PCCN certification

Specialties Cardiac

Published

So I'm kinda jumping the gun a little bit and I've signed up to take the PCCN in November. I've seen past threads about it, but I'm wondering if anyone has done Carol Rauen's review course/webinar and if they thought it helped? It seems like she doesn't go into very much detail and the questions are too easy... I remember a lot of the content from nursing school. How it Ann Brorsen's review book? Are the questions similar? Sometimes it's too easy, sometimes it's ridiculous! I'm starting to feel like maybe I shouldn't have jumped right in like I did.

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I did her review, passed on the first try. It was helpful because it was a comprehensive review of multiple systems and I have only worked in cardiology, so the info on neuro, renal, etc was excellent for me and she really breaks down stuff that you haven't seen since nursing school. It also created a study plan and was independent learning but with a goal--I decided I would listen to 1-2 a week and I was really able to focus on the material with a game plan.

However, her practice questions are a joke compared with the real test. On the real test you have to really think about the questions, whereas hers were extremely simple. If I were to redo it all, I'd probably do that review and find some good quality questions to practice from.

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You felt that she covered an appropriate amount of information though? Did you use any other resources?

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Specializes in Cardiology - Heart Failure/Transplant.

I also used her review and passed on the first try, but I also used the practice PCCN questions (Practice PCCN Exam Questions) and the PCCN SAE from the AACN (PCCN Adult Self-Assessment Exam (SAE))

Good luck!

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I didn't use any other resources. I honestly don't have a hard time with standardized tests though. She definitely covered an appropriate amount of resources but really just the practice questions. The SAW from the AACN empathetic_cynic mentioned is good I've heard, but I wasn't paying that much for some questions.

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I am taking the test also in November. Feel free to contact me. I have also created a Facebook page (Nurses Reach 1 Teach 1) where we discuss certification, post questions we have as we study. Feel free to join it. It is totally separate from your normal social page.

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Specializes in Tele, Stepdown, Med/Surg, education.

I did the webinar ( listening at work) and passed the first time. And I didn't really study. But I'm not going to say it was easy, I was actually surprised I passed. Good luck.

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NurseJackie11, were you able to pass? What materials did you use in the end?

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I read the AACN's PCCN review book and passed on my first try! It was excruciatingly boring to read the whole book but this just tells me that we don't really have to spend more for this test. The webinar was expensive. The other review books that I attempted to use were also useless.

I also took the AACN's sample exam which made me realize that I was ready to take the exam. The exam was very difficult.... But i know that i only read the material once. I still passed! Good luck!

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