Amer.nurs.rev.f/crit.care Nursing Cert.

From The Critics

Reviewer: Elizabeth Carlson, DNSc, RN(Rush University College of Nursing)
Description: This outline-format book, based upon the CCRN examination given by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN), includes two posttests with answers and rationale to help nurses prepare for the examination. It is a second edition.
Purpose: The purpose is to help the experienced critical care nurse pass the CCRN examination.
Audience: This book is primarily aimed at experienced critical care nurses. However, others may also use it to review and update their knowledge of critical care practices.
Features: This book meets its objective in an adequate manner, but it would be helpful to provide more than two posttests and to provide a more in-depth rationale for the answers. The thirteen references selected are excellent references and would assist in examination preparation. No reference notations exist in the outlined content. The lack of footnotes referencing the source of material prevents the reader from directly accessing a source to learn more about the topic in question. The author does provide useful test-taking tips applicable to tests in general and the AACN's examination specifically.
Assessment: This book serves as a good adjunct to other CCRN test preparation books and offers the reader good practice material.

Judith A. Jennrich

This is a comprehensive review book for the critical care nurse studying for the Critical Care Certification Examination for Registered Nurses (CCRN). It is also a valuable reference for use after the examination. The purpose is to help the critical care nurse pass the CCRN examination. The general framework of the book is based on the outline of the CCRN examination as published by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). Within individual chapters, specific content areas are based on the material found in the Core Curriculum, also published by the AACN. It is targeted for the experienced critical care nurse preparing for the CCRN examination as well as advanced practice nurses and nursing faculty preparing lectures on critical care topics. There are numerous charts, tables, and illustrations throughout the text that clarify important concepts or highlight key data. A handy appendix lists the drugs most commonly used in critical care nursing and summarizes their actions, indications, and nursing implications. There are two post-tests with questions similar in style and content to the actual CCRN test. This is a very useful review book that is organized by body systems for convenient study. Each chapter begins with a review of anatomy and physiology and then outlines the major disorders of the body system under discussion, including pertinent signs and symptoms, key laboratory values, diagnostic tests, and medical and nursing management with rationales.

Elizabeth Carlson

This outline-format book, based upon the CCRN examination given by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN), includes two posttests with answers and rationale to help nurses prepare for the examination. It is a second edition. The purpose is to help the experienced critical care nurse pass the CCRN examination. This book is primarily aimed at experienced critical care nurses. However, others may also use it to review and update their knowledge of critical care practices. This book meets its objective in an adequate manner, but it would be helpful to provide more than two posttests and to provide a more in-depth rationale for the answers. The thirteen references selected are excellent references and would assist in examination preparation. No reference notations exist in the outlined content. The lack of footnotes referencing the source of material prevents the reader from directly accessing a source to learn more about the topic in question. The author does provide useful test-taking tips applicable to tests in general and the AACN's examination specifically. This book serves as a good adjunct to other CCRN test preparation books and offers the reader good practice material.

3 Stars from Doody