I realize when I had to write my nursing exam how much pressure I experienced about the whole thing. I wrote mine in June 2010 and passed in first attempt but still remember when I walked out the exam, I was not sure what would be the result.
The purpose of this thread is supporting those nursing students who are planning to write their CRNE in upcoming June. Students, please feel free to share your concerns and questions. Nurses please support those students with tips for study.
Just couple of reminders before we get started:
1. Please do not discuss specific questions or any content tested in CRNE.
2. Please read other threads for more information as well. Other threads give you valuable information and be smart and take them into your advantage.
Specializes in Surgical, Emerg, Medical, Community.
So yes.. the waiting does begin.
My experience of the exam:
I had to be at the facility half an hour before the exam began.. by the time we got into the arena to take the exam for 0830, we weren't even seated. The women who had organized the examination were so disorganized. The mic that was being used continued to produce this high pitched noise with feedback (EEeeeeeeeEEeeeeeeeeEEEEE!!!!!) for a good 15 minutes. The women argued back and fourth about distributing scantron sheets and taking away mechanical pens (you were to use HB no. 2 only). Then they tried telling us that we only had three hours to write the exam, even though in the mail it stated we would have 4. So, for a few minutes there angry and shocked students shouting that we were told 4 hours. Finally they admitted they were wrong and we did have 4 hours.
Anyway... they could have been more organized. The exam was meant to start at 0830, we were the be there half an hour before, which we were... we never actually started till 0900.
One thing that I completely did not appreciate during the exam: the woman sitting next to me was chewing gum. I've sat over a hundred exams and someone chewing gum has NEVER bothered me before, however, this woman was chewing her gum so loudly and vigorously, with her mouth open and little tiny bubble gum bubbles were popping in her mouth. It's like she was chewing on beef jerky. On top of me being stressed, this just almost put me over the edge. We had to share a long table, and she was shaking her leg (bobbing it up an down) I'm assuming from being anxious, and this caused the whole table to shake. She was taking the longest strokes ever to erase a tiny little dot on a paper and would chuck her eraser. I just thought, "man, were's your exam etiquette?" I couldn't focus.
Finally, I asked the monitor who walked down my isle if she could politely ask the girl next to me to quiet her chewing or please move me to another table. I mean, ok.. I get it, I know I'm a little stressed, but THAT is totally out of order.
Anyway, after I moved I was fine. When I had time to go back and look over the questions I couldn't concentrate on when I was sitting next to the gum chewer - they were WRONG. I fixed them but... I wasn't even thinking.
So, my advice for people writing in the future.. wear ear plugs. I was just lucky that I got to move and the table I moved to - the girl finished her exam early. I had the table to myself.
I think I did well over all... it's hard to say. We'll see! I thought the exam was fair, but the first half of the exam had ridiculous questions. The independent questions were much easier to analyze. The case studies are always like, "huh?"
I agree with you Fleetfox - i found the case study questions had me sitting there going huh? But the rest of the exam was ok, thank goodness! So i'm pleased i wasn't the only one who thought the same!
Now to get through these next few weeks - i have a lot riding on that pass mark!
Specializes in Surgical, Emerg, Medical, Community.
You know, we should all relax.. because at this point, there's not much else we can do (yeah, who am I kidding, it'll be stressful waiting). My parents keep asking me "So, do you think you passed?" I feel okay about it but I wouldn't say "Oh yeah! Let's celebrate!" quite yet. I did all I could do. But to everyone who wrote today, do something nice for yourselves. Buy a bottle of wine, rent a movie.. or heck, go out and see 'Bridesmaids'
My best friend had waited till the week before to cram for this exam (although, going by the first half of the exam.. you could have just not have studied at all) but she struggled to finish. She rushed the last 70 questions and she bubbled in 5 answers in her scantron without even looking at the questions.
At least studying well in advance I feel helped me for the last 100 questions.
Exactly. You guys all deserve to celebrate and have fun today. Feeling that you don't know how you did in the exam is very normal. I left thinking I failed and if I could I would have registered for the next one right away.
But you know now what we mean about preparation. People who think CRNE is all feely touchy, and psych questions should really reconsider specially now that they have to write about 200 questions in such a short span of time.
So I thought I’d share some of the thoughts on the exam:
1. First off -to get this off my chest-I wish that in my four years of nursing school we were given nursing lessons and nursing tests. I think that would have made me feel more prepared. The teach yourself everything method and randomly picked topics in pbl wasn’t effective or efficient for fully preparing one for this test. I’d wished that I was taught peds, maternity, icu and emergency nursing beyond one (or two if we were lucky) case study in class. Having said that though, I do not think that the test was unfair, but I do feel my nursing program failed to teach me –thoroughly- very teachable material with a full 4 years to do so. A higher level of standardization would have helped.
2. Some of what I learned on the floor was considered the wrong answer for questions from leaRN .After reading through many different questions you start to learn the CRNE way of thinking, when answering a question that has more than one realistic answer. I had to watch to make sure I wasn’t confusing on the floor experience with the best practice or CRNE answer.
3. The leaRN booklet was a good rep of what to expect on the exam more so than the online readiness test (I felt anyways-the online seemed easier but maybe that’s just me). The exam itself seemed to lean more to the technical aspects of nursing than psychosocial, from what I was expecting.
4. I also attended the exam with the malfunctioning microphone. You think they would have turned it off when not in use, it sounded as though the man had it stored in his pocket. Fleetfox-that was too bad about the gum chewer! I fully understand when already nerved having to sit beside someone clueless of exam etiquette. Where I was sitting someone talked to themselves the entire time. Right after an announcement was made for those speaking to themselves to please stop, the lady con’t. It was annoying but in situations like that you just have to try and do everything that you can to block it out because there will always be a toe tapper or gum chewer or self-talker to throw you off.
Anyways, good luck to everyone. Hopefully we’ve all passed and can move on to starting our careers.
Exam was extremely difficult!Its hard to prepare for this kinda exam...not so much questions on knowledge:( Seems like there r always 2 right answers,and I was so confused!I was so upset after exam...
i was able to finish my exam and i really liked the way exam was organised staff was so friendly and about others i dont know i just concenrated on my exam i did my best result will tell everything else.......
On top of me being stressed, this just almost put me over the edge. We had to share a long table, and she was shaking her leg (bobbing it up an down) I'm assuming from being anxious, and this caused the whole table to shake. She was taking the longest strokes ever to erase a tiny little dot on a paper and would chuck her eraser. I just thought, "man, were's your exam etiquette?" I couldn't focus. 
FunkyCat
83 Posts
And the waiting begins......