I passed the CPNE!!!!

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I passed the CPNE at SRMC in Atlanta!!! Woohoo!!! A couple more general eds and I'm done!!! To all of those here who haven't done this exam yet, lemme tell you- it was more stressful than I had anticipated, but very doable. You have to study that study guide front to back, have some menmonics for the critical elements, do everything THEIR WAY, and do those grids! You cannot prepare for this too much. And you can't let the stress get to you. I am so glad it's over, but I'm really proud to have accomplished this on the first try, too.

Ladybug was one of the other passers, too! I was really glad she was there- we had a really good time in the midst of it all. Whew! I'm glad that's over with!!!

Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.
Great! I really appreciate you taking the time to send them. I've received the "big" study guide and plan on starting today (just finished last test yesterday, yeah!) I've also signed up to take Chancellor's Workshop in hopes that it will shed some light on this experience. Any tips/help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.

Sheila

Sheila,

I have emailed you the files. You might want to go ahead and delete your email addy from your post, or you will be bombarded by future/current EC students wanting copies of the files.

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Specializes in Trauma/ER.

Can you email me this information as well. I'm still really far from taking the test but it doesn't hurt to know these things as I study along.

Thank you,

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Specializes in pediatric, geriatric.

Thanks for sharing your experience!!!

I am far from the CPNE but I am trying to study a little at a time early so that it doesn't become overwhelming.

What do you think at the early stages to focus on??

THANKS!

Barbara

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CONGRATS!!!!!!!!:yeah:

For all those who have to take it, I really thought the flashcards helped me. You can get them thru EC.

Again, Great Job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Specializes in Med-Surg in Acute care hospital.

Congrats on passing your CPNE! Can you email me your files. I am taking the CPNE on Monday and I just have been reading over other peoples files this week just getting tips and reading journals and so forth. I would really appreciate it! Thanks.

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

Although the original post in this thread was made over 4 years ago, the OP is a staff member here and is very likely to see your request. In the meantime, please continue to browse the distance learning forums for this and any other additional information you seek to help in your nursing education. Continued luck and success to you.

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First of all congrats!!! I just received my test date for Grady Memorial on Sept 19, I am thinking of declining for a later date as I have just started to prepare and don't know if 60days is long enough. I have been majorly procastinating and now panic has set is since I was notified. I am taking Lynn's workshop in Charlotte on Sept 4. Do you have any advice to calm me and how do I learn this grid I keep hearing about?

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Would someone mind giving me the basic, 2-cent overview of the content covered by the CPNE? Exactly what is being tested and how? I am aware of the basic purpose of the test, but don't know any of the details.

I'm not asking anyone to violate any confidentiality rules or anything by sharing specifics that are not supposed to be shared. I just want to be able to be a knowledgable participant in any discussions of the EC program, which has become a controversial topic in my state.

You can either answer me here or PM me.

Thanks,

llg

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Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.

Yes- this thread is several years old ;).

I have since gone on to get my BSN in a brick-and-mortar program, and am starting a BSN-PhD program in the Fall (also brick-and-mortar).

For those of you with questions, I'm afraid many changes have been made in the curriculum and entry requirements, so I can't offer the best info there. However, there are several current students here that can answer your questions with up-to-date information.

Thanks!

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
Would someone mind giving me the basic, 2-cent overview of the content covered by the CPNE? Exactly what is being tested and how? I am aware of the basic purpose of the test, but don't know any of the details.

Wow, I think any overview of the CPNE is at least a 50-cent endeavor! :D

It's a 2.5-day clinical exam. The first day is spent in the sim lab, being tested on drawing up/administering IV meds, packing a wound using aseptic technique, calculating and setting up an IV minibag medication infusion using a gravity drip, and either an IM or SQ injection (drawing up meds or insulin after selecting proper equipment, finding proper injection site, using proper technique, etc.). You have 2 opportunities to pass each of these 4 lab stations. If you fail any of the four a second time, you are done -- CPNE failed. You can repeat any failed labs on the second day, after the first day of the patient care portion of the exam.

The remaining 2 days consist of a minimum of three Patient Care Situations (PCSs) -- 2 adult patients and 1 pediatric patient (though some students might get an adult substitute for the ped if the peds census is low). These are real, live patients who have agreed to be part of the exam. Students are given a kardex with patient info and the particulars of their overriding and assigned areas of care. Overriding areas of care include fluid management (including I/O), mobility assessment, physical safety, emotional safety, caring, etc. We also do vitals signs on all patients. Assigned areas of care involve basic assessments and management: respiratory assessment, respiratory management, medication administration, wound care, irrigation, specimen collection, oxygen management, abdominal assessment, neuro assessment, peripheral vascular assessment, skin assessment, musculoskeletal management, enteral feeding, and I'm probably forgetting some of the others. We don't have to do all of them on each patient -- we're assigned a certain number, and we can be certain of getting medication administration for at least one patient (I had meds for every PCS, though -- everything from PO to SQ to IVMB antibiotics).

We have 2.5 hours for each PCS, and during that time there are three phases: planning, implementation, and evaluation. During planning, we are expected/required to write careplans for our patients -- we have to come up with two nursing diagnoses, along with one goal and two interventions for each diagnosis. After our careplans are accepted, we move into the implementation phase, where we enter the patient's room and carry out our overriding and assigned areas of care, which have strict critical elements that must be met; failing to meet the critical elements results in failure of the PCS. When we have completed our assignments, we move into the evaluation phase, where we document all of our assessments, findings, and interventions, choose a priority diagnosis from our two, write a rationale for it being the priority, and state whether the goal was achieved and if the interventions were effective. At that point, we hand in the paperwork and hope we haven't missed one single critical element, or we're toast. We have to meet every critical element for every area of care; no wiggle room.

You can fail and repeat one adult PCS and one pediatric PCS. If you fail two adult PCSs or two pediatric PCSs, you're done -- failed.

I guess that's a pretty basic overview! The pass/fail nature of the CPNE is unforgiving and stress-inducing.

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Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.
Would someone mind giving me the basic, 2-cent overview of the content covered by the CPNE? Exactly what is being tested and how? I am aware of the basic purpose of the test, but don't know any of the details.

I'm not asking anyone to violate any confidentiality rules or anything by sharing specifics that are not supposed to be shared. I just want to be able to be a knowledgable participant in any discussions of the EC program, which has become a controversial topic in my state.

You can either answer me here or PM me.

Thanks,

llg

The short answer is that it covers any of the areas of care that you would see in a typical med/surg patient, and is guided by the ANA Standards of Care for those general health states. As someone who worked in a teaching hospital as a LPN for 7 years prior to doing the program, the only 'new' things I had to encounter during the CPNE consisted of starting the care plans, and giving an IV push in the lab. All procedures were common nursing procedures, but the exam is designed to determine competency in those things, and to determine that one has made the transition to 'thinking like a RN.' Being able to initiate and follow through on a plan of care were essential in this determination. As for step-by-step guidelines, Lunah would probably be the best person to answer this. ;)

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Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.

LOL..never mind- Lunah & I were answering at the same time. :chuckle

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