CPNE ... What is so Horrific/Difficult about it ... ?

Published

I've been reading a few threads regarding EC and it seems that the classes are par for the course. The fact that there is a CPNE vs Standard Weekly Clinicals seems to make the whole program faster than some of the other available options as well.

Unfortunately, this CPNE thing seems like a horrific event and I'm starting to wonder why? There are workshops, additional study guides, etc, just for this aspect of the program. Did those who took it really find it that difficult? If so, what aspects made it so difficult? For those that found it difficult, did you have any previous clinical experience during your LPN training? If so, what were those experiences like? Approximately how many hours of clinicals and where did you perform them?

Sorry, I don't mean this to sound like an interview ... I'm just trying to decide between a few of the programs and this CPNE thing seems like a monster. If all they are testing are the same things you did during LPN clinicals, then why is it so scary?

Thanks!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds stepdown ICU.

No, the CPNE is not difficult if you are prepared and have your nerves under control. I prepared about six months...went in prepared and didn't repeat a thing. This test would be a killer if you weren't prepared or were totally wild with nerves. It played out exactly like the study guide portrayed it.

Missy

Up Vote Up Vote ×

There is very little/no room for error. Like it or not, the examiner you get is a major factor. Generally, if you fail a part you get one repeat, so it kind of evens itself out, because you never have the same examiner twice.

That's no guarantee it will even out though. There are just too many variables and no, the CPNE is not always fair, I don't care what anyone says. I have seen with my own eyes how unfair it can be.

Did I pass? Yes, I did, and it is a mighty surreal feeling to walk out of there with that congratulations letter. But I know of others who were not so lucky. It is true, some are not prepared when they go, but it is also true that some are very prepared but do not pass.

It is so imperative you memorize your critical elements. You are doomed without them.

Also, know the labs like the back of your hand. And make sure you are studying the correct way to do them.

You cannot over study for this exam.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
No, the CPNE is not difficult if you are prepared and have your nerves under control. I prepared about six months...went in prepared and didn't repeat a thing. This test would be a killer if you weren't prepared or were totally wild with nerves. It played out exactly like the study guide portrayed it.

Missy

I totally disagree with some of that.

The nerves stuff, yes. I was shaking so bad (because I've heard that so many people fail over the IM lab) that during the IM injection lab I had to start over 4 times, but still passed within the 15 minute time frame.

I took the EC workshop...yes twice!! and was still so anxious that the instructor let me take the IM injection dummy home and practice if I promised to return it the following day.

And yes, it turned out to be the exact same dummy used during the actual exam. I'm convinced that the EC workshops helped me to pass the exam and would recommend them to anyone.

But I've heard that same thing from other people about how the CPNE is a breeze if you know your critical elements and have your nerves under control and I think there's more to it than that.

I'm convinced that people's perception of it depend on what kind of patients and/or examiner they got during their CPNE.

It's true that you don't get the same examiner twice, but I failed one PCS because of my care plan. The CE asked if anyone could stay overtime to do a fourth PCS and my CE was not happy to have to stay, she made it very clear that she wanted to go home for the day.

So she was quite aware that I had already failed one PCS and was basically ready for me to fail again. Thankfully I didn't, but that PCS was so easy that I was literally standing around for tha majority of it and she had no choice but to pass me, and my biggest enemy was myself convinced that the CE was going to fail me for some frivilous reason.

My point here is that out of 4 PCS's, two of them were so easy and basic that the CE and I both were standing around most of the time, and if someone's CPNE experience consisted of those same two types of PCS's that I had throughout their exam, then yes, I can see why people say things like "If you know your critical elements and have your nerves under control" then you will pass.

But that's not true for everyone's experience.

My other two PCS's were not that easy. The one that I failed happened because I was running out of time, not because of not knowing my skills.

I was frantically rushing through my charting at the end which caused a failure in the care plan part of it.

The patient was a basic elderly post-op patient. The kind that a Med/Surg LPN/LVN sees every day.

In the PCS time frame allowed, they expected me to set her up for breakfast, (arthritic hands so she needed a lot of help) complete bed bath and linen change, (she was sore from post-op pain and arthritis so she moved slow as a snail with turning and bathing) and get up and walk her with a foley, IV pole, oxygen, and chest tube. (She walked even slower than she turned.)

This is not even including the areas of care such as respiratory management with IS and meds that I was assigned to give.

My first PCS was similar and I barely passed it in the nick of time as well.

They told us in the workshop that EC was going to be getting away from bedbaths but I was assigned it during two of them and it gets very time consuming.

I'm sorry, but I get tired of people saying that the CPNE is a breeze if you are prepared and have your nerves under control.

I was an LPN for 6 years when I took it and the patients that I was assigned to were a lot less acute than what I worked with every day.

So memorizing the study guide and keeping my nerves in check did not help here.

I'd also like to add that that another student in my group was assigned a very resisitive and wild pedi patient that she found impossible to complete any area of care on and she failed that one.

I realize that in the real world that kids don't always cooperate, but this child was hardly suitable for a testing experience and they could have exercised a little better judgement here.

