jemicorp

BTW - Burnt, I saw the thread about your kiddo to be. Congratulations, and hope all goes well

Yes, Gasparis is entertaining - but wasn't particularly helpful in the testing booth. I was referring to the cardiology disk - the heart murmur section. She speaks about how she brought in a bunch of nursing students to touch her patient who was having chest pain. She had them all touch him, so that when the NTG was administered and the S4 resolved, all the nursing students would have an "ah-hah!" moment. This increased his aura and made him better (according to Gasparis). I just don't find the usefulness of 20 minutes of this BS in a certification review. It's all fine and good if you personally believe in auras, therapeutic touch, etc - but to spend the time during a certification review? Auras and therapeutic touch are not on the exam. I myself put more faith in evidence-based healthcare - and I thought that was what we were trying, as a profession, to transition to.

It's much easier to take the ACLS online than to actually find someone to check off your skills for the ACLS online course. I've heard that may "skill checkers" charge just as much as for the whole course - but the participants have already paid for the online portion online. Before taking ACLS online make sure you have someone local that will check off your skills for a reasonable cost.

The BKAT is copyrighted - any "free" copies that you find are pirated. Maybe you should reassess your motivation for finding a free "basic knowledge" assessment exam online? The time spent looking for it could be spent studying the very concepts that you would be tested on. Which would be more beneficial to your future patients?

Especially considering that PRBCs do not contain 2,3 dpg.

I found Gasparis to be "ALL STYLE, NO SUBSTANCE". Her whole take on auras, etc. was a bit much for me. (the whole discussion about having her nursing students "lay hands upon" a person with chest pain and S4 on auscultation). Has she had anything updated recently (before the guidelines changes)?

The new Pass CCRN! book just came out this year. Search for it "Pass CCRN!" at amazon. You'll find that it's all-inclusive - lots of information.

Here is ASTNA's recommendations for initial hire: ASTNA recommends the following minimum qualifications for transport nurses upon hire: • Registered nurse (with appropriate state/provincial licensure) • Minimum of two years of critical care and/or emergency department experience • Specialty certification commensurate with previous experience (Certified Emergency Nurse [CEN] or Critical Care Registered Nurse [CCRN]) upon hire; Certified Flight Registered Nurse within two years, if transporting via fixed- or rotor-wing. • Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) or equivalent • Age Specific Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS and/or PALS) or equivalent • Transport Nurse Advanced Trauma Course (TNATC) and/or Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) or equivalent prior to assuming independent practice • An objective assessment of the transport nurse applicant’s qualifications for transport shall be based, but not limited to, the following characteristics: o Educational and experiential background o Technical and clinical competence o Leadership skills o Critical thinking skills o Proficient communication and interpersonal skills o Appreciation of public and community relations This can be found in this position paper: http://www.astna.org/Position-papers/contEd.pdf You will find employment ads that suggest that much less may be acceptable for employment with a company - that's usually an indication that the company is not somewhere that you want to work.

Are you located in the US? If so you need a US RN license, and can find test centers by visiting http://www.goamp.com Are you located in the UK? Your licensure is equivalent to a US RN? If so, you need to contact the BCEN for information on an alternate test site. In the US the test is computer-based - for international candidates "Candidates living outside of the U.S. must contact BCEN to determine what testing options are available. Alternate testing requires a 90-day advanced scheduling notice." Are you US Military living over seas? If so, talk to your DANTES coordinator - not only might they be able to help you set up the test, but they just might pay for it. Here's the official brochure for the CFRN examination: http://www.ena.org/bcen/cfrn/CFRNbrochure12-2006.pdf