OK, truthfully I'm way off from my CPNE. I haven't even started :-)
I'm starting a new job as a unit secretary in a week! I went 3/4 of the way through a 2-year ASN 8 (yes, EIGHT) years ago. Money, divorce, all that was a problem. I continued with what was then Regents until I only had ONE exam and the clinical exam left, but had no idea how I would ever find the money to do the exam so I stopped.
I'm still qualified, and after a lot of lost sleep and talking with others decided to go the Excelsior route instead of starting with a local LPN program. They said I was still qualified and would be accepted, but encouraged me to go the LPN route first -- time and money could become a problem if I did. My A&P, chem, micro, psych are all still good. So I have almost all my non-nursing coursee, just have to retake the CLEP or their test for lifespan because the content changed from 8 years ago, have to take their English exam (they won't accept my CLEP) and maybe one other course, and hunt down the old content guide for the older SOC CLEP to help them decide whether or not it's good. I don't anticipate taking too long to finish the 7 written exams, though some of it is new material most is review and to my benefit I seem to have a knack for taking tests. I'm hoping experience as a unit secretary and constantly seeing what the others are doing/charting will help me out some, especially when it comes to the new drugs and their applications. More than that I was surprised to hear that the unit secretaries are actually asked to help in some of the patient care.
The CPNE of course scares me. It's been 8 years, though I 'remember' my clinicals vividly and have done some CNA and elder care work in the meantime. I can't tell you the last time I picked up a stethescope! For someone like me, I'm sure that the hands-on clinics will be necessary. I see that Excelsior has one 2 day and one 1 day... that doesn't seem like enough.
I don't intend to use anything but excelsior materials for the most part, but was wondering if anyone had input on the Chancellor's workshop. It's 5 days, it is priced separately so I am gathering it is available separately. What have others done to pass the CPNE -- or is everyone else here already an LPN/LVN? I've heard mentioned online skills simulations but haven't found any links. Does anyone have some good links for this? I want to start early on, I have every *intention* of finishing up in 8-12 months (though I am prepared to let it take longer, in the past I just reviewed for maybe an hour a night 4-5 nights before testing and did fine. I find a lot more retention when studying just before drifting off to sleep!) and don't want to lose any time in preparing for this part of the exam.
Any hints on studying and preparing for clinicals when it's been a while since you've used your skills would be greatly appreciated. The overwhelming consensus among nurses I spoke to in deciding how much better I'd be if I went the LPN route first was that most of the skills used were learned on the job, not in school. Is that true? I still know how to wash my hands, make a bed, turn and bathe a patient, take vitals, and the memories of my first IM shot have not faded in the slightest (though I don't remember all the ones I did after that). I still give shots to my dogs! But there's a huge gap here. Eight years is a long time.
