If you’re a nurse, physician, or other healthcare professional, the CCRN exam is one of the most important and stressful exams you must take.
It’s also difficult to prepare for, but with some preparation and hard work, you can pass this exam on your first try.
By means of this article, we will go over everything you need to know about studying for the CCRN exam: what topics each section of questions covers, how long each section takes, and what study guides are available for each section of questions.
Free Study Guides For The CCRN
List All The Clinically Relevant Topics For Which We Have Study Guides.
You should carefully list all the clinical topics that might be relevant to your study. This can help you keep track of some of the important points you might need to remember. Some of these topics include:
- Body systems
- Anatomy and physiology
- Basic nursing care principles.
- Pharmacology, including medications and their effects on the body.
- Pathophysiology/bioethics (including infectious diseases)
Study Guide For CCRN Exam 100% – The Patient Experience
You will learn about the patient experience, from preoperative preparation to postoperative care.
You will examine some common procedures and surgical conditions, including skin cancer surgery, total joint replacement, and non-surgical treatments for back pain.
You will also be introduced to anesthesia options and surgical monitoring techniques.
Finally, you will see how a surgeon interacts with patients before, during, and after their procedure.
Neurology & Psychiatry
The Neurology Program focuses on clinical practice in neurological disorders. These disorders include
- Stroke prevention through exercise therapy
- Parkinson’s disease
- Headache
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) or concussion/concussion syndrome; epilepsy management through medication management strategies such as antiepileptics.
The Psychiatric Medicine Program focuses on psychiatric diseases, including major depressive disorder/depression treatment medications.
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Study Guide For CCRN Exam 1 100% – The Patient In Surgery
The scope of surgery is the broad range of medical procedures that can be performed on a patient. The patient experience in surgery encompasses such things as:
- The patient experience during preoperative preparation
- The patient’s experience during surgical procedures, including anesthesia and recovery
- The patient’s experience in outpatient surgery, including outpatient physical therapy and prosthetics (if applicable)
- Hospitalization as part of your care plan may include an ICU stay if needed for treatment or recovery from your injuries. You will likely also have an IV pump inserted into one arm while hospitalized. This will allow doctors to administer medicine through this tube while simultaneously working on other aspects of your care.
Study Guide For CCRN Exam 1 100% – Neurology And Psychiatry
The CCRN exam is a test that covers both neurology and psychiatry. Neurology deals with the nervous system, while psychiatry is the study of mental health.
Both subjects are important to know for this exam because they will help you answer questions about your patient’s symptoms and behavior. Neurology includes:
- Neurology for Nurses (NM4N)
- Neurology for All Specialty Nursing Practice (NM4ANP)
- Neuroanatomy and Physiology with Clinical Correlates in Healthcare Settings (NPCCIH)
Study Guide For CCRN Exam 1 100% – Clinical Pathology And Laboratory Medicine
This study guide is a comprehensive resource for the CCRN Exam 1 100% test. It contains over 180 pages of knowledge review and practices questions, including:
- Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
- Serology and Hematology
- Immunology, Cytology & Virology
- Microbiology
Study Guide For CCRN Exam 1 100% – Completing The Encounter
This is an Encounter, and it should be completed in the same way as any other encounter.
You will need to document your findings on the charting system, but you can also use a computer system.
The following information must be documented in both systems:
- What happened?
- Who did what?
- When did this happen?
On a written record, write down what occurred during this encounter.
Don’t Let Your Exam Anxiety Stop You From Studying
You’re not alone! Many people have the same fear of taking a test as you do, and they don’t know how to overcome it. Don’t worry about the exam; just focus on getting through your study materials and quizzes.
If you’re still worried about whether or not you have enough time to study, try asking your instructor for help with each section of class so that he or she can give feedback on what needs improvement.
Remember: exams aren’t always bad; they’re intended for students’ benefit.
They help them learn how much knowledge has been covered during lectures and lab sessions, so there’s no reason students should feel overwhelmed by their upcoming test date.
Read More: How To Improve Concentration In Study
Eligibility
To qualify for the adult CCRN exam, you should have a current RN or APRN license and meet some of the requirements:
- You must spend at least 1,750 hours caring for critically ill adult patients within the past two years.
- You must have spent at least 2,000 hours directly caring for critically ill adult patients within the past five years.
Exam Review
The CCRN Adult Exam has a total of 150 multiple-choice questions, some of which are unscored, and you are given a 3-hour time limit. Test administrators use the 25 unscored questions to grade questions for future exams.
The exam is based entirely on the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) Synergic Model of Patient Care, so you must be familiar with this framework and procedures.
This exam is divided into parts:
Clinical judgment (80%)
The questions in this section assess your knowledge of various aspects of the human body systems.
- Cardiovascular (17%)
- Respiratory (15%)
- Endocrine/Hematology/Gastrointestinal/Renal/Skin (20%)
- Musculoskeletal/Neurological/Psychosocial (14%)
- Multi-system (14%)
Professional Care And Ethical Practice (20%)
The questions in this section assess your knowledge of various aspects of the professional care process and ethical practices.
- Advocacy/moral agency
- Nursing practices
- Response to Diversity
- Facilitating learning
- Cooperation
- Systems thinking
- Clinical question
FAQ
What Is The Best Way To Study For CCRN?
If you’re still stumped on how to pass the CCRN exam, it’s time to turn to a proven method of preparation. Prepare in advance – it’s essential. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACC) recommends using the exam guide, practice exams, and adult assessment courses to prepare.
What Is The Best App For CCRN?
Pocket Prep is your award-winning mobile learning and test preparation tool. Pocket Prep lets you study anywhere, anytime, right from your mobile device. We strive to streamline studying by redefining how you prepare for the Adult Critical Care Registered Nurse exam.
Is CCRN Harder Than Nclex?
So purely looking at the national pass rate, it’s safe to say that the exam is on the more difficult side. But compared to the nearly 87% success rate of first-time nurses taking the NCLEX in 2020, it’s safe to say that the CCRN exam is much harder than other nursing exams.
How Long Does It Take To Prepare For CCRN?
Mentally plan to study about 3-4 days/week for about 15-30 minutes for a total of 6-8 weeks.
Is The CCRN Exam Difficult?
If you can’t tell from the sample questions, the CCRN exam is challenging and should not be taken lightly. There are about 16,000 tests yearly, and the CCRN pass rate was only 71%.
What Is The Passing Score For CCRN 2022?
You will need a minimum score of 83 to pass the exam.
Is CCRN A Big Deal?
CCRN certification is awarded through the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). This designation means that the nurse has gained significant knowledge and experience working with critically ill patients.
Do You Get Paid More With CCRN?
Perhaps the most common question nurses are asked when it comes to CCRN certification is whether or not they will get a raise once they pass the exam. Generally, the answer is yes – most nurses will see their hourly rates or salaries increase once they become certified.
Is CCRN Only For ICU Nurses?
Nurses interested in getting certified may work in areas such as cardiac care units, intensive care units, combined ICU/ICU, medical/surgical ICU, trauma units, or critical care transport/flight.
What Is The Hardest Nursing Certification?
Emergency nursing is considered one of the most difficult fields of nursing, and certification in this specialty is highly desirable.
Conclusion
The Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) Exam is one of the most important certifications for nurses in the United States.
This exam tests your knowledge of clinical practice and helps you understand how to care for patients in an acute care setting.
With our free study guides for CCRN, We hope this article gives you all the help you need.