36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent study guide for CCRN, August 21, 2004
I've read them all..."Pass CCRN" is the best review book on the market! It is well organized and easy to use. The content is presented with more depth than most outline-based review books. In addition, the enclosed CD of computer-based questions is a wonderful addition.
Certification is best achieved by using more than one book or product. However, if you can only afford one, get "Pass CCRN." It has the most to offer.
For best results: use the CD and practice the questions, go back to the text for review, and apply the concepts at work.
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32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Study adjunct for the CCRN, October 7, 2004
Includes more information than you will see on the 2004 exam, (e.g., myxedema coma, dopamine). I do not appreciate the outline format. Tables and illustrations are very good. Mind games (puzzles) are good for re-enforcing the information in the respective chapters. The best learning tool is the included CD: there are all major organ systems that are tested on the exam; the questions can be segregated by organ system or randomly mixed; number of questions per session can be set as desired. Available options include grading, tagging a specific question, and most notably the responses include rationale w/ memory aids to help retain this vital information. Overall, I state that it is an excellent learning aid, but I highly recommend that you verify the inclusion of the study CD before buying a used, or older, version. The CD alone is well worth the price. Combine it as an adjunct with newer CCRN study guides, as the 2004 exam has changed and the Pass CCRN has not. It would be an excellent text for critical care orientation, but for the exam, I think a prospective candidate would rather not have to read anymore than she or he needs to, to pass. I also therefore recommend attending a CCRN review by any speakers who are also item writers: generally they do not hesitate to tell you what you will and won't see on the exam.
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114 of 127 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comparative Review: Ahrens, Dennison, Dubin, Vonfrolio, July 1, 2002
Nursing education, like that of any profession, has a half life, and with scientific advances occurring at an exponential rate, that half life is growing shorter with each passing year. No where is this more evident than in intensive care. As an older nurse listening to the new grads, I realize this over and over. While experience has taught me the "hows" and "whens" of many events, procedures, treatments, etc., even in a teaching hospital it has not necessarily taught me the "whys" of things, which makes it difficult to predict and to prevent negative outcomes. The education which was adequate in the time in which it was received may be woefully inadequate in today's modern ICU, and with nursing shortages approaching critical mass, older nurses will and probably should be encouraged to remain in their practice. While taking the CCRN exam may not improve the situation, studying for it certainly will. Since I received my license, I have attempted to periodically review some aspect of my profession: chemistry, A&P, nutrition, pharmacology, etc. The CCRN exam books have been a wonderful source of ICU specific information, and over the years I've purchased several of them. Each author has his/her own format which trains the student along certain pathways. Using more than one has helped me a lot. For strips and 12-leads, I've relied on the Rapid Interpretation of EKG's by Dr Dale Dubin. I purchased my first copy in the 1970s, when it first came out, and recently bought the new volume for the new information it contains. As an SICU nurse, I don't do more than simple monitor work, so my knowledge of the fine points is limited and requires periodic review. (I'm in total awe of CCU nurses; to me they seem almost psychic!) Among the three CCRN review books I've read recently (Critical Care Examination REVIEW, Vonfrolio and Noone; Critical Care Certification, Ahrens and Prentice; and Pass CCRN, Dennison) each has its points. The Vonfrolio book is quick, direct, and compact. Among others, it has 187 questions dedicated to CV alone, and 135 to pulmonary. With these two areas the core of the Exam and certainly core to ICU, it provides a good work out. The plus with this text, is that it provides a good run down of why the right answer is right and the wrong answers wrong. It helps one think the problem through the way one would at the bedside. There are no "answers in the back" of ICU! What this book lacks, however, is a review of A&P. The Ahrens book and the Dennison volume do provide it. I found the review of A&P in Pass CCRN almost daunting, however, because it's in outline form. It packs in massive amounts of information over a few pages. One tends to scan rather than read it. The exercises in the book are excellent, helping one think about principles rather than "answers," increasing knowledge base through thought processes rather than pt specific information. I found the crossword puzzles less useful to me and passed over them, but then I'm not a crossword puzzle person; those who are, may find it a perfect way to learn. The A&P in Ahrens is in a narrative format, which may be easier for most learners than an outline. It provides a less detailed but still adequate description of each system at the beginning of the chapter dedicated to it, and the questions are more geared to test A&P concepts. I found the information provided was more naturally memorable than a list of facts. While I make and use flash cards for memorization purposes, I try not to rely on rote to achieve my learning goals because it seems too temporary. The Dennison outline is a flashcard writ large! If this is the best way for you to learn, however, go for it. The strength of the Dennison book really, is it's detailed discussion of test taking. While most of the CCRN books give you general tips: get plenty of rest, eat a salty breakfast (?), guess if you don't know, etc, the Dennison text takes each individual question and teaches the student how to examine it for clues. It teaches test taking principles. For those of you who are actually studying for the exam itself, especially if you are prone to test anxiety, the Dennison is probably the best book for you for that very reason. All four books are excellent resources for the ICU nurse.
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