lilhendy

I have a 2 part discussion: (1) about choosing one of the schools listed below and (2) how marketable will I be if I choose the Adult Gerontology program instead of the FNP (I do not want to work with peds but will that affect working, i.e. VA, acute care center, hospital's clinic, etc.? We have narrowed our school choice to the 5 below. What are your thoughts? Have you attended, is currently attending, or thinking about any of these schools? 1. University of South Alabama (post BSN to MSN/FNP and post BSN to DNP programs). Will graduate in 2 1/2 years. 2. Frontier University (post BSN to MSN/FNP program and later to DNP - after maybe 1 year). Will graduate in 2 1/2 years. 3. South University (post BSN to MSN/FNP program - Savannah, GA in class). I struggle with choosing this program because the tuition is the same for everyone regardless of the number of classes each person takes per term. It is a flat rate per term program. So I will pay the same 6K per term with taking 2 classes as someone who takes 4 classes. A telephone call is pending so that I can request an actual layout of courseload based on 2 and then 3 classes per term. I'm in Jax., Fl. so this is a fairly short drive once a month. 4. Jacksonville University - post BSN to MSN/FNP program. We will have to attend in-class sessions every week (3 classes per semester). I like the face to face instruction. Will graduate in 1 1/2 years. This is in Jacksonville, Fl. 5. Georgetown - This is my choice only; however, I don't see where I will be able to afford $75K for a MSN/FNP. However, I do not want to cancel them out, especially if I could quality for 30K+ in grants or scholarships. 2 years and 1 semester to completion with 2 trips to the campus.

I am in the final preparations for the PCCN exam. I would like to take the exam no later than the 2nd week in February. I have studied the body systems, including synergy. I am now studying pulmonary and will move directly into cardiovascular, the last section. I am getting nervous though (yes, I have testing anxiety - only since becoming a nurse). I have heard of review podcasts on itunes to listen to (time management); however, I have not located any. What resources are you using to be successful on the exam? I am using (1) David Woodruff, (2) Laura Gasparis DVD, and (3) Carol Rauen's online review course that I took, but was not successful at passing the exam the first time. I purchased the test booklet from AACN, which I will take in a couple of weeks to gauge where I stand. Is there any other advice you can provide to me and any others who are preparing to take the test? For those who are already PCCN certified: CONGRATULATIONS!

I am in the final preparations for the PCCN exam. I am studying pulmonary and getting ready to move into cardiovascular. I am getting nervous. I have heard of podcasts on itunes to listen to (during time management periods); however, I have not found any. What resources are you using to be successful on the exam? I am using (1) David Woodruff, (2) Laura Gasparis DVD, (3) Carol Rauen's online review course that I took, but was not successful at passing the exam the first time. I purchased the test booklet from AACN, which I will take in a couple of weeks to gauge where I stand. Is there any other advice you can provide to me and any others who are preparing to take the test? For those who are already PCCN certified: CONGRATULATIONS!

I am on pulmonary then I will move into cardiac. I purchased the test book from the AACN site. I am leaning towards taking the test by the 2nd week in February. I pray I pass as this will be my 2nd attempt. I'm listening to David Woodruff and Laura Gasparis as well as the online webinar review fromm Carol Rauen.

hearts895, Congratulations. I saw on another post that you passed the PCCN exam. marianne1624 Congratulations on passing the exam. Thank you for your advice. My friend and I am diligently studying now to take the exam (her for the first time and me a second time) by February. I, like you, did not like the Thomas Ahrens progressive care certification book. I found it too wordly (which lost me a lot). I like the additional book that you referred, in your posting. We are moving into pulmonary this week and will start on cardiovascular next week (2 weeks). We purchased the test booklet that has 2 full exams also. If you are wanting to sell the book, let me know.

Removed.

Well, I guess that means your lunch was a Code Brown.

How long will you be dealing with your Code Brown?

To RNFosterMom, the PCCN is the progressive care nursing certification exam. It is the not the same exam as the CPN and Peds CCRN examination. However, I am delighted that you are taking any certification exam. Keep us posted on your journey

Thanks everyone. I am studying for the PCCN exam (sepsis) and am still unsure of the correct answer because, in actual practice, most of my peers are not seeing their patients NPO unless they are not conscious or know that they are going to surgery.

Should a sepis patient be NPO or not? I am studying for the PCCN exam and fpund 2 discrepancies: 1 indocates to avoid an NPO status while the other indicated the patient should be NPO. Neither gives the rationale behind either choice. I want to know which is correct AND why.

I have 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.

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.

I failed the PCCN exam. It was nothing like the NCLEX: to me. I could not get into T. Ahrens' PCCN book because it is too wordy and it was easy for me to get lost in all of the fluff. I am studying again (I'm over my feelings now) and I plan on taking it again before the end of the year. I would like to review with others (even created a Facebook page to be able to post questions); but most of my co-workers are not wanting to take the test. I prepared for 4 months, did review questions, took the test at the NTI and was very disappointed because a lot of the material on the test (especially the cardiac section) was discussed at the various lecture sessions, after the exam. I think I would have been more prepared had I taken it the last day of NTI; but maybe not. Either way, I failed it and I am studying again; even though I don't have true statistics on what to study.

Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news: but it is what it is. I took the PCCN exam and did not pass. I was upset, disappointed, and a few other choice words and feelings to say the least. I could not get into the T.Ahrens book (it is too wordy). I have been nursing 6 years, studied my tail off (not literally, lol); but I know that I have never had confidence when it came to testing. I seem to be able to narrow the answers down to 2; but pick out the wrong one most times. I can talk myself into the answer and out of it. I failed by 7 questions (3 of which I knew the answers but with my testing anxiety on high alert, I chose the wrong one). So for those who say the exam is common sense; I have common sense and book smarts; but that didn't work for me. However, I have started studying again and plan on taking it again before the year of up (actually by next month). I do realize that I like to talk things through with others; finding others to meet with and actually discuss the exam (not work or our personal lives) is difficult.