CMLPNnowRN

Hi Megan! I answered you from my email last night (in response to the one you sent to my private email :) Let me know if you didn't get it :)

Ashimluv, Let us know how you do :) Study hard, be prepared, take hold of your nerves and you will succeed!!! All the best to you! Claudia

Hi Rozdem, My main resource was the manual. I read it over and over and over again... I don't care for mneumonics. I feel that for me it's just one more thing to memorize. So, I wrote out all the AOC's in order in a way that would be easy to memorize, step by step, and read it, read it, read it. I also recorded those AOC's on my iPhone and listened to my own voice saying each one of them over, and over, and over. I would get a piece of paper and write them countless times each day (from memory). I timed myself doing that and wouldn't allow myself to take longer than 5-10 minutes to write everything down (all AOC's). If I didn't know those as the back of my hand I would have failed the exam. Speed is a big deal when you're testing, because there is so much to do and think about... you can't waste time trying to remember your AOC's and what comes after what. Knowing those steps by heart was key for me to move fast and even still, for my last patient, I almost ran out of time. I researched Rob's materials but didn't feel like they would work for me nor were they accurate (I don't know if other updated materials came up since I tested). I used Excelsior boards like you're doing, the "Let's Conquer the CPNE Beast Together" group on Facebook, and Sheri Taylor's online workshop. I didn't participate in any live workshops (Excelsior's or Sheri's). I simply couldn't take time off work to travel or spend any extra money whatsoever. I feel like if I hadn't used Sheri I probably wouldn't have passed. I didn't fully grasp the lab stations and how to actually do each one until I watched her videos covering them. I kept reading the description on the manual but couldn't quite visualize them, especially the IVPB. Anyway, just that would have been worth it for me, but I also made use of her expertise with care plans and her willingness to discuss each one with me. She corrects them super-quickly and her feedback helps you to see the big picture and avoid certain common mistakes and think on your feet, because as I said, you must be quick with your planning phase when testing. You have to be able to have certain care plans mapped out in your brain and sort of memorized in order not to waste time on test day. I did have a mock lab set up and practiced every single day, over and over again. I also used a big teddy bear as my patient (sometimes used my children too :) and I would make up a whole POC from beginning to end, and do the whole thing (including planning and writing the care plan), and I would time myself. I can't think of anything else right now, but feel free to email me directly if you think of any specific questions: [email protected] All the best to you! Blessings, Claudia

Hi Shulliekendrick!Thank you! You're so sweet :)Pray, pray, pray... I definitely couldn't have it done without my Lord!As far as the FCCA, I can't help you there, since mine was on paper :(Blessings to you as you move forward!

Hi Jerez01!I'm in Florida and, at the time, hoping for a spot in Naples. After waiting for longer that I wanted to and being advised by Excelsior that wait time might still be out 7 months for Naples, I chose Grady for being the one closest to me after Naples.

Hi Mimi!I apologize to all... I actually gave "half" of the group's name... Lol!Correct name is "Let's Conquer the CPNE Beast Together".Just log in to FB and search for the group. If I remember correctly, it's an open group, but if it isn't, just send a friend request to the group and Amy (the one who started the group a few years ago) will add you on. PM me if you have trouble and I will help you figure it out :)Blessings!Claudia

You're so welcome!I wouldn't spend any money on travel expenses just to take the workshop. The online version will give the confidence you need :)

I took it in May. Look up my post about it under "articles".Blessings to you!Claudia

Sorry for the weird-formatted post... Tried to fix it, but couldn't... Not sure what's going on

Hi RTFisher!I felt exactly the same way with the SG until a took Sheri Taylor's online workshop. I couldn't afford to travel to Atlanta for the hands on workshop, but I like to study on my own anyway, so the online one was perfect for me. It was definitely a determinant factor in my passing the first time. Check it out at cpneworkshop.comBlessings to you as you prepare and pass this monster exam!ClaudiaPS: another great source of info was a Facebook group called "Let's Conquer the Beast"... Check it out. Many people there are on the EC board and are also former students of Sheri's (she and Greg - her assistant - are very active in that group giving tips and answering questions)

Thank you both for taking the time to answer :)I'm really excited about getting back to hospice nursing and hopefully this will be a good experience.Blessings!

