PCCN vs CCRN

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Specializes in Quality, Cardiac Stepdown, MICU.

Hello, I'm a new grad starting in PCU, but I eventually want to go to cath lab or CVICU. I noticed when poking around on the CCRN site that there is also a PCCN offered, but can you not also get a CCRN working in PCU, as long as you have acutely ill cardiac pts? Trying to figure out why someone would get PCCN instead of CCRN, unless they've decided they want to stay in PCU. Any thoughts?

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Specializes in CCU, CVICU, Cath Lab, MICU, Endoscopy..

Have you checked into doing CVRN? You can do level 1 and when you move to CVICU or Cath Lab all you have to do is upgrade to level 2.

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The CCRN encompasses many concepts and practices that may not be used and/or incorporated on your floor/unit. The PCCN is aimed more towards an intermediate level care, with exposure to ventilators and abgs, working knowledge of the heart, etc. The CCRN goes more in depth into Critical Care concepts such as PA catheters, CRRT, hemodynamic monitoring that incorporates broader vasoactive drips which you may not get exposed to in a PCU.

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Specializes in Quality, Cardiac Stepdown, MICU.
The CCRN encompasses many concepts and practices that may not be used and/or incorporated on your floor/unit. The PCCN is aimed more towards an intermediate level care, with exposure to ventilators and abgs, working knowledge of the heart, etc. The CCRN goes more in depth into Critical Care concepts such as PA catheters, CRRT, hemodynamic monitoring that incorporates broader vasoactive drips which you may not get exposed to in a PCU.

Thanks, nursenick!

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