Top Tips: How to Pass the CCRN Exam
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What is the best way to study for CCRN?
carol CCRN Certification. If you are a nurse, one of the steps on your way to how to become a CCRN is to complete an education and certification in nursing. Once you have completed nursing school, you should have already taken the Certified Nursing Assistant National Examination.
Within the CCRN certification requirements, there are two options for meeting the minimum number of hours required to sit for the exam. Option 1: Practice as an RN or APRN for 1,750 hours in direct care of acutely or critically ill patients during the past two years (of which 875 of those hours must be from the most recent year before your application submission).
If you're still wondering how pass the CCRN exam, it's time to turn to the tried and true method of preparation. Prepare yourself beforehand – this is imperative! The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACC) recommends using an exam handbook, practice exams, and adult review courses to get ready.
Mentally plan on studying about 3-4 days/week for about 15-30 minutes for a total of 6-8 weeks.
If you couldn't tell by the sample questions, the CCRN exam is tough and should not be taken lightly. There are about 16,000 test-takers per year and the CCRN pass rate is only about 79%. The exam itself is 150 questions, with 25 of the questions not counted towards your test score.
The CCRN exam consists of 150 questions, 125 are scored while the remaining 25 are not. You only need to get 87 questions correct to pass the exam. This equals out to be about 70%, or a “C”. The CCRN exam is a knowledge-based exam.
It can be within one year, 10 months, or 18 months... as long as you have met the hours requirement. The 2 year statement refers to the hours being within the last 2 years, no greater. It can be within one year, 10 months, or 18 months... as long as you have met the hours requirement.
If you need to retake the CCRN exam, you can sit for the exam up to four times within a 12-month period.
2019ExamCandidates TestedFirst Time Pass RateCCRN (Adult)15,93579.0%CCRN (Neonatal)42972.6%CCRN (Pediatric)1,53278.9%CCRN-E5860.0%16 more rows
If you fail the CCRN exam, you are eligible to retake the exam for a discounted fee up to four times in a 12-month period.
A passing score is an 83 or higher, which means that you need to score only a 66.4% or higher to pass. That can't be hard, right? Well, not so fast. For 2019, 15,935 applicants sat for the CCRN, and only 11,840 obtained a passing score, and 4,095 ICU nurses FAILED the CCRN on their first attempt.
500In order to pass the CRRN exam, you will need to obtain a scaled score of 500.
If you fail the CCRN exam, you are eligible to retake the exam for a discounted fee up to four times in a 12-month period.
Certifications available to telemetry nurses include the following: The Adult, Neonatal and Pediatric Acute/Critical Care Nursing certification exams award the designation Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN).
A: CCRN-E is an extension of the CCRN certification program designed for nurses working exclusively or primarily in a teleICU (such as a virtual ICU or eICU®) behind the camera observing live patients from a remote location. Nurses working in education or in a simulation lab would not be eligible for CCRN-E.
Free Practice Test for the CCRN. We have everything you need to help prepare you for the CCRN including this practice test.
The cost for a first attempt at the CCRN test is $245 for candidates who are members of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) and $360 for non-members.
CCRN Exam Handbook Prod #7600 101 Columbia • Aliso Viejo CA 92656-4109 • T 800 899 2226 F 949 362 2020 • www.certcorp.org
The CCRN exam handbook is a critical tool in preparing for the CCRN exam. It details information you will need to before you take the CCRN test including: An overview of the certification program. Exam eligibility.
The CCRN exam handbook is a critical tool in preparing for the CCRN exam. It details information you will need to before you take the CCRN test including: 1 An overview of the certification program 2 Exam eligibility 3 Application fees 4 Application process 5 Certification renewal 6 Test plans 7 Sample questions 8 and more
According to the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (the people who write the exam), in 2018 77.3% pass the adult CCRN® on the first time. Essentially, 3 out of every 4 who sit for the exam pass. And if you’re taking a review course and have an active study plan you are setting yourself up for success.
Cardiac Nurse Crash Course from FreshRN® is your one-stop ultimate resource and online course, crafted specifically for brand new cardiac nurses. If you want to get ahead of the game so instead of merely surviving orientation, you’re thriving all the way through from day one to day done - this is the course for you.
Rarely does Nicole encounter nurses who take her review course and don’t pass. However, if that happens she always follows up to learn more. She said, “Whenever someone comes to me and says they didn’t pass my first question isn’t ‘Did you change any answers?’ It’s, ‘How many answers did you change?’ Our nurse gut-instinct is powerful, and most often the first answer we go with is the right one. When you start second-guessing yourself and changing your answers, that’s when you can get yourself into trouble.”
