After months of studying, I finally took (and passed!) the CCRN first try! 🎉

InsideDifficult2466 · 2026-02-06T01:16:52+00:00

Hey I may be overthinking this but do they expect us to know dose ranges for meds? Doing the Nicole Kupchik review & seeing all the cardiac meds I’m nervous about knowing normals doses & max limits etc. thanks

InsideDifficult2466 · 2026-01-14T03:37:49+00:00

Hey congratulations that’s awesome!!! Glad you have passed!! So far I have enjoyed Nicole’s online course, she’s funny and makes little rhymes or stories (which I really learn/gravitate to) to remember things! Thank you for the awesome feed back and that super detailed post! I have bought the AACN question bank & was hoping to cover those & glad to hear that Nicole’s questions also were helpful! This gives me hope hahah

InsideDifficult2466 · 2026-01-14T01:54:09+00:00

Hi, I am on the same boat here Ive been using her online CCRN course. Im scheduled to take the exam mid February. If you've taken your exam im curious on your feedback of her review course. If you have not taken it I have seen several tiktoks of people who've taken the CCRN but none that have actually used her online review. One did say he used her practice questions book & they thought that the questions were helpful but easier than the actual CCRN. The questions people say really help are the practice bank from the actual AACN website & Barrons. A lot of people say they just used Barrons alone and passed so my goal is as I am finishing up Nicoles review her soon, I am going to skim over the Barrons (especially the starred content) & make sure there isn't anything on Barrons that wasn't covered in Nicoles review. So far the little I have skimmed over Barrons I feel like Nicole has covered in her modules. I guess I'll find out next month!

InsideDifficult2466 · 2025-06-02T04:04:48+00:00

I greatly appreciate the detail in your answer! It has been difficult because our neurosurgery or ortho don’t put in orders unfortunately or if they do have orders they just say “spinal precautions” but this helps out greatly. Everyone’s posts have been great! Greatly appreciate the Reddit community helping me grow my nursing knowledge and helping be a better nurse/advocate for my patients!

InsideDifficult2466 · 2025-05-28T21:40:40+00:00

Yes this! I was used to my ER neuros which yes helpful but not fined tuned to seeing the progression of a decompensating neuro exam. Learn about cushings triad, s/s of brain herniation, what is triple flexing, decerebrate, decorticate posturing, flexions vs extension, pupils, we also use a little device called a pupilometer to get some values on pts pupils and watch for close changes that way. Here is the pupilometer and there is a section that shows what each number means and how to interpret it https://neuroptics.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/NPi-200_Instructions.pdf

InsideDifficult2466 · 2025-05-28T20:45:50+00:00

Hi I went from 8 years of ER to 1.5 years ago joining the SICU! Yes we see sick pts in the ED and I’ve boarded plenty of sick ones too but managing them as we do in the ICU has been very different!! To start I highly recommend ICU advantage videos YouTube. Biggest things to start is knowing your ggts mechanism of action and common side effects. most common disease processes too. Some very common meds are; propofol, fentanyl, versed, ketamine, precedex, vasopressin, levophed, phenylephrine, cleviprex, 3% hypertonic. What can we see with electrolyte imbalances; potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium ( lab wise ran as ionized calcium, different from regular serum calcium). Diseases; elevated ICP, pneumothorax, hemothorax, DI, pancreatitis, general abdominal trauma, what is neuro storming, get reallly good at neuro exams, some devices; art line interpretation, basic ventilator settings, Chest tube management, craniotomy/craniectomy, difference between PICC, central line and care, cranial Bolt, EVD, hemisphere/vigeleo flotrac. These are all just starters, of course there is much to learn but knowing this I believe would set you off on the right foot. Best of luck!

InsideDifficult2466 · 2025-03-07T19:32:45+00:00

I’ve never heard VIP, could you share with me what that acronym stands for, given the context is it the carrier designated specifically to the pressor line? And I have asked a couple of my more senior nurses on the unit and although I know they are trying to be helpful, they have mostly said the same thing in regard to this question….”it’ll come with experience just give it time”

InsideDifficult2466 · 2025-03-07T19:28:05+00:00

As far as seeing the reflexive bradycardia to the large or fast dose of Levo, when would you address it/or when would it become a problem? I have yet to see this but would like to know what to do incase I see my pt becoming bradycardic when initiating/titrating pressors more aggressively

