Support group for CRNE June 2011

buzyoyie · Mar 21, 2011

Hi! I'm new to this thread. I'm an ICU RN from the US and will be taking the CRNE this June 2011. I bought the Lippincott's CRNE Prep Guide. The questions in the book are ok I guess, although quite different than from NCLEX. I would appreciate any comments/tips on other review materials.

akardan · Mar 21, 2011

buzyoie

Welcome to thread.

I both wrote NCLEX and CRNE exams and well pretty much as an idea about both.

I invite other members to comment as well. In my opinion these two exams are very different. The NCLEX is more black and white yet dealing with your critical thinking and real bedside nursing. You still get a lot of critical thinking type questions in CRNE but they are very grey and very easy to get confused. We have a lot of community nursing questions in CRNE (or at least it was like that when I wrote mine last year). You need to have a good grasp of health promotion and community development although you won't get direct questions on them. You need to apply the knowledge.

As for sources for the exam, I strongly recommend to try different books out there. Lippincott's prep is not a bad book specially when it comes to nurse-patient relationship and gives you an idea about professional responsibilities.

Also please take a look at Mosby's comprehensive for Canadian nursing exam, and Mosby's prep guide. The mosby's comprehensive is a very detailed book so you need to be very selective on what to study. In addition to those books you really need to get a CNA the 5th edition. That really gives you an idea what you should look for in CRNE. As you get closer to the exam, you may want to try CNS online test which is only 100 questions and it times you.

I also recommend you access CNA website

(http://www.cna-nurses.ca/CNA/issues/fact/default_e.aspx and read the fact sheets

as well as competencies for Rn entry found at:

http://www.cna-aiic.ca/CNA/nursing/rnexam/competencies/default_e.aspx

Students who went through these content believed they came handy for the exam.

One quick side note regarding the resources you're going to use. Pretty much all of them were published when we had a different formate for CRNE in Canada meaning both multiple choices and written part. Except the CNA's 5th edition which published in 2010 and specific for the new formate. You will get about 200 questions in new formate of CRNE. 15 questions are not for mark and won't count against you.

Hope this helps a bit.

pickles27 · Mar 22, 2011

Hi everybody! Finally, a thread for CRNE June 2011 group! yey!

I am beginning to startmy review in preparation for the exam. I make sure that I have at least 1 hour of review everyday since I am working fulltime. I know it is not much of a time, but I make the most out of it.

I am starting to read Mosby's Comprehensive Review and then answer the questions at the end of the book. When I am checking my answers, I read the rationales and note the topics that I got the wrong answers and later, I look it up at my nursing books. If I am really bored reading, I visit different websites such as public health canada website, CNA website, CNO website etc.

I also borrowed the 4th and 5th edition CRNE prep guides from leaRN. Just to practice answering questions. Any more ideas to help us with our review? Will appreciate your input.

buzyoyie · Mar 22, 2011

Thanks Akardan. I really appreciate the help. Will get those books when I'm done with Lippicott's. Hi pickles27. Im also trying to get an hour's worth of studying daily. It's hard to get enough studying time since I'm working full time too :) Best of luck to both of us!

akardan · Mar 22, 2011

pickles27

Well everyone has different strategies for their study and it's important that I should work for you.

I remember when I was preparing for the exam, I pretty much utilized the same style as yours. I also opened multiple files in my memory stick and gave titles to them such as maternity, peads, professional practice, clinical skill and so on. I read the rational no matter I got the question answer right or wrong. If an answer was wrong Took a quick one sentence note on it. Very simple not just to remind yourself(please don't waste your time on long note taking). As I got closer to the exam, I went through the notes and that was huge help. You simply can finish the whole thing in two days in two separate sittings.

I also made sure That I put an "actual 4 hours exam time" aside to practice. I did that at least 4 hour times. Guys you really need to time yourself. It is a four hours exam and no matter how fast you can read, you still might find yourself rushing through it IF haven not practiced.

Also if you are using Mosby's comprehensive, be very selective on what you read. You don't need to read page to page otherwise that book takes your forever. If you are one of those people who can go through the exams twice, I recommend put a small dot beside those questions that you didn't get, or you got but had a hard time to get, or just guessed. That also saves you time when you review the book for the next time. You will only, then, need to answer those questions with dots.

Hope this helps.

nurses matter, BSN, RN · Mar 22, 2011

pickles27
Well everyone has different strategies for their study and it's important that I should work for you.
I remember when I was preparing for the exam, I pretty much utilized the same style as yours. I also opened multiple files in my memory stick and gave titles to them such as maternity, peads, professional practice, clinical skill and so on. I read the rational no matter I got the question answer right or wrong. If an answer was wrong Took a quick one sentence note on it. Very simple not just to remind yourself(please don't waste your time on long note taking). As I got closer to the exam, I went through the notes and that was huge help. You simply can finish the whole thing in two days in two separate sittings.
I also made sure That I put an "actual 4 hours exam time" aside to practice. I did that at least 4 hour times. Guys you really need to time yourself. It is a four hours exam and no matter how fast you can read, you still might find yourself rushing through it IF haven not practiced.
Also if you are using Mosby's comprehensive, be very selective on what you read. You don't need to read page to page otherwise that book takes your forever. If you are one of those people who can go through the exams twice, I recommend put a small dot beside those questions that you didn't get, or you got but had a hard time to get, or just guessed. That also saves you time when you review the book for the next time. You will only, then, need to answer those questions with dots.
Hope this helps.

Hi Akardan,,

I notice your status is the States. mind I ask where and what area of nursing you are working? How's the hiring RN situation like in states? Thanks.

akardan · Mar 23, 2011

Really? I don't know how that happened then. No, I'm work in emergency department as well as cardiac floor in BC, Canada but I'm sure there are threads where you can find and ask questions regarding the job situation in U.S.

pickles27 · Mar 23, 2011

Thank you guys for all the inputs that you wrote. I am doing the simulation of the exam maybe a month before the big day. Just to see if I can do 200 questions in one sitting. I remember when I took my licensure exam from back home (IEN nurse here), a really effective strategy is to do a mock exam, the same time as if you are doing the real thing.

Another helpful thing too is to have a calendar of what to topics to review. And also utilize different methods of review such as watching videos, surfing important websites, little note taking, etc.

rickyjohn · Mar 24, 2011

along with ur own efforts, i would also recommend some coaching classes as it helps in learning canadian nursing ethics,,,

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2011

Tips for CRNE

Time mgmt: I cannot stress this enough. Time mgmt for most people is the difference between passing and failing.

Think ABC, nursing process, and therapeutic communication for every question.

Do as many practice questions as you can, but also KNOW the material. You need to actually study and be well prepared. Just doing questions isn't enough.

Know the Code of Ethics, informed Consent, Primary Health Care Values

Make a schedule of topics and organize yourself well. I studied 5 weeks in advance, and I had no problem to finish the exam or pass last October.

READ the questions very carefully, before you rush to an answer.

Use Mosbys guide. That's a great resource. And the CNA guide.

Good luck :)

mljalloh · Mar 29, 2011

I passed Feb 2011 CRNE. I am a US candidate and had no clue what to expect. I recommend CNO prep guide, online readiness test, and online practice questions from various sites (very little out there). Additionally, answer as many questions as possible 50-100/.day.

Hope this helps!

MJalloh, RN, BSN, BA

FNP Student