little miss redpatch

It has taken me years to get to this point, but I have made it this far! I passed both FCCA exams, today. Life can really get in the way, sometimes, but as long as there is progress being made, it's all good! :) CPNE is next! I'm going to take the appropriate amount of time for me to get ready and save up the $$$. So relieved! So happy! :)

I didn't find this exam too difficult. The content is a bit 'dry'. If you have been in medicine/healthcare for a while, it won't be too hard but like most exams they ask some things that you would only know if you study. It does have some technical questions so you need to read over the material and take the practice exams. I had a number of pediatric questions. I used Study Group 101, studied for about 1 day and got a B. If I had studied longer, an A would definitely have been possible. If you focus on the topics that are covered in the content guide and on the practice exam, that will help.

This go round, off and on for about 2 weeks. {I had paid for it before but time ran out of time to go take the exam.} For part of my new job, I can sit and read most of the day or listen to audio. I got Study Group 101 material (text & audio) and the practice exams. I also went to one of the flashcard sites and typed in reproductive health. There's a set of flashcards with 400+cards that helped. This exam is straight forward, didn't see any tricky questions. If you pay attention to what's on the practice exams, meaning the themes like congenital issues, nutrition needs for various diseases, surgeries that males and females have, etc, you should do fine.

This afternoon, I passed Reproductive Health with an A. I did extra studying the last 3 days, but have a cold. I kept falling asleep while reading. LOL - 2 more to go which will be Health Differences & Foundations in Nursing Practice. I'm plan to do Foundations next.

I took this exam a while back. On this thread, I posted what I used: https://allnurses.com/nursing-online-distance/passed-p-exam-511889.html I really liked the Standard Deviants Anatomy DVD and the Studygroup 101 material.

Congratulations! I took it Friday & got a C, also. I am glad to have passed it but annoyed by that score. I knew a lot of the information or the concepts, but the questions were really...weird. I am usually an A student and do great on tests. I now see how people fail this one. I really don't see how the content of the real exam and the real exam were related. I agree. No help! Good job passing this one!

Congratulations! LS3 is my next one.

If you click on the test attempt, you can view the test and look ever what you got right & wrong. I usually read over all of it.

Happy Easter, to everyone! I am currently studying for Health Differences Across the Lifespan3. Do you have any advice on this one? Of course, I do have the practice tests. I'll go over the topics in that. I am concerned about this one because I have gotten a B on each of the last 2 exams, LS1 & LS2. I normally make A's on these exams. There are 2 things that probably caused the grade drop. I think the "check all that apply" questions threw me for a loop. Also, I took the tests when I had some time off from work, but that's not as much study time as I'd like. This time, I want to be really, truly ready.

Congratulations! Thanks be to God! That is my next exam. Any advice?

I might have passed with just studyguide101 & being a paramedic, but I do not think it covers enough. I would use an anatomy & physiology book and anything else that helps you retain the material (like flash card exchange).

I would definitely recommend the practice tests. I used Anatomy and Physiology for Dummies, ISBN:074654220 and Standard Deviants Anatomy DVD. I know it sounds like $$$ but I buy most of it used except for DVDs and sell the books on Amazon, after I'm done. Study Group 101 helped, too. I got an A on that test, after studying for a few weeks.

It seems easier to me than Lifespan 1, but I got a B. I had a lot of multiple answer questions, where you check all the boxes. I had more nutrition related questions than I expected. There were some critical thinking questions, too. If I were to take it, again, I would go over the metabolic diseases and read over the Rx and nutritional needs & common nutrient imbalances in those. So, it would help use the practice tests & study guide to show you what areas to study. I used Study Guide 101 and a Vango notes audio book (audible.com) for a medical surgical nursing book.

I took the exam this week and passed with an B. Of course, I was hoping for an A, but B is better than nothing! Lifespan 3 is next. :)

Great job! Congratulations!

Congratulations! I took that one recently & know it was a not an easy test. You definitely studied! Good job! :)

Thank y'all for your help! I passed the exam yesterday with a B. I now see the lifespan exam format, so I can study for the next ones the right way.

I took the practice tests right away, as soon as I paid for the test, in July, with no studying. I scored in the 50s. I was strong on the respiratory & cardiovascular, but was not as strong on the cancer-related questions. Last night, I got the updated exam content guide and took the little quiz. It looks like I need to go over lab values after cancer Rx treatment and care of a sickle cell pt.

Congratulations! What a huge accomplishment! I wish you lots of success! :)

I plan on taking Health Differences Across the Life Span 1 next week. I have the practice exams, StudyGroup101 & a few different textbooks. Can anyone give me any last minute advice about what to study for this one? Thanks in advance.

I have enrolled in Excelsior because the open schedule works for me & my life. I am very determined and self-motivated. I prayed about it and slept on it, before I decided. One benefit that I see of a regular, community college course is that it keeps you going at a certain pace, so you will finish in a normal time frame. I have met some Excelsior RNs that have made it through & graduated, but I also know of some that have been "working on it" for years and just don't seem to work on it at all! If there is a chance that you might get distracted by life, I would suggest a traditional school. Experience is a good thing. If you think that you are lacking, I would suggest the community college route or stick with Excelsior but get a job that allows you do work in a clinical setting. Also, what does your gut feeling about it? That feeling is usually your most accurate answer.

I used Excelsior's practice exams, Study Group101, Standard Deviants Anatomy DVD, and an Anatomy and Physiology for Dummies book. I got an A on the exam. You can read my post about it here: https://allnurses.com/distance-learning-nursing/passed-p-exam-511889.html#post4599408

I usually do the math, to get myself motivated. There is the actual math of what your pay could be, an estimated starting payrate x 40hours. I, also, do what I think of as "life math". For example, if I take 6 months + take a test each month + save $50 each week (it's all good, because I love beans and rice), I'll have the tests finished and a $1300 saved toward the CPNE. Then, subtract long commute and add work closer to home = better life by the end of next year. Dream a little and plan a lot! :)

For auditory learners - I use a text-to-speech program for a lot of my studying. http://www.readplease.com/ I copy and paste the Study Group 101 material into the program and listen. There is a free version, which I used for years, but[url=http://www.readplease.com/english/order/][/url] the paid program worth it since you can read really large files. A lot of text books have an audio version, like Vango notes, which you can get through amazon or audible.com.

I took the CLEP test for this. If you have the right material, you can study for it in a a couple of weeks and pass, like I did. I used http://www.instantcert.com/ for most of my studying and the REA study guide to supplement. With instantcert, you study their flash cards. It in the most like the CLEP exam since it's a bunch of questions, of all the books, etc. Read it all. Don't get discouraged the first time you go through the questions - you don't know that stuff, that's the whole point. You don't know it yet but you will. It's about $20 for a month (you can look for coupon codes and save about $5). It doesn't take long to study for it.