CRNE June 2012

World Canada CRNE

Published

Anyone started to prepare for CRNE June 2012?

Congrats to those who passed! Sorry to hear from those who didn't but I'm sure the next one you will pass :)

I'm writing the CRNE in Oct and was wondering if anyone else could give me some tips on how to prepare for the CRNE in Oct. I am a slow learner and I'm not doing that well in school. i'm more like a C student, getting low 60s. I have to be honest that I need to study really hard and take extra time for me to pass because I know myself and I'm definitely not the type to easily pass. But I am finishing up my final placement right now so it's hard for me to study for the CRNE while getting my learning goals done for this placement. I have tried to study for it early but find it hard to focus and eventually ended up reviewing the material again because I forgot about it. After I finish my placement in Aug I will study hardcore.

I know a few of you have already given some good tips so thank you for that. Anyone who is also a slow learner like me who passed the CRNE, i'm hoping to hear from those. I think I'm going to have to review COPD, Heart, ARF, CRF, Angina, Asthma, Hip Fracture, all those diseases and conditions all over again (go back to the basics) because I don't even remember much from it. But I'm not sure if I should go through the prep guides first and then refer to the textbook or study COPD and all those diseases and then go back to the prep guides. What are your thoughts?

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Specializes in Cardiology.

@caringnursing

I finished the June exam in 3 hrs 15 min with 2 bathroom breaks and passed. This is how I prepared. (I hope some of these tips are useful for you.)

- I went through previous threads/posts on allnurses about the CRNE and took note of people's impressions of the exam, study tips, resources etc.

- For the conditions you mentioned: COPD, ARF etc.. I would review the pathophys but more importantly I would take the time to create a nursing plan for each condition. Go through each plan and rewrite it in your own words. This will get you in the habit of thinking like a nurse and developing your critical thinking skills. Your med/surg text is a good resource.

-Your fundamentals text is your best resource. Be it Potter and Perry's, Koizer et al etc. At the end of each chapter there are review questions. DO THEM! and understand the rational behind each question. Focus on the health and wellness chapters.

-Go through the CNA competencies. If you can, write examples under each competency.

IE) This is what I wrote for the competency pertaining to ARF

[TABLE]

[TR]

[TD][TABLE]

[TR]

[TD]CH70

[/TD]

[TD] intervenes in a rapidly changing health situation: acute renal failure (e.g., nephrotoxins).

[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Treatment is focused on removing the cause of the kidney failure.

Medications and other products the patient ingests will be reviewed. Any that might harm the kidneys will be eliminated or the dose reduced.

Other treatments will be offered, with the following goals:

  • Correct dehydration - Intravenous fluids, with electrolyte replacement if needed
  • Fluid restriction - For those types of kidney failure in which excess fluid is not appropriately eliminated by the kidneys
  • Increase blood flow to the kidney - Usually related to improving heart function or increasing blood pressure
  • Correct chemical (electrolyte) abnormalities - Keeps other body systems working properly

If the patient's kidneys do not respond to treatment, and adequate kidney function does not return, they will need to undergo dialysis. Dialysis is done by accessing the blood vessels through the skin (hemodialysis) or by accessing the abdominal cavity through the lining that encases the abdominal organs (peritoneal dialysis).

  • With hemodialysis, the patient is connected to a machine by a tube running from a conduit created surgically between a large artery and vein. Blood is circulated through the artificial kidney, which removes toxins and wastes. The blood is then returned to the patient's body.

[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

-Resources I used

CNA Prep guide

Lippencott's Prep guide (prof practice and alterations in health sections were useful)

PRIMED CRNE Seminar (PRIMED Educational Associates ~ Your Lifeline to the CRNE.)

CNA readiness tests

Fundamental nursing texts (Potter and Perry, Koizer et al)

-The final 12- 10 days I spent about 3 hrs each day just doing questions. If there was a question or rationale I didn't understand, I would look it up and study it.

This next part is key. Follow these steps and apply them when doing review questions and when you write the exam and you will pass.

Step 1: Read what is the Topic of the question what is being asked, pay attention to key words e.g. FIRST, MOST, PRIORITY etc.

Step 2: Read all answers, choose one of the relevant Assessments before you choose an Implementation

Step 3: Apply Maslow, meet physical needs before psychosocial needs.

Step 4: Apply ABC's, Pt SAFETY

If none of the above works go to step 5

Step 5: Determine the Outcome of the Answer (is it a desired outcome?) than choose an answer.

Good luck!

1
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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

There's not much I can add to petethecanuck's response. I do recommend working through the CNA prep materials near the beginning so you have a better grasp of where you're weakest so that you can focus more on those areas first.

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To caringnurse: I wrote the CRNE in June 2012 and was successfull. My advice to you is to do at least 20 questions each day. Do not bombard yourself all at once or you will be overwhelmed. I used the Mosby comprehensive review and the CNA Prep Guide.

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CAN U GIVE ME ANY SUGGESTTION FOR BOOKS AND COURSE?

i am IEN from thailand i failed twice only 1 chance left :(

i will tke Febuary 2013 exam i need more time to study and focus .

Please help.

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Specializes in Emergency, medical-surgical,.

@ dream4thainurse,

the suggestions have already been given, read through petethecanuck`s

response and prepare yourself.

I did the CRNE in June, and was successful as an IEN, my advice is to

focus on your language skills.

Did you had problems understanding the questions - if yes, then you`ll

know where to start. Talking to some IENs, they mentioned having problems

understanding the questions!

Do the first prep exam in the CNA prep book and go through the competencies

that seem to be your weakest.

I, personally liked the CNA prep guide, as it was written in the same style as

the CRNE itself, Mosby prepared me where I was lacking knowledge - e.g. since

my graduation in Germany in 2007, I never assisted in labour and delivery

anymore, so I reviewed the complete chapter.

There are some prep courses depending where you live!?

Mona77

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Hi there, you may go to cno website, the learning modules, go through them again regarding client nurse relation modules and read all the articles about client patient relationship. Most important you should focus on those knowledge and change part, becos it has larger percentage on the exam. SO if you improve a bit, you will get much better results, nurse client relationship is only small percentage, so it will not help much even you improve a lot. Less than twenty questions about it. If you could forward a copy if you exam results without ur name on it, I can tell you which part you should study more probably.

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Can I have your email Mona77?

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Yes English is my struggle and having hard tie to understand formal english even I studied a lot in my country.My lowest score is nurse client partnership I have hard time to choose the best respond when client ask a nurse or how to response client in Canadian nursing way Thank you for your advice

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Specializes in Emergency, medical-surgical,.

Hi,

you can send me a private message, it will be directed to my

personal e-mail.

Mona77

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Thank you SO MUCH petethecanuck! I will definitely try to follow your steps and make my own notes for each condition.

I will read through your reply again thoroughly to make sure I follow the steps when I start preparing for the CRNE soon.

I'm also done my final placement so I can start studying next week. I have the CNA prep and Lippincott. I don't have the Mosby one, not sure how helpful that one is because I've heard both - my friend used the comprehensive Mosby text and failed the CRNE. Someone else used it and passed but I have to agree that the med surg and Potter Perry ones are most important. I have the Lewis 2nd edition. Hope its just as good as Kozier.

And thank you so much everyone for the support. I am so happy that everyone here is eager to help one another. Everyone here will make such great nurses!

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Congrats to everyone that passed. Anyone from Peterborough who i s taking CRNE in October who wants to study ?

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