For anyone that has done the cpne at Lubbock....

tnmarie · Apr 9, 2013

Welcome to the second timer's club. I am from Tennessee but I tested in NY because I've heard some tales about GA (plus NPAC has a MUCH shorter wait). The NY CEs and CA were awesome, but I had a wreck on the drive up there just outside of Syracuse. I'm testing in Albany in two weeks (and I'll be flying!). Good luck and I hope you find a great site and pass with flying colors this time around.

Aliakey · Apr 14, 2013

I tested and passed my first time around in Lubbock last September. The examiners and Clinical Associate were all very fair and very supportive, and there was plenty of patient variety at the Covenant Womens and Childrens Hospital for testing. As you can infer from the name, you will have a pediatric patient (no adult substitutes); the hospital itself is very well maintained and updated. The skills lab is held in a different building a few blocks away that is associated with the Covenant medical system, and there was plenty of room to perform skills on Friday. Supplies are fresh... I heard some accounts suggesting that there were crunchy/crispy/crackly supplies (waaaaay over-expired) at a different CPNE testing site in the south. Not the case in Lubbock at all.

The patients are not textbook perfect, but I personally believe part of your nursing exam should test your ability to handle little weirdnesses that can pop up, as long as they are fair and within the scope of the CPNE. All my patients fit within those constraints; some better than others I have to admit, lol! But again, you do have CAs and CEs that want to see you succeed, so I can honestly say they did everything they could within their power to make the exam very fair.

However, they will not make the exam easier for you. You HAVE to know what you are doing, be flexible if something does not go quite as planned, KNOW how to build your nursing diagnoses and care plans, and most importantly, manage your time effectively. When I practiced on my dummy patient "Fred" at home, there was no time allotted for walking to the med room, preparing medications, assisting with ambulating a patient who had a mindset of beating her hallway distance record now (never later in the afternoon, lol!), and so on. Your patients are human, and you must know your stuff. I was the only one who passed in my group that weekend; all of us were first-time testers. Not bragging here, but just emphasizing the difficulty in the exam itself when working with live human patients that you do not personally select.

Getting back to Lubbock... there's several nice hotels/motels within walking distance to the hospital and skills lab facility, and at least one does shuttle with a van for their guests (the one recommended by Excelsior in their acceptance letter to the Lubbock site). The weather is always changing, but usually dry and windy this time of year. Be sure to pack a coat/jacket. We had snow last week that followed with 80 degree temps and wind the next day.

I live near Lubbock; please drop me a PM if you want any further information as long as the questions don't violate Excelsior's policies. :)

Good luck!

tnmarie · Apr 14, 2013

LOL at text book patients. Is there such a thing anywhere? It is true that some fit the mold better.

The same thing happened to me with mobility, pt was feeling good and wanted to walk even further! For extra fun she had two IVs running, a foley, and O2. Then she wanted her bed made, which was not assigned. Oh, I'm not complaining, but just saying be prepared for that kind of thing! It takes extra time and of course you will have to document on it. That is why they tell you not to do extra, but you can't help it if the patient requests it. IN that case, do it with cheer, I say :-)

That is why I stress to really know your labs; it is the one thing about the weekend with NO surprises.

Congrats on passing. One out of the group of 6 passing seems to be the norm. Great, informative post, thanks.

NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · Apr 14, 2013

Hello!!!
I recently tested in Atlanta and had a bad experience and will be retesting hopefully soon. I keep hearing from alot of people that Lubbock is a great site. I was looking to get some feedback from any one that has tested there and how was your/their experience?? I'm from Louisiana and after I failed in GA tons of people have been telling me that I should have never went there in the first place bc most people from LA fail there... I don't really know what that's all about.
Also, if anyone has any great feedback on any other sites please let me know. At this point I'll go to any site as long as they are FAIR!!
Thanks!!!

Which hospital did you go to? There are 3 testing sites in the Atlanta area. There were 2 people that failed during my weekend. One was from South Carolina and the other was from Georgia. The one that I felt sure was gonna fail actually passed and she was from Texas with a heavily-foreigned accent. It was so difficult to understand her just in casual conversation but she passed. I don't believe it matters to them one way or another where you're from. Although I passed my weekend on the first attempt, I failed my first PCS and I live in Georgia. Also, I don't think the CA/CEs are suppose to know anything identifiable about the students other than your name and EC student ID number.....at least that's how it was when I tested 3 years ago. We were not allowed to disclose anything until after we were done testing and even then, we were the ones to bring it up.

I wish you well on your second attempt and hope that it's your final one! Good luck!!

SVT511 · Jul 7, 2014

I live in Dallas so I have been planning to test at the Lubbock site. I just passed my FCCAs and I'm nervous about the flow of prepping for the CPNE. I do not want to wait months on end for my date...but all the other test centers are so far! I am crossing my fingers on this!

Congrats! And hopefully I'll be joining the passing soon haha