Flunked the CPNE - some thoughts

[oeue2007]

Just flunked my first attempt at CPNE. Passed all labs on the first try then flunked two adult PCS's in a row! Thought I'd share some random thoughts since Excelsior likes to keep this mysterious.

LPN's especially - do not think of this as clinicals! This is memorization of a series of steps and then regurgitating them in order in a robot-like fashion. No mistakes allowed. No allowances for random human-like acts of your patients. :) I know that sounds like sour grapes but this is not intended to be a rant. This is really how it is! I never quite got that from all of the things that I've read and hope it will help someone else!

Secondly, Rob's video and Ivan's notes rock! They gave me most everything that I needed to know. I screwed it up by not regurgitating in proper order. Rob's tips at the first part of his video don't really hit home till you've been there. These are not really YOUR patients and you have to be fairly mercenary in order to stay focused on your memorization and get all of your stuff done. This is NOT a nursing exam.

Good luck to everyone with upcoming dates! Focus, focus, focus and plow through that grid like a bulldozer!

[eyerishone]

Thanks. I know I have a lot ahead of me, but I am 55, and would like to finish this before I retire. LPNs are being phased out in our area, and I am one of 3 in our facility, where I work side by side with RNs doing the same job but getting paid way more than me. I hope to finish quickly, so any advance knowledge I receive, I am tucking away for when I need it.

[changeofpaceRN]

Thanks all for the encouragement. COP, I did do a grid. In this hospital there was no "neutral" surface to put your paperwork on and it was in, out, in, out of my pocket. This is part of what I'm talking about with the mercenary thing. It went against my nursing instinct to stand there messing with a piece of paper repeatedly in front of a patient and made me more nervous. Next time, I will take the time that I need with it or I will go get a Cavi-wipe and clean a bedside table or chair seat for myself. (Wonder what the CE would think about that? :)

Ya know... I too felt odd taking out the packet and flipping though but in the beginning, I told the pt that I was a student and I'd be looking at it a lot since I have so much to get done. Every pt nodded and said that's fine. It even got to be a joke with a few of them because I'd look at them and they'd just go.. ok time for your paper right? Then we'd laugh and continue on.. I kept it in my pocket so that I didn't contaminate anything. It is annoying but it's only for 2 days.

[bjbabs24]

So sorry to hear about what happened esp. getting through your labs without a hitch. Thanks for the realistic view of the weekend. It seems like so many are failing recently that it is putting me a little on edge. I think from now until I test early June I will wake up every day saying I'm not a nurse I'm a student and drill that in my brain along with the mnuemonics:)

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

uhhh you need to be drilling in you head that you are the rn and in charge of taking care of this patient and everything that goes with it...when you do these pcs's you are suppose to be functioning as a first day rn...if you function like a student you will fail before you start....

i think from now until i test early june i will wake up every day saying i'm not a nurse i'm a student and drill that in my brain along with the mnuemonics:)

[bjbabs24]

One of the nurses on EPN said she went in with her old nurse on her back and flunked it twice so advised me to forget my nursing ways and do it the EC way. She said I am not the primary nurse and only do what is assigned nothing more, nothing less. Do it step by step how they want you to do it not how I have been doing it for years. Care plans-their way, assessments-their way etc... forget my nursing habits I have picked up and focus as a student passing a test. It isn't a skill of my nursing that I have been doing over the years but it is a test of my skills that have to be done their way. So, unless she's wrong it sounds pretty accurate?

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

forget my nursing habits I have picked up and focus as a student passing a test. It isn't a skill of my nursing that I have been doing over the years but it is a test of my skills that have to be done their way. So, unless she's wrong it sounds pretty accurate?

I have to agree with that approach ... I treated it like a test, period. Was I caring? Sure. Was I friendly? Absolutely. Was I going to offer a bed bath? NO WAY!

[Baloney Amputation, BSN, LPN, RN]

Dang...failure bites. No--the CPNE bites! I'm sorry to hear about your failure.