Wow! No responses?! Anybody from another state willing to give any input? Thanks!

Hi everyone!As my username indicates I'm an RN now (graduated a few months ago), but have close to 10 years of experience as LPN, including hospital, ambulatory surgery, clinical research, home health, and hospice. Hospice has always been my passion since LPN school, and as an LPN I've done mainly crisis care (about 3 yrs experience).I still work PRN with clinical research, but want to get back to hospice. I just interviewed with a local hospice. They were willing to offer me a CM FT position, but i declined not just due to commitment of hours (small children, etc) but I told them I think it would be prudent to work as an RN first, doing visits, admissions, etc, to experience that mindset and skills as opposed to the one i have doing CC as LPN.They cross-train for regular visits, admissions, and crisis care. According to them, they have 2 oncall nurses who only take calls.I'm a bit unsure about pay... They offered 25/hr (this is PRN, so no benes) plus mileage.Do you all think this is fair pay? I'm excited beyond measure! I love hospice and for me it's a ministry, not just a job. But I was just wondering if they're taking advantage of me for being a new RN and in love with the specialty.What are your thoughts? About pay and about transitioning slowly into case management?Thank you so much!

It was the RN :)... I need to change my username now

Just wanted to say THANK YOU to all those who helped me with this journey, with your posts, answers, and prayers. Excelsior is a very hard program, but I'm proof that it can be done.It took me about a year for all nursing courses (except the one they used to give credit for if you were an LPN), A&P, Micro, Dev Psych, FCCA. Another 3 or 4 months for CPNE and NCLEX. I already had a BA so didn't have all the other pre-reqs to do. I worked full time for the majority of this time, then cut my hours when it was time for CPNE and NCLEX. I also continued homeschooling my girls throughout this ordeal.Took my NCLEX this past Monday, shut off at 75 questions. Excelsior does prepare you for it. It was hard, but nothing compared to the CPNE. Today, I'm proud to say I'm a Registered Nurse! Thank you Jesus!Keep at it, guys!!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!Blessings!Claudia

Yes!!! It DOES work!!!Tested Monday 8/21, shut off at 75, I'm thinking it was really hard and I either did great or I sucked so bad that the computer gave up on me...Did the PVT about 2 hours after I finished testing. Got the old, good pop up " Our records indicate you have recently scheduled this exam. Please contact the Member Board for assistance. Another registration can not be made at this time.". Almost died so happy I was, but still scared that it would change on me or something... Kept trying again several times on Tuesday and yesterday. At the same time I also tried to see if the results were available and also kept checking the BON to see if my license was posted. Today, 8/23 Thursday, at 8:30 am, checked Pearson and still the same good pop up, still showing results not available... Ugh!! Check the BON and FIND MY NAME WITH MY NEW LICENSE NUMBER!!!It works guys! Thank you, Jesus, it's over!Gotta change my login name now

Hi Elizabeth, Actually I'm dealing with Florida... still waiting for the ATT, but so far it seems to be going smoothly. Feel free to email me since you can't PM :) [email protected] Blessings, Claudia

Hi Sally, You can PM me through here... I'll be happy to help anyway I can. Feel free to ask any specific questions you may have :) Blessings, Claudia

Just go believing you will pass!!! I'm sure you're prepared, but like I said before, the anxiety level is out of this world Calm yourself down! Whatever you need to do to accomplish that within legal boundaries, do it :) You probably worked more on the things that caused you to fail and you have the advantage of knowing what you're getting into... no element of surprise for you! That's a HUGE advantage. Slow down if you have to, take a break if you have to, keep focused on what you're doing and what EC wants to see. Just work hard on doing things THEIR way... at the end of the day, that will be all that matters. You will have that paper that says PASS and can move on with your life. I don't know where you're spiritually, but I will be praying for you throughout the weekend next week. Please, let me know how you do... I'm excited already to see your post that will say PASSED IN GA!!! Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions about Grady that you think I might be able to answer. Blessings, Claudia

