oeue2007

Haha - I signed on to rant about the opposite problem ("I need help getting someone out of the car!") and started reading. I can never decide if it makes me feel better or worse that all ER's have the same ridiculous issues! Anyway, let me get it out and lower my BP :). "How the frick did you get them IN the car?" "Why didn't you call the fricking ambulance? They just brought in a 20-year-old with a cold. I think they would have accomodated you." and finally "Conan, you look alot stronger than me or the other middle aged female working tonight so here's your wheelchair." Ahhhhhh, better already.

I did the exact same thing during my first CPNE. Have to really go through that PCS recording form before you hand it over. I had something in almost every blank second time (lots of n/a's :) !

ID ID ID ID ID. Sounds ridiculous while you're comfy at home but when your nerves are rockin' and the patient's got a tray and relatives and an attitude your instinct is to walk over and do something for them. In labs they kind of turn that armband away and out of sight so same applies there. Also, ASPIRATE before IM and before first flush on IV push. I think lots of folks go home on that one too!

I flunked the CPNE in Savannah in May and I'm going back next month for my second try. The hospital is pretty easy to get to from the recommended hotels. Easy to maneuver around once you're there. (Sounds minor but not having to stress major traffic or parking hassles really helps!) The CE's I'm guessing are about the same as at most locations. Friendly, but they're not going to cut you any slack. You MUST know the critical elements, do them all, do them in order, talk it out so they don't miss anything you do and double check your documentation against your grid, notes or whatever you use. You will have a peds pt so be prepared. I don't know your background but it can't be said enough - DON'T THINK LIKE A NURSE! Think like an EC student and do everything their way! Good luck!

So much for my break :chuckle I (always) love your comments Lunah, love your heart and passion and know that you are a great nurse. I feel like I'm the same kind of nurse. I totally respect your different opinion. I disagree though that the second day is not a factor. Maybe not for you but I have no doubt that I could have made the triple play if given the opportunity. That's my whole point, it's an individual thing, we all handle stress and new situations differently and students should not be testing under such blatantly different parameters at the same exam. There are enough variables with patients and examiners. Thanks to everyone for your support, comments and input. I have alot to think about! Off for a nap and then to work (which suddenly seems much easier and more fun than it did last week)!

I'm going to take a break from all of this for a few days. I'm tired! Excelsior has just been one stress bomb after another between the CPNE and the GA BON.....I'm just going to go be me for awhile and then decide what to do. Right now it feels like EC may be the most expensive mistake I've ever made money and time-wise.

I guess my POV is NOBODY should be in that position. We're all there for the same test. We've definitely all paid the same fee. We should all be given the same opportunities and be testing under the same parameters. There is a HUGE HUGE advantage to being able to go in on the second day knowing exactly what to expect. They even said at Savannah in their opening pep talk, "Don't stress if you fail a PCS. Many students fail both PCS's the first day and come back and pass the weekend on the second day." If it's possible for some students it should be possible for all students. If it's impossible for some students, it should be impossible for all.

Tee hee, so funny and so true. I just can't believe that they've been getting away with treating students differently all this time without a fight. That's why I'm appealing to the allnurses crowd for info to see if I'm about to jump on a dead horse that's already been through the battle.

OK, so much for my good attitude. At my CPNE there were 6 students, 4 adult examiners and 2 peds examiners. They made assignments with their weird little grid so 2 of us had 2 adults day one and the ped day 2. (Savannah always has peds.) The other 4 had 1 of each on day one and an adult day 2. SO, the students who flunked both of their PCS's (1 child and 1 adult) got to go back today and repeat a child, repeat an adult, and do their second adult. Am I insane or is this outrageously unfair? They went back today with the huge advantage of knowing exactly what to expect. They are actually getting 5 opportunities whereas I only got two. Has this problem come up before that anyone is aware of? How is this handled at sites with no peds? I have already contacted the SPAC director and she has already responded that they are within EC guidelines and that I will have to use the appeals process. I'm wondering if this battle has already been fought or if I should talk to a lawyer. They are using one little sentence in the study guide that says if you fail 2 adults or two peds consecutively you're out. Doesn't mean much to you ahead of time does it? Even if they're sort of covered by that I don't think it's legal and certainly not ethical to test students under different parameters and treat students differently at the same exam where we've all paid the same fee. Anyone have any thoughts or know any history on this?

eyerishone-Don't stress the CPNE yet, focus on your courses. With the wait times, you'll have plenty of prep time for the CPNE. When you're to that point, the first thing you have to do is read the dreaded 500+ page EC Study Guide and they won't even send you that until you finish your courses. It is wordy, vague, repetitive and dry as burnt toast but you have to do it. Then, for me, Ivan's notes (at the top of this forum under "CPNE Notes from an EC Grad") and the video and notes from robscpne.com ($40) put it all in plain language and broke the steps down into bare bones.

Thanks all for the encouragement. COP, I did do a grid. In this hospital there was no "neutral" surface to put your paperwork on and it was in, out, in, out of my pocket. This is part of what I'm talking about with the mercenary thing. It went against my nursing instinct to stand there messing with a piece of paper repeatedly in front of a patient and made me more nervous. Next time, I will take the time that I need with it or I will go get a Cavi-wipe and clean a bedside table or chair seat for myself. (Wonder what the CE would think about that? :)

Just flunked my first attempt at CPNE. Passed all labs on the first try then flunked two adult PCS's in a row! Thought I'd share some random thoughts since Excelsior likes to keep this mysterious. LPN's especially - do not think of this as clinicals! This is memorization of a series of steps and then regurgitating them in order in a robot-like fashion. No mistakes allowed. No allowances for random human-like acts of your patients. :) I know that sounds like sour grapes but this is not intended to be a rant. This is really how it is! I never quite got that from all of the things that I've read and hope it will help someone else! Secondly, Rob's video and Ivan's notes rock! They gave me most everything that I needed to know. I screwed it up by not regurgitating in proper order. Rob's tips at the first part of his video don't really hit home till you've been there. These are not really YOUR patients and you have to be fairly mercenary in order to stay focused on your memorization and get all of your stuff done. This is NOT a nursing exam. Good luck to everyone with upcoming dates! Focus, focus, focus and plow through that grid like a bulldozer!

I think I just heard a giant sigh of relief echoing across GA! Excellent!

Somebody on the BON was in collusion w/ Rep. Cooper and I would have to guess somebody with the University System as well because they are the only ones who would "benefit" from getting rid of EC in GA. It's all ridiculous because every nursing program I know of has waiting lists. Cooper's obviously a control freak. She was one of the representatives behind the law that makes me have to stand in a special line for 20 minutes, give a blood sample and three forms of identification to buy one box of Claritin-D. Obviously, that law has made a huge dent in the meth problem (not) so who am I to question her legislative acumen?

This was done in such an underhanded, almost vindictive way...I really hope when it all shakes out that the primary perpetrators find themselves unemployed. Someone had an agenda. This was presented as a seemingly benign revision to an existing law and then as soon as it was passed the BON immediately interpreted it to mean that they would no longer have to endorse Excelsior graduates. They need to drop their bleeping innocent "We're just following the law" act. Someone in their office was either the author of the proposal or in cahoots with (or being bribed by) whoever has such an ax to grind about EC. However this works in govt, the amendment should be repealed (immediately!) and if they want to get rid of EC they need to start over and do it out in the open with appropriate cause backed by documentation that EC grads perform at a lesser competency than state college grads (good luck with that), public notification, and a reasonable transition plan.