CPNE in Racine

Nursesomeday0211 · Jun 18, 2010

Hi guys-

Just as a clarification it is called All Saints now that the Wheaton Fransician system has absorbed all the catholic hospitals. It is still known by most locals or people in the area as St. Mary's but technically called All Saints.

erinp88 · Jun 19, 2010

Well, it reads All Saints on my papers, I must have been informed that it was called St. Marys. I don't know what the real name of the place is, especially now with everybody selling out to everybody else. I do, however, have a definitive address!! --How was your CPNE? Got any tips? Im freakin out because I don't know if we are supposed to remove our gloves BEFORE we tape down the dressing or AFTER. And, seriously that 4x4 is just too much mass. Its like a big fat wad of gauze spread to the edge covered with a 4x4 and an abd, and me standing there with gloves on looking at the tape hanging from the table wondering what to do next.

Well, I'm not going to lie. It's no walk in the park. I would call the MPAC and double check on the brand of gauze they use. It's some crazy 8-play gauze that no one has ever seen before. Everyone in my group was freaking out about it when we practiced. Also, I would master the 'parachute' technique as the wounds were different there. One was really deep and the other one was practically flat. Good news is that EVERYONE did pass that station through out the weekend.

Use the vastus lateralis for your IM injection if you get it. All dorsigluteus had the ruler coming out. I used vastus lateralis and even that ended up being checked.

Have your documentation and care plans TIGHT. Make sure you follow any additional directions that may not be particularly part of the critical elements. Meaning, I was instructed to have a patient deep breathe with pursed lip breathing that the CE had written in. I don't know if they can do this or not, but they did! I don't care because I passed! We also all had patient teaching - and on random things. Someone had it on hydration status. I had it related to mobility - no gait issues, all about activity tolerance. The other areas of care were assigned to various people in the group. I don't think I was assigned one, but I did get wound management! Be prepared to get slapped with a ton of medications on Sunday if you didn't get a lot on Saturday. I struggled with time management the entire time I was there. Huge, huge, huge assignments! I hardly ever had enough time to do documentation.

Take some Inderal/anxiety meds if you need to. I spent the 'waiting' time clenching my pocket rosary.

Ha! After typing all of this, I remembered I could upload my journal.. :) It's long, so prepare yourself!

One last thing, BE QUIETLY CONFIDENT!!

CPNE JOURNAL.pdf

ShellyBee · Jun 19, 2010

RE: Erinp88--Just finished reading your weekend report. WOW, I think im going to start smoking now. 25 days left to ingest the critical elements and polish up my sims. Thank you for your post!It helps wrap my brain around the situation, and what to expect.

erinp88 · Jun 20, 2010

RE: Erinp88--Just finished reading your weekend report. WOW, I think im going to start smoking now. 25 days left to ingest the critical elements and polish up my sims. Thank you for your post!It helps wrap my brain around the situation, and what to expect.

No problem! I couldn't find anyone that was testing with me at Racine the weekend I went. SO, I chummed up with several people who were testing in the NPAC and other various areas around the same time as me. They all came back and reported "once you get there, it's not that bad." Not to scare you or put a negative spin on it, I never felt that way! I was so emotionally unstable the entire weekend, but that's kind of how I role. The other girl who had a perfect CPNE kept her mouth shut the entire time. When we were waiting for our shuttle at the end, I was like "How in the hE** did you do that?" She had taken the Chancellor's workshop which I think helped her a lot. She struggled with time management too, but she had it figured out by the 3rd PCS. Me, I fumbled all over the place and I'm sure it has to do with the fact I rushed my preparation.

I also took my husband with me who took over the other half of my brain. He made sure I ate, kept the room organized and packed all of my things on Sunday. He later admitted he had never been so scared/nervous/stressed out for someone else in his life.

As far as smoking, hold off until you get there!! There were people in my group lighting up all weekend! I saved my unhealthy habit until I got back and my sister took me out on St. Patrick's Day.....lets just say I don't remember of that night and thank god for the cab driver who put up with my shenanigans.

Feel free to PM me if you like. I'd be more than happy to shoot you a few emails that I have that contain additinal tips specific to Racine!! If I don't hear from you - GOOD LUCK!

MSNMPHPhdNMD · Jun 22, 2010

Just wondering...Does St. Mary's have a pediatric unit? Is it a very big or busy hospital? They have us staying at the Mariott. What kind of area is that in? Should I pack some heat? Just kidding. Just wondering.

I just passed at st mary's in madison wisconsin so make sure your looking at the right st mary's also... my journal is on here somewhere :)

t-lo · Jun 23, 2010

Racine is one of the most requested sites for CPNE. I have seen students pass and fail there. It doesn't matter where you go what matters is that you know your stuff. The Best of Luck to you!

ShellyBee · Jun 25, 2010

Aww, thanks guys for cueing me in on stuff. Feelin better about it all, but i have ruined my adbs, yup, ripped off the seals cause i used them over and over and over and over, and I never ever have gotten to the paper of a roll of tape before, I thought they were everlasting. Talk about run on sentences. I still have the IVs hanging on a hanger, and the kitchen table looks like a flu shot station. --Okay, does anyone know if All Saints has a peds unit? or do they just do pediatric ent stuff? Just wonderin. ShellyBee--Oh, and congrats on passing!!! What a relief! How many were in your group? How many passes? How many there for the second time?

erinp88 · Jun 25, 2010

Aww, thanks guys for cueing me in on stuff. Feelin better about it all, but i have ruined my adbs, yup, ripped off the seals cause i used them over and over and over and over, and I never ever have gotten to the paper of a roll of tape before, I thought they were everlasting. Talk about run on sentences. I still have the IVs hanging on a hanger, and the kitchen table looks like a flu shot station. --Okay, does anyone know if All Saints has a peds unit? or do they just do pediatric ent stuff? Just wonderin. ShellyBee--Oh, and congrats on passing!!! What a relief! How many were in your group? How many passes? How many there for the second time?

All Saints DOES have a PEDS unit. Only 2 of us got ped substitutions on the weekend. One of them was me! The other guy failed his ped substitute and ended up with a pediatric the second time around. One of the girls had to give an enteral feeding via bolus to a ped. So be prepared for anything!!

princess1125 · Jun 25, 2010

i just passed in racine this past weekend and loved the site! great ca and ce's!!! i never felt nervous-just excited!!! i will admit i got afraid the week before when i heard about the gauze but then just decided that it didn't matter-if i got there and they asked me to pack that wound doing cartwheels then that is what i was going to do! the gauze turned out to be fine! go in there positive and confident!!!! good luck!!

ShellyBee · Jun 26, 2010

Gotcha, thanks!

BarbaraNM, ASN, RN · Jul 17, 2010

Erin,

Thanks for posting your journal of the CPNE weekend! I enjoyed reading it, and am already getting nervous... and I haven't even enrolled in EC yet! :uhoh3:

ShellyBee · Jul 21, 2010

I passed!!! No repeats! No workshops! Whoooo hoooooo!