at 9am. I'm trying to take everyones advice so I can get this done. Lots to remember. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with volumes and volumes of information. All good stuff. All useful. Just hope I can remember it and apply it when I need to both on the exam and with my patients!

This is alot of stress (and money) for certification that isn't even mandatory in my ER. In fact, very few nurses have it. It's still worth it to ME though.

I'll let you know tomorrow how it goes...

GilaRRT · Sep 23, 2007

Do not study today no matter how tempting. Have fun with the family, get a good nights rest, and wake up with a bad attitude. A little crankyness will help you when you test. First, you will be less intimidated. Next, you will recall information better. I think about my wife when she is mad, remembers tiny details from years ago.

NativeSundance, LPN · Sep 23, 2007

I think about my wife when she is mad, remembers tiny details from years ago.

LOL!!!! We women are good at that! Now if I can just apply that little trait tomorrow! As per Dr. Vonfrolio, I will wear screaming red and have a bag of salty potato chips handy enroute to the testing facility! I'll go for a "salty" attitude too!

Thanks for your advice!

NativeSundance, LPN · Sep 24, 2007

Well, after a LOUSY nights sleep last night, I took my exam this morning and: PASSED!!!!!!!!!!

The version of the exam that I took was incredibly difficult. Really complex questions you had to carefully think through in order to find the right answer. I used 2 1/2 hrs of the allotted 3 hrs. Probably didn't need that much time, but I had to go through everything one last time to make sure I didn't make any stupid mistakes. Got 137 out of 150. Not sure what that percentage is because my math skills suck (thank GOD for my PDA and ER Suite that does all my dosage calculations for me!), but it was enough to pass!

Looking back now on my study resources, I can say there were a few things I learned from Laura Gasparis that I didn't learn from Med Ed that were on the exam and lots and lots of stuff from Med Ed that Dr. Laura didn't cover at all. Between study resources and my own experience, I managed to get most of them.

What a RELIEF to be done with that exam! Now...on to Forensics!

Editorial Team / Moderator · Sep 24, 2007

That's a 91.3% ... yeah, I'd say you passed, bigtime! Congrats!!

bigsyis · Sep 24, 2007

Told ya, told ya, told ya! Good for you! I KNOW the relief that you are feeling! :up: