I have re-written all of my narrative notes and evaluations as best as I can remember. They may have flowed a bit less smoothly during the weekend, I’d add in a mnemonic that I forgot at the end sometimes and it didn’t sound perfect but it hit the important parts. I tended to overdocument a bit rather than just hit the required critical elements. I charted right from my mnemonics on the grid but worded things out of order occasionally so that they sounded better. I’ll be honest I didn’t write much down on my grids during implementation. Continue reading “CPNE Documentation and Narrative Notes”
CPNE Mnemonics
The only way in my mind to even come close to remembering all of your “critical elements” for each area of care assigned and THEN remember to document the appropriate elements is to use mnemonics. I have pretty much a photographic memory and even I wouldn’t have chanced the idea of forgetting one little thing either in implementation or documentation. You would want to rip your own head off if you got to the end and left off one tiny thing and failed the whole shabang…
There are 23 Areas of Care- 19 of which, in my opinion, you should have mnemonics for. Continue reading “CPNE Mnemonics”
CPNE Evaluations and Rationales
Moving on to the final part of documentation, your evaluation form with rationales. This is Sheri doing her thing and breaking down evals. Just thought I’d write out the ones that I used for my 3 PCS’s and then a couple of the ones I used for practice care plans for reference. The main thing I focused on in careplans was to ensure that my evaluation would be a piece of cake, I never picked a diagnostic label that would or could possibly set me up for a challenge at eval because I figured if you made it that far the last thing you want to do is mess up the eval!I made sure, as best as I could, that I’d be able to check that “effective” box when I selected my interventions, I wanted to avoid the ‘not effective’ and ‘unmet’ options like the plague. Continue reading “CPNE Evaluations and Rationales”
CPNE Workshops
Why did I chose a workshop unaffiliated with Excelsior?
I will be discussing my various contentions with Excelsior College in another post but to summarize I do not think the school has nor wants to work to have a good infrastructure for their nursing students. There are so many issues with the way the program is run and it culminates at the CPNE where you are expected to perform to perfection yet their own staff make the experience 100% subjective. You get 10 answers from 10 advisors and the only one who pays the price for ambiguity is the student. That’s not right. On a variety of levels. Especially when your entire degree is riding on this.
When I was finally ready to apply to the CPNE I started to feel completely overwhelmed with HOW I was going to study for something that was so subjective despite the expectation to perform precisely. Continue reading “CPNE Workshops”
How to Prepare for the CPNE
The pictures & info below contain copyrighted content from Excelsior College, this information is meant for demonstrative purposes. No replication of this information is permitted.
The following is what I did to prepare for the CPNE. Some tips and tricks I learned along the way that may help. I’ve also included a timeline of how I prepared. Disclosure: I am a professional procrastinator, I did spend a lot more time preparing for this than I originally thought I would but it is probably no where near the amount of time that I’d advise someone else to take. I am lucky to have a photographic memory and an ability to retain a lot of information, it has served me well in school my entire life but I will warn anyone else attempting this, do NOT underestimate the amount of preparation needed. You know your own strengths/weaknesses by now, make sure you plan accordingly for this exam, it would be an EXPENSIVE mistake to show up unprepared… Continue reading “How to Prepare for the CPNE”
What Is the CPNE?
The CPNE has been called many things- The Beast, a nightmare, impossible… for me it was the gauntlet.
Gauntlet noun
- A form of punishment or torture in which people armed with sticks or other weapons arrange themselves in two lines facing each other and beat the person forced to run between them
- An onslaught or attack from all sides
3. A severe trial; an ordeal.
Yah…. that pretty much sums it up perfectly actually. Continue reading “What Is the CPNE?”
CPNE Resource Zone
Below are various links to posts about everything from my careplans to my PCS’s in depth. Hope some of it helps, best of luck to all of you on this wild ride!
The posts include information that worked for ME, these things may not apply to you or to the current version of the study guide. Please confirm any info you find with an advisor as I would feel awful in steering you the wrong direction with any advice I offer that worked for me specifically. ALWAYS confirm info you find anywhere with an advisor, preferably on email so you have a paper trail. Continue reading “CPNE Resource Zone”
CPNE Clinical Performance In Nursing Examination
ALL CPNE POSTS CAN BE FOUND HERE
Dear fellow Excelsior nursing friends from afar,
I have put together these posts and information to help anyone going through this journey in hopes that something anything here may help someone out there. I was lucky to have the support and encouragement from previous students who paid it forward and I hope to offer the same to you. I’ve added a section to my blog for CPNE-ers in an effort to try to share this info that I would’ve died to have myself while I felt so completely lonely and lost during this program. Continue reading “CPNE Clinical Performance In Nursing Examination”
They don’t call it Labor for nothing! A birth story.
We headed into the hospital at 7:00 pm to start the induction. First we were settled into our room which I must say was like a luxury hotel suite, it was HUGE! Talk about plush, there was a pull out sofa for dad to sleep on, zero gravity recliners for other visitors, a flat screen tv with games, educational videos and movies on demand, the free room service menu including things like jumbo sea scallops, lamb top sirloin, and pork medallions, I mean even the bathroom was plush complete with hair dryer, and decorative curtain valance for the tub! I was definitely not complaining about all of the over the top comforts gearing up for this show. After taking pictures of all of the “amenities” we got ready for a night of interventions. I was checked and the games began with me at a fingertip dilated and 60% effaced. I was given Prostin, similar to Cervidil, every 4 hours to help ripen the cervix and then we waited until the morning to see what the game plan would be. Continue reading “They don’t call it Labor for nothing! A birth story.”
Momma Maven 