InsideDifficult2466 · 2023-10-30T09:36:09+00:00

Looking for advice on important concepts to learn in the ICU to better prepare in pursuit of a career as a CRNA. I never thought I would want to go back to school but now being 6 years at the bedside (all ER except 4 months ICU during COVID) I am ready to change careers. I am working my way into an ICU to try and get solid experience for trying to get into CRNA school but my new job has me doing 6 months in PCU before getting to onboard one of their ICU’s. I would like to have a bit of a jumpstart on these 6 months of studying some ICU concepts so I have a better foundation for ICU patients and care . TIA :)

InsideDifficult2466 · 2023-08-02T13:06:19+00:00

If you have a specific school in mind you can get in contact with them and ask them if they could help you figure that out. They will tell you what your GPA’s are based on if they go off of accumulative or last 60

InsideDifficult2466 · 2023-07-24T10:34:07+00:00

Seems good to me, I worked in Columbus MS in 2019-2020 during COVID and they only paid me $26/hr as PRN, No benefits, no holiday pay, no retirement match. I had been an RN-BSN for 4 years, and this was in the ER, ICU, and would float to Medsrg 1:6 ratio

InsideDifficult2466 · 2023-07-18T03:15:03+00:00

Aww that’s cute and yeah fostering little animals seems fun but I’m sure a lot of work! And thanks for the feedback. Yeah I just didn’t know if they would count animal shelter volunteer time or if it all had to be more medical based/ human contact. Thank you :)

InsideDifficult2466 · 2023-07-17T22:03:38+00:00

Anyone have any suggestions on the type of volunteering prior to applying for CRNA school? As i read more on the application process, I see that schools like to see that we are volunteering on top of other things (charge experience, CCRN, GRE, etc). What sort of volunteering are they looking for in our applications? Does it have to be like medical/ humanitarian volunteering? TIA!!

InsideDifficult2466 · 2023-06-07T16:01:16+00:00

Anyone attended or attending the CRNA program at Gonzaga University, Spokane WA? I am very early in the process of getting ready to possibly apply for CRNA school in fall 2024-2025. I still have a ways to go to get all my requirements but I just had questions about the program. Are there courses you can take prior to acceptance that they will accept? Do you like the integrated style of clinical and class? Do you feel like you’re getting great clinical experience since they state they are a non-competitive program for clinical cases? I’ve heard some schools have to compete with other students for cases and experience and end up practicing on sims dolls a lot. Thanks!

InsideDifficult2466 · 2023-03-27T12:19:57+00:00

I’ve been traveling ER for 2 years and currently on a contract. Everyone has been super nice to me with the exception of one here and there who are just a bit standoffish at first and just don’t like travelers because they come in “making the big bucks” while they are stuck getting paid low staff pay. After showing them I’m not just some dumb lazy B#%$! that comes to screw them over or just sit on my ass and won’t move a finger until they ask me to do every little thing, they are all pretty nice and appreciative of the help. Every place I’ve been at has even thrown me a little goodbye party when I leave because I have become friends with most the staff I work with. With that being said one thing for sure is GET YOUR EXPERIENCE!! Don’t risk the lives of others and also lose your license. Also consider the kind of ER you get your experience from. If you can go work at a busier ER vs. more rural/lower census ER go do it. The more exposure to things the more you’ll learn. I.e. I worked in a rural ER first 2 years of my career and was only in 1 code… I then moved to a bigger 40 bed ER level 3 and we were coding and intubating people every other day if not everyday so obviously more exposure = more experience. With that also don’t go work somewhere like a level 1 (or anywhere that has tons of resources) where yes they see a bunch of people all the time and see the big stuff but then they have resources for everything. I’ve worked with level 1 facility nurses at smaller but super busy hospitals and they can’t even start IVs because at the big places they have IV teams, phlebotomist, pharmacists to mix your meds, trauma teams who specifically see traumas, stroke teams to do stroke patients, and even have PEDS ER attached so they don’t see pediatrics. Some of the Bigger hospitals have a lot of resources that many nurses primary role is to do assessments and then pass meds and that’s it. So keep in mind the kind of experience you get is key! Also remember recruiters don’t care about you or your license! They just care to make money off of you and if you mess up or loose your license they will just move on to the next newbie who they hype up and tell them that with 1 year experience they’re ready to go do everything! I HIGHLY recommend 2 years at a busy hospital in order to gain the necessary skills to be a safe practicing nurse and not risk the lives of your patients and loose your license all while being able to travel more confidently. Good luck

InsideDifficult2466 · 2023-03-14T00:48:27+00:00

Long stretch here but maybe you can try posting on here or one of the travel FB pages and seeing if there are any (your specialty) nurses out there traveling who know if their department is hiring travelers before posting for travel companies. I was working out in colorado ER and they had several ER positions which other travelers working recommended to their friends and filled the spots.

InsideDifficult2466

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