CCRN after taking RNC

Specialties NICU

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Hi all! I got my RNC certification a few months ago, and I'm scheduled to take the CCRN in a few weeks. I studied my butt off for the RNC and didn't find it particularly hard (especially compared to the practice questions I'd been doing). This time around I'm reviewing the massive study guide I made for the RNC and doing more practice questions.

I've heard that the CCRN is slightly harder than the RNC, and that it covers a few more nutrition/fluids logistics than the RNC (like calculating GIR, calories per day, etc.) I also realize that the CCRN has 4 multiple choice options while the RNC has only 3, which I guess makes the RNC a bit easier to eliminate incorrect answers.

Has anyone here taken both? I'd love to hear any insights or advice related to the similarities and differences. Thanks!

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Specializes in NICU.

I can't comment on your question as I haven't taken the CCRN, although I wanted to ask out of curiosity why you are taking both?

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I can't comment on your question as I haven't taken the CCRN, although I wanted to ask out of curiosity why you are taking both?

Lol, you aren't the first person to ask. My hospital will pay for both; we get $300/year specifically to spend on initial and/or recertification fees, and the money can't be put toward any other continuing education. My $300 just reset at the start of the new year. I figured I'd rather take both now while the info is still relatively fresh, and reviewing the material again after a couple of months has really helped solidify the concepts in my brain. I also figure it may come in handy if I ever want to apply to one of the small handful of children's hospitals that prefer the CCRN.

Long story short, there's no real end goal; it's just a personal challenge. I'm also a glutton for punishment, and for gold stars. :rolleyes:

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Specializes in ICU.

I took CCRN in may but don't have anything to compare it to because I haven't taken RNC. I didn't find it particularly difficult though.

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I passed. :D

You get the results immediately at the test center (like the RNC), and I honestly didn't know if I'd made the cut. I thought the questions were surprisingly different from the RNC questions. Anyway, I needed 86/125 to pass and I got 110/125. So glad to be finished!

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

I was one of the weirdos to do both. The college where I was getting BSN would give me 4 credits for CCRN-NIC as an elective but they would not recognize RNC-NIC. So I studied and took it first. Then, my workplace of course would only recognize RNC-NIC and not CCRN-NIC (though they did take the adult CCRN ironically enough), so while the CCRN material was fresh on my mind, I took RNC. I thought they were about the same though granted I did all this about 5 years ago. I let CCRN lapse since I had gotten my usefulness out of it. have kept RNC-NIC since my workplace gives me "brownie points" on yearly evals and they pay for the renewal and CEs.

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I am taking the CCRN soon. Any tips? I have the core curriculum book and have done the AACN practice test that you can buy off their website.

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I am taking the CCRN soon. Any tips? I have the core curriculum book and have done the AACN practice test that you can buy off their website.

I found it very helpful to do a lot of practice questions and review the rationales, which allowed me to narrow down the areas where I needed to focus my studying. I primarily used this book:

Certification and Core Review for Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing, 5e: 978

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