CCRN with tele experience?

Specialties MICU

Published

Hi! I've read a bunch of threads regarding CCRN examination but I still haven't found my answer yet.

I have tele experience only and I'd like to know if I'd be able to pass CCRN without ICU experience.

AACN's eligibility criterias sound somewhat vague to me as well. I know taking PCCN is more appropriate for me at this point but if I am eligible to take CCRN without ICU experience, I'd definitely take CCRN, not PCCN. Maybe this is a question that I need to direct to AACN... :uhoh3:

Has anyone without ICU experience taken CCRN exam?

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing, Critical care nursing.

According to the AACN all you need is 1,875 hours in the care of acutely or critically ill patients. In my opinion if you work as a staff nurse on an inpatient unit in an acute care facility you qualify. I am going to take the test and I have only ER experience. They suggest ICU, ER, PACU, Cath lab experience, but it is not required. I would sign up for the test if I were you. Good luck!

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Specializes in ICU, EMS.

I think you have answered your own question. Tele=PCCN, ICU/ED/Cath Lab=CCRN. Without the experience you will have a very difficult time passing the exam. Good luck!

CC

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Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiac Cath Lab.
I think you have answered your own question. Tele=PCCN, ICU/ED/Cath Lab=CCRN.

CC

Good answer! :)

To the OP, I would recommend taking a look at the exam blueprints for the PCCN and CCRN exams to see what seems to fit your job description the best. At my facility, for example, the telemetry RNs would not fit the criteria for either exam because the higher-acuity patients are either admitted to ICU or PCU, not med-surg tele. Every hospital is different, though, so take a look at the blueprint(s) and you should find your answer. Good luck! :)

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PCU = telemetry in my dictionary. :)

I work in PCU, not med/surg tele.

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If you don't know hemodynamics and how to interpret the data to know which drugs to alter or administer, are not well versed with invasive ventilation modalities, and are unable to read a 12 lead EKG then don't even think about it.

CCRN is for critical care nurses

PCCN is for progressive care/step-down nurses

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Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiac Cath Lab.
PCU = telemetry in my dictionary. :)

I work in PCU, not med/surg tele.

It sounds like the PCCN exam could be appropriate for you, then, if you have the minimum number of hours, etc. Good luck with your studies! :)

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Not intending to discourage you, because I am all about continued ed....however, if I were you I wouldn't spend the money. Not to say you couldn't pass it, but why take it?!?

I personally can't imagine comprehending the material without having experience to reflect upon. Also, because most of the material will not apply to your pt. population, you will likely forget it by the time you need it.

I would wait until you get into critical care, where your experience will become your building blocks for furthering your knowledge base, it would be more logical, reasonable, and beneficial in the long wrong run. Good luck!

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If you don't know hemodynamics and how to interpret the data to know which drugs to alter or administer, are not well versed with invasive ventilation modalities, and are unable to read a 12 lead EKG then don't even think about it.

CCRN is for critical care nurses

PCCN is for progressive care/step-down nurses

I agree. Critical Care and Tele are very different worlds. The CCRN is an exam for nurses who take care of critically ill patients.

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Specializes in ICU.

i think you answered your own question.. and i'm sorry but frankly i think your trying to be too ambitious here. Do other nurses in your unit have CCRN certification? Why not transfer to an ICU?

Good luck!

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It could be quite hard to pass the test if you so not have ICU experience. There are so many things you need to know so that you can make good judgements...experience is really valuable. Not to mention the technology. How will you know what CRRT is? Do you understand what a pulmonary artery wegde pressure is (even though it is not used much anymore)? Do you know what an oscillator is? When it is used? Would you know what it would look like and what to do it if ends up in the right ventricle? There is a LOT..not to mention ethics and all kinds of other stuff. You could certainly try, and then you would know what you are up against. There is also a 'PCCN' exam for Progressive care / tele nurses. Maybe that would be a better starting point.

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Specializes in CCRN, MICU, CCU.

Why not take the PCCN since it is more specific to your specialty? The CCRN isn't a BETTER cert to have. I would assume most of the CCRN would be totally foreign to your specialty and irrelevant.

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