One of the most powerful things you can do when dealing with test anxiety is accepting it. Don’t do that thing we tend to do as humans and pretend like something isn’t a big deal when it actually is.
Nicole is a well-recognized national and international speaker on several emergency and critical care topics. She has taught CCRN® and PCCN Certification review courses for over 12 years. Nicole has had a very productive career which has included numerous publications, launching a Sepsis & Post Cardiac Arrest Hypothermia (TTM) program, as well as Quality Improvement in Resuscitation and has been the host of a Resuscitation podcast and YouTube show. Nicole has published six books and won numerous national awards. To learn more about Nicole, click here.
Heart issues tend to be prevalent in critical care nursing situations and you’ll need to be well-versed on all facets of cardiac care. The CCRN® test uses nearly one-fifth of its questions to assess your knowledge in this area. Use this study guide to map out what you already know and areas you need to study more.
This is the area of critical care nursing in which you have to pull together your knowledge of all body systems and how they work together and combine that knowledge with a variety of other nursing skills. It gets complicated, so use this study guide to help you know what to study in preparation for this type of question on the test.
There are many critical care nursing concepts that do not fall neatly in the category of a body system. Instead, these ideas revolve around the care you give overall as a critical care nurse. Use this study guide to review how to give professional and ethical nursing care.
The pulmonary system involves a multitude of physiological knowledge, as well as command of many new terms, procedures, and practices. You’ll need to know just what content is covered in the CCRN® questions regarding pulmonary function and how to provide nursing care for pulmonary clients in a critical care setting. Use this guide as you study.
It can take between 2 and 3 weeks for your application to be processed and approved before you can schedule your test date. Be effective with your time by starting a CCRN review course. Although you can do self-paced studying with a CCRN book, nurses who take a CCRN review course have higher first-time pass rates.
Work in the direct care of acute or critical patients during the previous 2 years with at least 1,750 hours of contact. Of those hours, 875 must be within the most recent year before you submit your application. Or, Work in the direct care of patients for 5 years or more with at least 2,000 hours of contact with critical or acutely ill patients. ...
Review courses not only provide structure and guidance on what to study, but they can give you more exposure to test questions, so you can learn how to answer them . Certainly, certification exams test your knowledge, but there are also strategies for how to answer specific questions.
Nurses with their CCRN certification are more confident in their skills, are more likely to be promoted within their organization, and, most importantly, have better patient outcomes. As any nurse knows, most forms of professional advancement or further professional training start with an application. Here is a no-stress, step-by-step guide on how ...
You probably guessed this already, but you need to meet specific criteria for your CCRN Certification Application to be processed. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) provides the CCRN certification. In order to sit for the exam, you must meet the following CCRN requirements per the AACN: 1 Have a current, unrestricted RN or APRN license in the United States. 2 Meet the minimum hourly requirements to confirm you have direct critical care nursing experience.
The exam you wish to apply for (neonatal, pediatric, adult) Demographic information. Lastly, you will need to sign an Honor Statement when you submit your application, along with your payment information.
Remember, CCRN nurses are more confident in their skills and have better patient outcomes. Additionally, your supervisor may find other ways to help support you in your exam preparation, such as giving you more flexibility with your hours or connecting you with extra resources so you can succeed.
The CCRN exam is designed to challenge your professional knowledge. Even the most experienced nurses know certification exams can be difficult. Enter the testing room with confidence. Invest in your career and pass the CCRN on your first attempt, guaranteed, with Critical Care Academy.
Our CCRN® review course is different because it uses Adult Learning Theory to enhance your natural learning style. Our microlearning approach respects your time and keeps your mind fresh by breaking up information into digestible snippets.
Critical Care Academy systematically reviews each module according to the CCRN® handbook. Over the course of 10 video modules, we’ll do a deep dive on the following specializations:
Critical Care Academy is a self-paced course, which is perfect for busy nurses. Rewind as much as you want to review any areas where you’re struggling. Our video-based course is mobile-friendly, so you can learn whenever, wherever.
We aren’t going to throw a one-hour video at you and call it studying. Each video module is one hour long, but our videos are chopped into short, digestible segments to help you retain more information. With review questions, quizzes, and discussion boards available, you’ll absorb more information and pass the CCRN® in no time.
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With a 100% Money-Back Guarantee, Critical Care Academy is the most comprehensive and effective CCRN review course you’ll find.
