CMC Cardiac Medicine Subspecialty Certification

Specialties MICU

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Hey all -- So I registered for the CMC subspecialty cert through the AACN. I recently passed my CCRN :w00t: and scored 100% on the cardio portion of the test. I was wondering if anyone out there has recently taken the exam and can offer any advice?? I know they just launched a new version of the test on 6/20.

Thanks!

I wonder if MICU or SICU experience would qualify one for the CMC or CSC; does anyone have any input on this?

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Specializes in MICU, CVICU.

You certainly can take the CMC with MICU and/or SICU experience. However, per AACN, the CSC is particularly catered towards RN's with experience "in the care of adult cardiac surgery patients within the first 48 hours postoperatively."

This patient-population is highly unlikely to be encountered in the MICU, however open-heart patients may still be recovered in an SICU, in lieu of a CVICU, so it depends on whether the SICU that you work on or intend to work on does indeed recover cardiothoracic patients, in which case you should be eligible to sit for the CSC exam.

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Just called over to AACN yesterday. As per the phone conversation, "MICU" experience qualifies for the CMC as long as 50% of the patients have issues that are cardiac in nature, so I guess this pertains to admitting diagnosis, however, this can also mean comorbid conditions or history possibly?? But I can say that the rep I spoke with gave me the impression that the experience isn't looked into so much, just study for the material and take the test. As for the SICU experience, she also stated yes, you can take the CSC as a SICU nurse so long as 50% of the patients you care for are cardiac surgical patients, within the first 48 hours post-op.

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Specializes in MICU, CVICU.

I wouldn't worry too much about the CMC requirement. I've known a few of our MICU nurses who sat for the exam even though our MICU doesn't usually admit patients whose primary diagnosis is cardiac-related.

The CSC requirements are, however, more cut-and-dry: you either have experience recovering open-hearts or you don't, in which case you shouldn't be eligible to sit for the exam.

RN_Medic: Since the forum won't let me answer your question in PM, I'll answer it here, where the info may be of use to other members.

For the CMC exam, I used the same material that I employed for the cardiac portion of the CCRN, including repeatedly doing the Cardiac questions on the Pass CCRN CD-ROM until I understood all the rationales and consistently got 100% on the practice-quizzes. I also shored up my deficits with casual readings of that section in the Pass CCRN book.

That, combined with my notes from the Gasparis DVDs, allowed me to pass the CMC.

For the CSC, I did all of the above, but also read the Hardin/Kaplow book as well as various materials that I got when I was pump-trained on my unit.

All that, combined with my years'-worth of experience recovering open-hearts including CABG's, valve-repair, aortic-dissections, LVAD-implantations, ECMO, and heart/lung-transplants, allowed me to pass the CSC.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Float Pool Nursing.
Hey all -- So I registered for the CMC subspecialty cert through the AACN. I recently passed my CCRN :w00t: and scored 100% on the cardio portion of the test. I was wondering if anyone out there has recently taken the exam and can offer any advice?? I know they just launched a new version of the test on 6/20.

Thanks!

I've taken PCCN when I worked in stepdown, which was hard, then I took CCRN after getting off orientation in the ICU and passed that, which I found easier. I tried to take CMC between the time I took both the PCCN and CCRN and I failed; I thought it was the hardest of the three.

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ShawnyD, thank you so much for sharing what your method of preparation was. I'll certainly be preparing in a similar fashion. From what I've commonly seen, RN's studying for CCRN usually use Gaspari's vids and take notes, plus the test questions on the CD from PASSCCRN and they do great. Commonalities I see with the CSC are Gaspari's vids, CSC CD from AACN, plus a Cardiac surgical book such as Hardin Kaplow Cardiac Surgery Essentials, on top of their CVICU/OH Recovery experience and they do great. as per a AACN rep, she mentioned that that the CMC is tougher than the CSC in part because medical involves so many diseases and the CSC has an overwhelmingly large section on the Swan, she says to know the swan like the back of your hand for CSC, if you know it, you will do stellar!

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Specializes in MICU, CVICU.
ShawnyD, thank you so much for sharing what your method of preparation was. I'll certainly be preparing in a similar fashion. From what I've commonly seen, RN's studying for CCRN usually use Gaspari's vids and take notes, plus the test questions on the CD from PASSCCRN and they do great. Commonalities I see with the CSC are Gaspari's vids, CSC CD from AACN, plus a Cardiac surgical book such as Hardin Kaplow Cardiac Surgery Essentials, on top of their CVICU/OH Recovery experience and they do great. as per a AACN rep, she mentioned that that the CMC is tougher than the CSC in part because medical involves so many diseases and the CSC has an overwhelmingly large section on the Swan, she says to know the swan like the back of your hand for CSC, if you know it, you will do stellar!

Yep, I pretty much agree with everything you said. Indeed, I felt that the CMC was tougher because of the span of knowledge required to learn all of the tested cardiac processes, whereas the CSC was a more focused, straightforward exam, for which I did do some reviewing with the Hardin/Kaplow book.

They're both tougher than the CCRN's cardiac portion, with the CMC being the toughest, imo, for the aforementioned reason. But I'm very glad that I passed both.

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To resurrect this post/topic. I recently sat for the CMC exam, 11/2018, and felt over prepared for the test. I bypassed the CCRN exam, given I have an MSN, and took the exam just studying "PassCCRN" practice questions. I felt like it was a reasonable exam.

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Specializes in ICU, CVICU, E.R..

After passing the CCRN back in 2009, I immediately signed up for both the CMC and CSC 3 weeks later while my memory was still fresh. Took the CMC first on a Monday, passed it, then took the CSC the following Monday and passed it as well. I remember passing the CMC by only 3 points, while the CSC I passed by 11 points. CCRN I scored 111 on it, I think the passing was 91 at the time.

In my experience, I would suggest taking either the CMC and/or the CSC right after passing the CCRN to keep things fresh.

I'm currently working at a level II trauma ED and plan to get my CPEN and CTRN within 2019.

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