Then they gave her a patient that spoke no English, no interpreter who spoke Polish was available in the hospital, and she was expected do do a full neuro/level of orientation assessment on him.

Again, a little better judgement would have helped here on EC's part.

Just a little input from someone who passed the first time around but doesn't claim to have "breezed" through the exam by knowing the study guide and staying calm.

Those things are important but they are not the entire picture.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds stepdown ICU.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion of the CPNE, but I stand by my experience being exactly like the study guide portrayed it. My friend took her's a month prior to me and had the SAME experience in a totally different site and facility. All in my group passed except one who didn't even study....To me my prep made the exam pretty uncomplicated...but again, this is my experience. Not everyone will view the exam the same.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Everyone is entitled to their opinion of the CPNE, but I stand by my experience being exactly like the study guide portrayed it. My friend took her's a month prior to me and had the SAME experience in a totally different site and facility. All in my group passed except one who didn't even study....To me my prep made the exam pretty uncomplicated...but again, this is my experience. Not everyone will view the exam the same.

My post was not an attempt to be a slight to your post, only to offer another experience.

I wish that my CPNE experience was "just like in the book/video."

Oh well, boo-hoo, I passed and it changed my life forever. I can't discount that.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
No, the CPNE is not difficult if you are prepared and have your nerves under control. I prepared about six months...went in prepared and didn't repeat a thing. This test would be a killer if you weren't prepared or were totally wild with nerves. It played out exactly like the study guide portrayed it.

Missy

Thanks! Which Study Guide are you referring to?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I totally disagree with some of that.

The nerves stuff, yes. I was shaking so bad (because I've heard that so many people fail over the IM lab) that during the IM injection lab I had to start over 4 times, but still passed within the 15 minute time frame.

I took the EC workshop...yes twice!! and was still so anxious that the instructor let me take the IM injection dummy home and practice if I promised to return it the following day.

And yes, it turned out to be the exact same dummy used during the actual exam. I'm convinced that the EC workshops helped me to pass the exam and would recommend them to anyone.

But I've heard that same thing from other people about how the CPNE is a breeze if you know your critical elements and have your nerves under control and I think there's more to it than that.

I'm convinced that people's perception of it depend on what kind of patients and/or examiner they got during their CPNE.

It's true that you don't get the same examiner twice, but I failed one PCS because of my care plan. The CE asked if anyone could stay overtime to do a fourth PCS and my CE was not happy to have to stay, she made it very clear that she wanted to go home for the day.

So she was quite aware that I had already failed one PCS and was basically ready for me to fail again. Thankfully I didn't, but that PCS was so easy that I was literally standing around for tha majority of it and she had no choice but to pass me, and my biggest enemy was myself convinced that the CE was going to fail me for some frivilous reason.

My point here is that out of 4 PCS's, two of them were so easy and basic that the CE and I both were standing around most of the time, and if someone's CPNE experience consisted of those same two types of PCS's that I had throughout their exam, then yes, I can see why people say things like "If you know your critical elements and have your nerves under control" then you will pass.

But that's not true for everyone's experience.

My other two PCS's were not that easy. The one that I failed happened because I was running out of time, not because of not knowing my skills.

I was frantically rushing through my charting at the end which caused a failure in the care plan part of it.

The patient was a basic elderly post-op patient. The kind that a Med/Surg LPN/LVN sees every day.

In the PCS time frame allowed, they expected me to set her up for breakfast, (arthritic hands so she needed a lot of help) complete bed bath and linen change, (she was sore from post-op pain and arthritis so she moved slow as a snail with turning and bathing) and get up and walk her with a foley, IV pole, oxygen, and chest tube. (She walked even slower than she turned.)

This is not even including the areas of care such as respiratory management with IS and meds that I was assigned to give.

My first PCS was similar and I barely passed it in the nick of time as well.

They told us in the workshop that EC was going to be getting away from bedbaths but I was assigned it during two of them and it gets very time consuming.

I'm sorry, but I get tired of people saying that the CPNE is a breeze if you are prepared and have your nerves under control.

I was an LPN for 6 years when I took it and the patients that I was assigned to were a lot less acute than what I worked with every day.

So memorizing the study guide and keeping my nerves in check did not help here.

I'd also like to add that that another student in my group was assigned a very resisitive and wild pedi patient that she found impossible to complete any area of care on and she failed that one.

I realize that in the real world that kids don't always cooperate, but this child was hardly suitable for a testing experience and they could have exercised a little better judgement here.

Then they gave her a patient that spoke no English, no interpreter who spoke Polish was available in the hospital, and she was expected do do a full neuro/level of orientation assessment on him.

Again, a little better judgement would have helped here on EC's part.

Just a little input from someone who passed the first time around but doesn't claim to have "breezed" through the exam by knowing the study guide and staying calm.

Those things are important but they are not the entire picture.

PCS? IM? Sorry, unfamiliar with those acronyms? Thanks for the reply though!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

I took the CPNE twice, 32 days apart, both in the same city and the first and second were as different as day and night. I did not even study between the two because I knew what I needed to know to pass. The first CPNE was a disaster from start to finish. The examiners were cold and didn't seem to give a flip whether you passed or not, in fact, I felt like I was being tricked to some extent. Very cold when I failed. 4 out of 6 failed. When I took my second CPNE the examiners were warm and wonderful, explained "everything" in detail, gave plenty of time to think and to organize. I passed everything the first time with no repeats. I DO think where you go makes a difference. Check out :http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Excelsior_College_CPNE/?yguid=83821276 for alot of good information about CPNE and the various locations. Good Luck. P.S. I do think many make it alot sound alot more nerve wracking than it really is. I think the money is the nerve wracking part because if you fail you have to pay again. I was lucky, I was so discouraged the first time that my Mother paid for my second try. I love my Mother!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Dutchgirl, your mother is a saint!

IM= Intramuscular injection.

PCS= Patient care situation. You'll see that term a lot on the EC discussion forums.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I totally disagree with some of that.

The nerves stuff, yes. I was shaking so bad (because I've heard that so many people fail over the IM lab) that during the IM injection lab I had to start over 4 times, but still passed within the 15 minute time frame.

I took the EC workshop...yes twice!! and was still so anxious that the instructor let me take the IM injection dummy home and practice if I promised to return it the following day.

And yes, it turned out to be the exact same dummy used during the actual exam. I'm convinced that the EC workshops helped me to pass the exam and would recommend them to anyone.

But I've heard that same thing from other people about how the CPNE is a breeze if you know your critical elements and have your nerves under control and I think there's more to it than that.

I'm convinced that people's perception of it depend on what kind of patients and/or examiner they got during their CPNE.

It's true that you don't get the same examiner twice, but I failed one PCS because of my care plan. The CE asked if anyone could stay overtime to do a fourth PCS and my CE was not happy to have to stay, she made it very clear that she wanted to go home for the day.

So she was quite aware that I had already failed one PCS and was basically ready for me to fail again. Thankfully I didn't, but that PCS was so easy that I was literally standing around for tha majority of it and she had no choice but to pass me, and my biggest enemy was myself convinced that the CE was going to fail me for some frivilous reason.

My point here is that out of 4 PCS's, two of them were so easy and basic that the CE and I both were standing around most of the time, and if someone's CPNE experience consisted of those same two types of PCS's that I had throughout their exam, then yes, I can see why people say things like "If you know your critical elements and have your nerves under control" then you will pass.

But that's not true for everyone's experience.

My other two PCS's were not that easy. The one that I failed happened because I was running out of time, not because of not knowing my skills.

I was frantically rushing through my charting at the end which caused a failure in the care plan part of it.

The patient was a basic elderly post-op patient. The kind that a Med/Surg LPN/LVN sees every day.

In the PCS time frame allowed, they expected me to set her up for breakfast, (arthritic hands so she needed a lot of help) complete bed bath and linen change, (she was sore from post-op pain and arthritis so she moved slow as a snail with turning and bathing) and get up and walk her with a foley, IV pole, oxygen, and chest tube. (She walked even slower than she turned.)

This is not even including the areas of care such as respiratory management with IS and meds that I was assigned to give.

My first PCS was similar and I barely passed it in the nick of time as well.

They told us in the workshop that EC was going to be getting away from bedbaths but I was assigned it during two of them and it gets very time consuming.

I'm sorry, but I get tired of people saying that the CPNE is a breeze if you are prepared and have your nerves under control.

I was an LPN for 6 years when I took it and the patients that I was assigned to were a lot less acute than what I worked with every day.

So memorizing the study guide and keeping my nerves in check did not help here.

I'd also like to add that that another student in my group was assigned a very resisitive and wild pedi patient that she found impossible to complete any area of care on and she failed that one.

I realize that in the real world that kids don't always cooperate, but this child was hardly suitable for a testing experience and they could have exercised a little better judgement here.

Then they gave her a patient that spoke no English, no interpreter who spoke Polish was available in the hospital, and she was expected do do a full neuro/level of orientation assessment on him.

Again, a little better judgement would have helped here on EC's part.

Just a little input from someone who passed the first time around but doesn't claim to have "breezed" through the exam by knowing the study guide and staying calm.

Those things are important but they are not the entire picture.

i think that's a very realistic view of the cpne. it's all in the luck of the draw. i've talked to people who finished every pcs with 45 mins to go, and i've talked to people who had nightmare patients they couldn't possibly finish in time, with all sorts of complications.

so the cpne is just one heck of a test to prepare for, since you've got to prepare for the worst case scenarios.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds stepdown ICU.
Thanks! Which Study Guide are you referring to?

Excelsior college sends you this study guide when you are ready to take the exam. It indeed covered everything I needed to know for the exam. I attended a workshop by the college as well did the on-line care planning conference. Many resources are available to assist you with the exam. The CPNE is very doable. It focuses on VERY basic nursing concepts. They want to ensure that you can safely administer meds and assess a patient appropriately. I came from no hospital experience (I did peds home care for several years) and still found it doable.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment