Just passed my CCRN! Ask away!

Trauma Columnist · Dec 4, 2014

Congrats!

little star, BSN · Dec 4, 2014

Hey guys I just passed my CCRN! I can't begin to tell you how excited I was when I saw that I passed. It was pretty hard and I definitely had to work for it during the test. Let me know if you guys have any questions and I'll try to go over what I did and what was on the test.

Congrats! I want to know how and what i should study? Did you use the AACN study books, Laura Vonfrolio's study aids, etc? Any info or advice you can give will be greatly appreciated.

ONE-TWO-- · Dec 4, 2014

I watched the Laura Gasparis DVDs, PASS CCRN online questions, and a review book called Critical Care Nursing Certification by Ahrens, Prentice, and Kleinpell. I thought about getting the AACN review material but didn't.

I initially watched the Laura Gasparis DVDs while taking VERY thorough notes (at times pausing or rewinding multiple times to jot down notes that I thought would be important). I then watched it again a second time but without taking notes just listening to the material and letting it set in.

I also did a TON of the PASS CCRN online questions. I would do a practice test, see what sections I did poorly on and then read the material and spend some time focusing on that certain section.

I initially did pretty poor on the most important sections(Cardiac, Pulmonary, and Neuro). But I studied those like crazy. Those sections make up around half the test so it's important to know that stuff.

ONE-TWO-- · Dec 4, 2014

When you do practice questions make sure you are able to understand the rationale why certain answers are right and others are wrong. That helped me a ton.

little star, BSN · Dec 5, 2014

Thanks for your advice. I look forward to passing the CCRN and joining you with such a great accomplishment.

deflowerkidRN · Dec 5, 2014

Thank you for this. I take my test in a few days! I used the pass CCRN and listened to the gasparis CDs. What do you mean when you say "you had to work for it"? Can you remember anything from your test you wish you had known? Congratulations!!!! Thank you again!

ONE-TWO-- · Dec 6, 2014

Thank you for this. I take my test in a few days! I used the pass CCRN and listened to the gasparis CDs. What do you mean when you say "you had to work for it"? Can you remember anything from your test you wish you had known? Congratulations!!!! Thank you again!

What I meant is that you have to do some in depth critical thinking. Don't get me wrong, there were some very simple concept questions, but they were few and far between. I wish I knew GI and pulmonary a little better. There is a lot of stuff to deal with not just interpreting ABGs but knowing what should be changed with the vent settings provided.

I surprisingly did pretty bad on psychosocial. What the Gasparis DVDs skip out on is what I did bad. I wouldn't take the DVDs as end-all, know-all. There is a lot of information that is on the test.

Take advantage of your bookmarks. What seemed like crazy hard questions seemed perfectly fine with a second go round and a fresh set of eyes so to speak.

Just take your time. Take deep breaths and just chug along. If there is a certain question that you have no idea on, just move on the next one and focus on the new one. Don't fret that you didn't know the previous question or you'll drive yourself crazy.

delphine22 · Dec 8, 2014

Congrats!!

I'm using the Pass CCRN questions exclusively to study (I do well with questions, not with lectures or DVDs). Do you think they were representative of the actual test questions?

ONE-TWO-- · Dec 8, 2014

Congrats!!
I'm using the Pass CCRN questions exclusively to study (I do well with questions, not with lectures or DVDs). Do you think they were representative of the actual test questions?

Some of the questions were actually very close to the actual questions in the test. I almost had some questions that were very close to being word for word. That being said, some of them were completely different. The best advice I can give when using the PASS CCRN questions is to thoroughly read the rationales for the right and wrong questions. If you can understand the concepts that are being tested it won't matter how they ask the question.

MurseICU · Dec 13, 2014

Congratulations!! I was just wondering where you got the Laura G's DVDs? Was is the 2 day review program from greatnurses.com or from Amazon?

Thanks!

ONE-TWO-- · Dec 13, 2014

I actually got them from a friend. It was a two day review course. Don't know where they were from.