CNS student

Hi madriver, are you doing adult-older adult CNS? What is your specialty? Welcome to AN. I'm about to start my last semester of a CNS program (adult-older adult/diabetes).

I took my test yesterday and passed. As the previous poster mentioned, you will probably take the Adult Gerontological CNS exam if you are just starting - I took the Adult CNS exam so our exams will be slightly different.

I went overboard on studying. I studied two of the latest NP prep texts, bought the Mometrix study guide, attended the ANCC online review class, bought the audio CDs from Amazon, and ordered all 25 prep tests on NP Prep (online). Although all these resources will make me a better CNS, to pass my test I probably could have just read the Mometrix study guide and my Advanced Practice Nursing An Integrative Approach (by Hamric) textbook.

Most of my questions were how to be a consultant, how to educate, how to work in interdisciplinary teams, and how to budget - very few questions related to direct care.

i believe the ANCC will make the Adult Gerontology exam based more on direct care, but I have just heard that - no solid knowledge there.

Good luck

Congratulations on passing your exam. In my school I have taken the "consensus" classes; which means took the exact same classes as the NPs. I haven't taken anything in education or health care systems management so I hope the newer exams reflect this change in focus. It has always been my intention to "practice" in a specialty. I may do a dual major after I finish my CNS and go back and take the two semesters of rotations I would need for an adult NP so that I could work in geriatrics. Many of the major employers here only hire NPs for nursing homes. Even if I concentrated my clinical rotations toward geriatrics I wouldn't be hired. But there are lots of specialties that do hire CNSs so I am going to focus on those. What was your focus and what kind of rotations did you take?

I did not participate in a "consensus" program per se, but I did share a number of courses with the NPs. Specifically all non-clinical and introductory classes were shared - for example, health assessment, patho, pharm, research, roles, etc. were shared. I also attended all of the specific, intensive sessions on suturing, casting, EKG interpretation, etc. The clinical and the "disease process" courses were exclusive to the CNS and NP programs.

Our program director required that 75% of all rotations with a CNS. There are only 2 CNSs within about 100 miles of the University, so I did most of my clinical in a local ICU and cardiology practice. That said, my clinical was very informative and learned a great deal - my preceptors were extremely knowledgeable. The CNS in the ICU served as a direct provider and coordinator for the intensivist. The CNS in the cardiology practice was a direct provider in an informal heart failure clinic.