Not really sure what to do...

Editorial Team / Moderator · Mar 19, 2012

I would work on doing a cover-to-cover read of the CPNE study guide first. Seriously, cover-to-cover, every single word. There is soooooo much information in there. Did you get your study guide printed yet?

So excited for you! :)

Nervous1 · Mar 19, 2012

I started reading the study guide and when I got to the critical elements I stopped, it seemed like it was repeating over and over. So I signed up for Sherri's workshop to get her study guide. Now I read the critical elements in her study guide and then read that section in the giant study guide. Its working better for me that way. I had Sherri's printed at Officemax and bound with a coil for $13.00 and my big study guide was almost $60 but it was just printed with 3 holes punched, no binder. That should give you an idea on the size difference.

I got my first careplan assignment from Sherri today and I don't know exactly what to do with it since I have not covered that part yet. I may sit down and read that section tonight and try to complete it for her to review.

While you are waiting, you may want to go ahead and compile your paperwork. I still need to get my passport photo and I am good on my shots, just need my doc to sign off on me. I'll schedule that for next Monday.

Also, I finally made it to the post office today so you should be getting your Sociology book soon. Its the REA guide for the exam. It was an easy pass, I read the book in 2 days and took it and passed.

BostonNurse2876 · Mar 19, 2012

Thank you both for the advice! And thatnks for the study guide! Hoping to bang out Ethics next week, then move on to Sociology. I was reading over some of the critical elements too, they make sence...but it will make muhc more sence when I take the online workshop. I also read over care planning----this is where I really want to get into a groove, since I don't do them now...ever! I do planning and teaching and a TON of documentation for the VNA, but not in that style the "EC" way.

I'll sign up for the workshop at the beginning of April. Maybe I can take the CPNE in August. They told me to allow 4 months to study--I don't want to rush it, but I also don't want to study so long I forget things.... :eek:

frankie,RN · Mar 19, 2012

My advice would be to take the workshop after fully understanding the study guide and critical elements. It definitely all comes together at the workshop. If you could get a workshop one to two months before the cpne, everything is fresh in your head. Good luck to you.:)

BostonNurse2876 · Mar 19, 2012

Frankie, my workshop will be online only--yeah, you are right though 2 months before the date would be good enough for a workshop. I don't want to start too early.

RyanCarolinaBoy, ADN, BSN, MSN · Mar 20, 2012

Boston-I'm right there with ya. I'm feeling head over heels deep in this. What i'm doing at the min is (I already read the study guide once thru briefly) focusing on chapter four. I want to drill the critical elements/mneumonics into my head until I can recite them in my sleep. Making flash cards, and memorizing steps. Then I am going to focus on labs until I know them inside out. After I have that down, I plan to move back to studying the steps of the critical elements while incorporating one lab a day to be done!

I had planned on going to sheri taylors workshop in person, but funds are getting limited (lol my well is going dry) and so i'm thinking that I will do 2 months of her online class instead...

TashaLPN2006RN2012, ASN, RN · Mar 21, 2012

step one: ready study guide one time through ...yes ALL 500+ pages...step two: print out and put in a binder SECTION FOUR...step three: re-read Section 4 and tab those into "mini-sections" or Area's of Care...step 4: sign up for a workshop, whichever one floats your boat...i do have a link i can give you for an online one if you are intersted...at this point you have the basics and can really get a good understanding of the critical elements when you do your workshop. The next thing is to get your mnemonics and grid and paperwork down, this will help you with your interventions when you start doing care plans. do as many CP's as possible for practice! and then work on and polish your labs...i was all over the place when i first began to study, a friend broke it down for me this way it has been phenomenal about how quickly lightbulbs started going off in my head where as before i was bouncing from mnemonics to careplans to areas of care, back to mnemonics...sigh over the course of 3 wks i've learned more than the prior month... =) good luckd!