I apologize for taking so long to post this here... I've posted in 2 other boards and can't believe I forgot this one!!! After passing at Grady... I would like to share my thoughts on this test after taking it at Grady this weekend. I don't know that I'd feel any different had I taken it elsewhere... I doubt it. I passed with no repeats on labs or PCS's. The CA and most CE's were nice and professional at this site. I personally feel that this should be a graded test, and not a pass/fail one, but that is beside the point. This was the most stressful thing I've done in my life (and I've had my share of stress...). Sorry if this is long. Yes, it is doable. I did it. But it was VERY HARD. I had studied my brain out, and still, it was VERY HARD. I set up a home lab and practiced all my skills and PCS ad nauseum, and still, it was VERY HARD. I had prayed until I had calluses on my knees, and still, it was VERY HARD. We all know how difficult this test is because we hear people tell us that all the time, but we don't REALLY KNOW until we've taken it ourselves. It's very easy for me now to see why so many people fail - ANXIETY/NERVES! It doesn't matter how well you prepared, if you don't get your nerves under control you will fail. Taking that into consideration, it's SO important to be truly ready with the things that you CAN control beforehand, one of them being the academic part of your preparation. You MUST know your critical elements like you know your name and DOB (I know everyone says that and it is true - if you don't have them engraved in your brain, you will forget something when writing your grid, and omitting one single element is enough to fail you). You MUST be proficient on all phases of your care plan (just some of it won't cut it). You MUST be organized and show that to your CE by the way you control your room and your patient. You MUST be flexible and able to change your game plan in a moment's notice. You MUST keep your cool and your composure even if inside you're in shambles and feel like you're going to throw up on your pt or CE at anytime. You MUST be assertive and ready to "professionally and tactfully" advocate for yourself and intelligently explain the reason for whatever decision or choice you may have to make over the course of this weekend (be it a NANDA label, an outcome, an intervention, a CDM...). If you fail a lab (or a PCS), PLEASE excuse yourself and go to the bathroom to regroup, pray, wash your face. Don't allow the CA or CE's to rush you into the next station (or PCS). I saw people this weekend failing a station for a silly mistake made due to nerves, and then moving right on to the next lab just to fail again. Regroup. Be mindful of the time you spend on your labs and PCS's. Your mind may play tricks on you because of anxiety and you may be second guessing yourself on your steps, math, technique, and end up running out of time. Someone this weekend failed a station because she ran out of time. This same station was taking her 7 minutes to finish at home. Watch for silly mistakes - again nerves... syringe in sharps container (not trash), watch your bubbles, watch your dosage with much care (difference of 0.1mL on a saline flush was brought to the table this weekend), ID your model, gloves on to push, lower your primary for IVMB, ID your patient first thing in the room, ID your patient AGAINST MAR before you give your meds. These are all things that we know to do. These are all things that failed students this weekend because of extreme anxiety. They couldn't believe they had done (or failed to do) these things. Watch your time for each PCS. You may think that 2 ½ hours to take care of just one patient is a lot of time. I thought so too... Remember the clock is ticking for you to check your chart, get report, do your grid, implement your care, evaluate and document all your care. Time flies. Interruptions happen and things may not go as planned. Allow for that on your preparation. You may be very OCD like I am, have all your care mapped out, but when you get in the room things may not go the way you anticipated and you have to be flexible, think on your feet, and get your cues from the pt. That's why your grid is so important! Refer to it shamelessly. Ask questions from your CE - the worst that can happen is hearing "I'm sorry I can't answer that". Check your chart for your baseline data related to VS and all your AOCs. Take the report you receive from nurse or CE with a grain of salt. Don't be afraid to ask your CE to help with doing something for your pt that is not assigned for you to do but is being requested by the pt. For instance, pt is unable to feed himself and ask for you to feed him. Your clock is ticking and you don't have time to play tech. Ask the CE if she minds feeding him while you continue with your assignment. The worst that can happen is for you to hear a "no"... at least, you tried. It's better than running out of time later when you're trying to document everything in 15 minutes. For the first PCS in the morning, keep in mind the darn breakfast that will come while you're trying to provide care. That can throw you a curve ball and I can attest to that... Be mindful of your time with peds as well, considering interruptions, parents, and the willingness (or not) of the patient to cooperate with care. Consider also the possibility of your mind going blank as you are on your planning phase. You may be doing care plans now in 5 minutes with your eyes closed for various patient scenarios, however you are not stressed out at home while you do them. Same thing goes for your mock PCS at home. I always had a perfect "patient" at home that followed what I said, when I said it, and didn't have a mind of his own... not so much on the floor :) Be careful with medication dosages. I know we've been nurses for a million years but we don't practice under the kind of stress you will experience during this test. When your CE hands you a pill don't assume that's the dosage you're supposed to give. The medication is coming out of the Pyxis and being handed to you by your CE because YOU don't have direct access to the Pyxis. It doesn't mean she is handing you the medication dosage that should be given - it's the same as if YOU were opening the drawer to retrieve the medication yourself. It's not because it's in the drawer that it's the correct dose for your pt... the fact the CE is handing it to you doesn't automatically make it the right dose or medication... That pill may have had to be scored... (another issue this weekend). Watch your documentation and make sure you don't miss writing anything down. One single thing forgotten will render your whole PCS a fail. Even if you did it... if it isn't written... (another issue this weekend). All these are things that happen because of stress, not because you don't know any better. Be VERY meticulous, deliberate, and verbal in your actions during your PCS. Don't assume the CE is looking or "must have seen" you perform the elements of your AOC - another problem during this weekend... Find a balance between being gentle and humble versus assertive when dealing with your CA and CE's. Do believe you can do this, you are prepared, and trust your judgment. However, don't bring in the attitude of "I know it all" and "I could never fail this"... they will read you and that won't sit well with them. Try not to be bogged down by what's going on with the other students. That was very hard for me as I normally empathize with people. I kept praying for me and for them, wondering if they were doing OK, and being sad and crushed when hearing that so and so failed at such and such. Try to focus on your performance and yours alone. I know it sounds cold, but you can't get distracted. That was very difficult for me. If you don't have that particular problem, it may still cross your mind that the person who just failed could easily have been you... Try to stay positive and remember how much you've accomplished. Remind yourself that every lab and PCS you pass, you're one step closer to the finish line... you're almost there! I hope this helps some. It's not my intention to discourage or make anybody more stressed out. It just doesn't seem right to me to come here after seeing what I saw and felt what I felt, just to say "It's doable! You can do it! Just go for it!" I think that would be a disservice... Yes, it is doable! I did it! And I am so thankful it's over. You can do it too! However, you MUST be prepared academically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I'm committed to continue praying every weekend for the testers. Feel free to pm me if you think I could be of any help. Be Blessed! Claudia