Barron’s CCRN Exam Review & Online Test is around $19, contains two full practice tests (150 questions each) plus a 25 question pre-test to gauge your studying. It is around It contains a content review as well.
CCRN Review by Laura Gasparis. The CCRN Review by Laura Gasparis is the most expensive at $350. It includes a physical book, 12 continuing education credits, 12 hours of video, 500 practice questions, and you only have access to the online lectures for 90-days.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. The AACN Essentials of Critical Care Nursing is around $55 and comes directly from the AACN (you know, the people who write the test). It is also quite dense and is a textbook. It does not contain practice questions but does have some case study questions and answers.
Cardiac Nurse Crash Course from FreshRN® is your one-stop ultimate resource and online course, crafted specifically for brand new cardiac nurses. If you want to get ahead of the game so instead of merely surviving orientation, you’re thriving all the way through from day one to day done - this is the course for you.
By bundling, you have content all from one source with a consistent structure and format to refer back to as you dive deeper into the topics. I love the way her course is organized into smaller bite-sized lectures, rather than 3-4 lectures that are hours in length.
Pro-tip: Before buying anything, check with your hospital and see if they have a nursing professional development fund. Many organizations do and will reimburse not only for the CCRN exam but also for CCRN prep courses and CCRN prep books as well. Mine did! At the end of the day, I paid nothing for my exam and review materials and was eligible for a clinical ladder bump. Yahoo!
If you’re interested in checking out a live CCR N review, your hospital may host one or you can go to the respective website below and click on their live review options.
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation, Provider Number 0012. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses is approved by the California State Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP1036 for 15.5 contact hours.
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses is approved by the California State Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP1036 for 15.5 contact hours. AACN programming meets the standards for most states that require mandatory continuing education contact hours for license and/or certification renewal.
The test itself can cost between $170 and $360, depending on whether it is your first exam, retest, or CCRN renewal. Some employers or institutions will pay for or reimburse your exam fee. Look into this if you work for a major institution or ask your management staff if this is an option.
80% of the test will cover your clinical judgment in areas such as Cardiovascular (17%), Respiratory (15%), Endocrine/Hematology/Gastrointestinal/Renal/Integumentary (20%), Musculoskeletal/Neurological/Psychosocial (14%), and Multisystem (14%) specialties. Many CCRN experts agree that since Cardiovascular systems make up the largest, single-specialty percentage of the test, that is one area high performers should focus their studying efforts on.
Practice as an RN or APRN for 1,750 hours in the direct care of acutely or critically ill patients during the last two years, with 875 of those hours accrued within the last year.
A CCRN (Critical Care Registered Nurse) certificate allows nurses to provide “direct care to acutely/critically ill adult patients regardless of their physical location.” Nurses who obtain their CCRN can then go on to work in areas such as intensive care units, cardiac care units, combined ICU/CCUs, medical/surgical ICUs, trauma units, and critical care transport/flight. This qualification is just one step in how to become an ICU nurse, but it can be the most daunting and time-consuming one.
The remaining 20% of the test covers “Professional Caring & Ethical Practice” which includes questions on key characteristics of a successful ICU nurse, such as collaboration, critical thinking, and caring practices like compassion.
Flashcards are an easy way to study on the go and help you better retain the information.
Take the foundational skills you have learned in your on-the-job training, along with the textbook material, and apply them together. Try to use your personal experiences when answering the knowledge-based scenario questions . Conquer your test anxiety by accepting it. Don’t pretend it’s not there.
A core of items on the specialty certification exams deal with the Professional Caring and Ethical Practice components of the AACN Synergy Model for Patient Care.
If you are retesting, review the printed score report that you received after taking the exam and identify in which areas you have the most opportunity to improve. Concentrate your studies on the most heavily weighted topic areas as listed on the test plan, but remember that the other areas are important too — especially if you scored a low percentage in an area.
As your prepare for your exam, AACN’s online CCRN/CCRN-E/CCRN-K Practice Exam and Questions can assist you in assessing your level of knowledge, identifying your strengths and uncovering areas for further study. This subscription-based resource provides a realistic exam-day experience with practice questions written in the style of actual exam questions. The mobile-friendly platform enables 24/7 access to randomized practice questions with correct answer rationales and exam scores plus unlimited practice exams. Available for adult, pediatric and neonatal certifications.
Test Plan. One of the most important study tools is the test plan , also known as an exam blueprint, which can be found in the Exam Handbook. The test plan is broken down by content area with each assigned a percentage indicating how the topic area is weighted on the exam.