CPNE Preparation

Editorial Team / Moderator · Jan 29, 2008

Have you thought about taking an in-person workshop? Sounds like that might be very helpful for you.

aegirl · Jan 29, 2008

I've thought about it. Not sure if I can/want to spend the money on a workshop, although it would probably be very helpful. If I did take one, it would have to be in driving distance. Which workshop did you go to? You went to one right?

Have you thought about taking an in-person workshop? Sounds like that might be very helpful for you.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Jan 30, 2008

I did! I took a workshop with Lynn -- http://www.clinicalprepexam.com -- wonderful!!!

NC Girl BSN · Jan 30, 2008

I did! I took a workshop with Lynn -- http://www.clinicalprepexam.com -- wonderful!!!

Lunah do you know if Lynn has any statistic on people who take her workshop, if they pass the CPNE. Do most write back to her or call when the pass or not?

Editorial Team / Moderator · Jan 30, 2008

I believe she does get feedback from a lot of her students, but I'm really not sure what the stats are like.

psychnurse1998 · Feb 5, 2008

How did you/are you preparing for the CPNE. I've read the study guide. I've written up pneumonics for the critical elements, which are not sinking in. I've watched the Excelsior video that I purchased which shows the skills lab and the PCS. I'm taking the online skills conference and the online care plan conference which starts this Friday...so I haven't really done anything with those yet. I don't think I will have any problems with the skills lab, but you never know. My biggest concern are the PCS's. Remembering the critical elements is of course a huge thing. I'm confused on how you actually do the grid, which concerns me. I'm afraid i'll get into a situation i've never been in, such as a patient having a chest tube which I have no experience with or having to do chest percussion which I have never done. What do you do if you get into that situation? Of course the chances are probably slim that you'll have to do something you are not familiar with, but knowing my luck, it will happen to me. Of course i've read over these skills in my nursing book which I want to brush up on or have never done, but reading it is different then doing it! How are you guys preparing? Any tips from anyone who has been there would be helpful! Thanks!

I think in my dvd they send you..it says they wont give u a real acute patient or one that is ready to die. I just was on the EPN CPNE discussion board for the first time. Imagine I went through all the concepts and my first time on EPN. The ones making posts there seem much more prepared than i am..if you havent checked it out, I recomment it. I started on this website and it inspired me to check my own school sources too.

Firemedic7 · Feb 7, 2008

How did you/are you preparing for the CPNE. I've read the study guide. I've written up pneumonics for the critical elements, which are not sinking in. I've watched the Excelsior video that I purchased which shows the skills lab and the PCS. I'm taking the online skills conference and the online care plan conference which starts this Friday...so I haven't really done anything with those yet. I don't think I will have any problems with the skills lab, but you never know. My biggest concern are the PCS's. Remembering the critical elements is of course a huge thing. I'm confused on how you actually do the grid, which concerns me. I'm afraid i'll get into a situation i've never been in, such as a patient having a chest tube which I have no experience with or having to do chest percussion which I have never done. What do you do if you get into that situation? Of course the chances are probably slim that you'll have to do something you are not familiar with, but knowing my luck, it will happen to me. Of course i've read over these skills in my nursing book which I want to brush up on or have never done, but reading it is different then doing it! How are you guys preparing? Any tips from anyone who has been there would be helpful! Thanks!

Can someone PLEEZ explain the pneumonics and the grids??? I have read thru my study guide and am also confused. I am signing up the Columbus workshop but I don't feel even remotely ready.

psychnurse1998 · Feb 7, 2008

Can someone PLEEZ explain the pneumonics and the grids??? I have read thru my study guide and am also confused. I am signing up the Columbus workshop but I don't feel even remotely ready.

I feel .preety much the same way, at first I even considered dropping out. Finding this site, plus getting a second wind, gave me more motivation. After i found this sight, asked myself why not check out EC sites. Sure enough they have several discussion boards under EPN ...tab. Of interest,now, is the CPNE discussion board, where people that are getting ready, some that are taking it a second time and even some that have passed participate. You learn a lot from many of the posts. A word of caution, occasionaly but rarely someone may post info not totally correct.

But the vast amount of very good info, cancells that bad out. I had no idea what a grid was, but someone posted a file where one could see what a grid look like. To be honest, I am not ready to explain what a grid is myself, but if you are an EC student , someone there will, or it will be on an earlier post. It is a good idea to read as many earlier posts , a few days back, because chances are someone else will have the same questions you do. I still lack confidence in care plans, but I am making progress. I see a lot of post, where others are providing feedback to each other. You really cant get by without checking out EPN CPNE discussion boards. The other thing, you really cant get by without reading and knowing the CPNE STUDY GUIDe,...Just last nite someone posted...relative to a NCP topic...AOC..

I was lost for a few minutes, before I remember that meant ..Assigned Areas of Care. Little things like that..can slow you down big time. Critical Elements, ..you have to know what those are, cause if you fail one, thats it. I just orderd a DVD, flash cards, and skills set. I expect that will also help...On the discussion board i have seen , students post several mnomics..(bad spelling)..not everyone uses the same..I had seen one on this post, that I liked, but I couldnt find it again. I think its best to make up one that works for you. It reassuring, that I am not the only one that feels not "remotely ready", lets hope in a month, we are posting help, or careplans on the discussion board that help others, that were feeling like we were. My weekpoint is that I did not use these discussion boards when I first started school, ore when they became available, and I think others did. One more thing, you can team up with a buddy.on the same sight. I havent done yet, cause I have felt it would be like the blind leading the blind. But I hope that changes real soon. Good luck, and hope you make it to the discussion boards. If i find out more about the grids, I sure will share it with anyone. Only thing i can say..It has nothing to do with GRID LOCK, no pun intended, grids on as scope,grids on a vacuum tube, or grid irons...I hope this helped you.

Melinurse · Apr 6, 2008

Do you have a date for CPNE? I take mine April 18 in Racine, Wisconsin. I also work at the test site so I get to see many who don't do well. The good news is the instructors ( CE's ) really are very nice and want you to pass! :up: Biggest mistakes I see are asepsis. So many simply forget to wash their hands.

psychnurse1998 · Apr 6, 2008

Do you have a date for CPNE? I take mine April 18 in Racine, Wisconsin. I also work at the test site so I get to see many who don't do well. The good news is the instructors ( CE's ) really are very nice and want you to pass! Biggest mistakes I see are asepsis. So many simply forget to wash their hands.

Thats great, to have sort of inside knowledge. I think that means you cant test where you work though. I have heard same that hand washing is a common point of failure. One student posted failing for forgetting to deflate cuff on second bp reading. I heard one student participate on Electonic Peer Network Board for several months and she passed fine. Some seem to go in unprepared. One passed after about 3 months on EPN Board but she seem to be a recent graduate of an LVN school that gave her a good Care Plan preparation., she also did well. Some with great acute care experience fail too. I have seen some get a test date within 3 months and have not even read study guide., that surprises me. I saw one student, who seem very active on EPN board discussion and passed without taking workshop, but most grads highly recommend it. One grad was very dissapointed because one graduate school would not accept her because she went to EC. She had a very high GPA, almost 4.0.

I lost my job just as I wanted to test, and its very hard getting another Nursing job, that I can do safely. Taking my debt, the high risk of failing, I thought it would be better to drop out. I procrastinated, since 2003, and my chance to test ends in about a year, so I really blew a lot of money on this School, but cant really blame the school. I do wish they didnt charge a student the full fee to retake the test., and to only have to take the area one failed in. Right now CPNE workshop is 825, and Cpne is 1800, I believe, too much money for me at this time.