CPNE Questions

RN34TX · Feb 17, 2005

Hey All-
I'm new here, and I'm a fairly fresh LPN as well as an EMT-B and
Phlebotomist from Minnesota. I'm starting EC ADN program because I
need some flexibility, I live in the sticks (a ways away from a
traditional ADN program) and because waiting lists are insane in MN
community colleges.
I'm all up to date on how everything works with EC, I am going to be
schooling directly thought EC. My only questions left are about the
EC CPNE.
I've been reading experiences from here and on alittlesarcasm.com
and my real main (very general) question is how do the care plans
work? Now in LPN school, I learned a great deal about careplans,
but mostly either nursing home kind of care plans, or else
supporting the RN type of stuff. I guess what I mean is I understand
care plans, but *explain the EC process to me... It's pretty
recipe
card as far as the layout goes? (i.e. 2 Dx's with interventions and
as manifested by and r/t... yada yada yada) and just how it ties
into the whole day...
from what I gather the first day your there at about 3pm do skills,
get a PCS assignment, with information and go home... then formulate
your careplan based of the info your received on your PCS from the
CPNE instructor?
Second day get there early, do your PCS's (must pass 3 of 5?) then
repeat skills (if needed) and your done? By the way, I know it's not
that easy, but I'm just trying to picture the layout in my mind...
So if someone could kind of inform me on the CPNE process, and the
careplan stuff I would greatly appreciate this. Thanks again & God Bless,
Jeremy

You have a good understanding of how the CPNE works. As far as careplans go, they are very standard and "recipe card" like the ones you probably did in LPN school. They need not be fancy labels and interventions, just pick them right out of the Carpenito care plan book.

However.....I can tell you from experience that the examiners can get very picky and hair-splitting over the care plans so I'd suggest a lot of practice with writing them and even more, if you can take an EC workshop in a city close to you when they are offered, they give out a lot of help with care plan writing, they let you know exactly what the examiners are looking for.

GN1974 · Feb 17, 2005

Jeremy--

This is basically the lay out:

Friday 4p.m. : Meet at test site hospital to do lab portion. Lab consists of IV meds, IV push, wound care, and IM/SQ injections. Any fails can be redone saturday after PCS's. You get a quick tour of the floor you will be on and get your patient care assignment kardex for your first patient on saturday.

Saturday & Sunday: you complete PCS's. You must pass two adults and one pedi. You have areas of care assigned and must follow a guide line of critical elements for each of these areas. They are to be performed perfectly.

Throughout your pcs's you will be doing 3 phases. These phases are planning, implementation, and evaluation. I will break them down.

The care planning goes like this: You write a care plan with a nursing dx, goal, and 2 interventions in the planning phase. This must be patient oriented and specific to the areas of care you are assigned. Also in the planning phase you must calculate drip rates if necessary. The care plan for the planning phase does not need a r/t or aeb--but it is best to put it. They just want the diagnostic label, goal, and 2 interventions (and drip rate).

The implementation phase is where you carry out your assigned areas of care and care plan interventions.

The final phase is evaluation. You revise your care plan if necessary and evaluate. You must pick one priority dx and put the r/t and aeb. You must evaluate your goal and interventions.

EC offers an on-line care planning class via internet or telephone. I recommend this. If you take this you shouldn't have much trouble with the care planning stuff. I did the 14 day on-line version. It was worth the money for sure.

The CPNE is fairly easy as long as you are well prepared, confident, and have control of those nerves. Nothing assigned to me was way out there. The staff were great and wanted us to pass. I had no repeats.

Hope this answers some questions. Don't get to into the CPNE stuff until you are down to a few concepts left. Focus on the concepts then take the wait time to prepare. They give you a big binder that outlines everything! The workshop they offer is pretty good too.

Best wishes,

Karen new GN :)

Hey All-
I'm new here, and I'm a fairly fresh LPN as well as an EMT-B and
Phlebotomist from Minnesota. I'm starting EC ADN program because I
need some flexibility, I live in the sticks (a ways away from a
traditional ADN program) and because waiting lists are insane in MN
community colleges.
I'm all up to date on how everything works with EC, I am going to be
schooling directly thought EC. My only questions left are about the
EC CPNE.
I've been reading experiences from here and on alittlesarcasm.com
and my real main (very general) question is how do the care plans
work? Now in LPN school, I learned a great deal about careplans,
but mostly either nursing home kind of care plans, or else
supporting the RN type of stuff. I guess what I mean is I understand
care plans, but *explain the EC process to me... It's pretty
recipe
card as far as the layout goes? (i.e. 2 Dx's with interventions and
as manifested by and r/t... yada yada yada) and just how it ties
into the whole day...
from what I gather the first day your there at about 3pm do skills,
get a PCS assignment, with information and go home... then formulate
your careplan based of the info your received on your PCS from the
CPNE instructor?
Second day get there early, do your PCS's (must pass 3 of 5?) then
repeat skills (if needed) and your done? By the way, I know it's not
that easy, but I'm just trying to picture the layout in my mind...
So if someone could kind of inform me on the CPNE process, and the
careplan stuff I would greatly appreciate this. Thanks again & God Bless,
Jeremy

lcochrane · Oct 15, 2009

I have an important question...Does anyone know someone or themselves who has taken the CPNE in Savannah, Ga? If so if you have any helpful info it would be much appreciated! I test in December. Thanks everyone!

oeue2007 · Oct 22, 2009

I flunked the CPNE in Savannah in May and I'm going back next month for my second try. The hospital is pretty easy to get to from the recommended hotels. Easy to maneuver around once you're there. (Sounds minor but not having to stress major traffic or parking hassles really helps!) The CE's I'm guessing are about the same as at most locations. Friendly, but they're not going to cut you any slack. You MUST know the critical elements, do them all, do them in order, talk it out so they don't miss anything you do and double check your documentation against your grid, notes or whatever you use. You will have a peds pt so be prepared.

I don't know your background but it can't be said enough - DON'T THINK LIKE A NURSE! Think like an EC student and do everything their way! Good luck!

lcochrane · Oct 23, 2009

That sucks that I will definitely have a Peds pt. and I go in December so Im sure there will be plenty of sick children in there. I would think parents wouldnt want a student taking care of there child? Unless if the child is well and going to be discharged soon, is this true? How old was your peds pt? Also what do you mean by do your critical elements in order? Like Resp or peripheral vascular but I dont know is there others? If you dont mind can you tell me what you did wrong so I can learn from your mistakes? Thanks oeue2007!

Lauren