Yay!!! Thank you Lord!! Passed LS3 today! So glad all the nursing exams are over:yeah: Moving on to FCCA and CPNE (with a little detour for Devel. Psych and Micro...)

Currently studying for LS2 - planning to test in about 3 or 4 wks. Good luck to everyone testing this week :)

BostonNurse - I'm in Florida and my plan is exactly as yours!!! being done with EVERYTHING by December and having only the CPNE and NCLEX for 2012. WE CAN DO IT!!! Let's keep each other motivated by posting every time we knock another exam down :yelclap::yelclap: WE'RE ALMOST THERE!!!!:yeah:

WOW!!! What an exam! I was wiped out by the time I finished... It was much harder than all the other ones I've taken so far (have LS2 and 3 to finish, plus Micro and Devel. Psych). I got A's (praise God!) in all the other exams, except Chronicity, in which I got a B, but I still felt like I was failing on this one - kept praying I'd get at least a passing C. LOTS of questions on meds (very specific questions), dietary restrictions and instructions, and lots of S/S relating to a particular condition/exacerbation/illness. Also, lots of critical thinking r/t nursing dx. Felt like I was taking the NCLEX Glad it's over! Moving on to LS2 and 3:)

I usually get low-mid 60's, 70's on Form A without studying, and after studying I get high 70's, low 80's. So far, I've gotten all A's on the real thing, except for Chronicity, in which I got a B, but the practice exams were on the same range... go figure! Have LS2 and 3 left (plus Micro and Devel. Psych). Good luck!