SCRN Exam Tips/Advice

sunnysheri · Feb 23

I passed the SCRN exam and wanted to elaborate on this post. The SCRN does not seem as common as the CCRN or CNRN and didn't see many posts on people's experiences so I wanted to help guide your studying. I mainly used the AANN book and Stroke Nursing Certification Review by Kathy Morrison. The AANN book was very detailed but very dry (but valuable since exam is through the ABNN), and the Kathy Morrison book helped to supplement this information and broke it down so it was easier to learn (and was more enjoyable for me to read). I found it helpful to take the practice tests in the Kathy Morrison book and then review the answers and rationales. Over 4-5 months I made note cards to quiz myself on questions I got wrong or on information I needed to memorize. I ended up with about 200 before I took my exam! Everybody has a different style of learning but this really helped me. My advice would be to become familiar with lab values and how they relate to stroke patients (what to treat first, risk factors, etc.) Also know the generic names of medications (brands are not listed on the test), cranial nerves, stoke location by symptom, what each type of scan is looking for, and what each scale is for. Also familiarize yourself with ICP and treatments. Considering the amount of studying I did the test was harder than I expected but not terrible. I memorized a lot of the practice questions from my book and questions on the exam were different and made me apply what I learned. I just focused on one question at a time and bookmarked the questions I was unsure of. Then I went back to them when I was finished answering the things I did know. There was a lot of information I studied that I was not tested on, but that knowledge is still valuable on the job. I have a much greater knowledge base and understanding of patient care than before I started studying. I hope this helps. Stay positive and good luck!

Also a word of advice: Check with your facility to see if they can supply a book. Our supervisor bought the AANN book for our unit. I also spoke with the librarian in our hospital medical library and she purchased the Kathy Morrison e-book for me.