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AACN has developed a new exam and certification for nurses in Progressive Care areas. We will be offering PCCN classes (PCCN review courses) by special request for groups and facilities. We will also be scheduling PCCN reviews that anyone may attend. Please see our Upcoming Seminars page for more information, or call us. Call or email us for the NEW 2007 TEST PLAN and materials you need to join AACN and register for the exam.
To schedule a PCCN course for your facility, call 951.285.5699.
PCCN classes are two day, eight hour programs.
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Courtesy of AACN:
"What Is Progressive Care?
Progressive care is the term the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) uses to collectively describe areas that are also referred to as Intermediate Care Units, Direct Observation Units, Step-down Units, Telemetry Units, or Transitional Care Units as well as to define a specific level of patient care. AACN recognizes progressive care as part of the continuum of critical care.
RN LICENSURE
PCCN exam candidates must hold current, unrestricted registered nurse licensure in the United States or any of its territories. In order to meet the RN licensure requirement for initial PCCN certification and recertification, an individual nurse's RN license must be unrestricted. This means than an RN license, issued by a state board of nursing, must not have provisions or conditions that would limit the nurse's practice in any way. It is the responsibility of the exam applicant or PCCN certified nurse to notify the AACN Certification Corporation when any restriction is placed on his / her RN license.
CLINICAL PRACTICE
PCCN exam candidates must have completed 1,750 hours in direct bedside care of acutely ill adult patients within the 2 year period preceding date of application, with 875 of those hours accrued in the most recent year preceding application. Clinical practice hours accrued in an undergraduate student role are NOT acceptable. NOTE: Nurses serving as manager, educator (in-service or academic), CNS or preceptor may apply their hours spent supervising nursing students or nurses at the bedside. Nurses in these roles must be actively involved in caring for patients at the bedside; for example, demonstrating how to measure pulmonary artery pressures or supervising a new employee or student nurse performing a procedure at the bedside.
Eligible clinical practice hours for AACN Certification Corporation examinations or certification renewal are those completed in U.S. based facilities or in facilities determined to be comparable to the U.S. standard of acute/critical care nursing practice, as evidenced by ANCC Magnet Status and/or JCAHO or JCR International accreditation."
For more information, you may visit the AACN website at www.aacn.org or www.certcorp.org
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The AACN Certification Corporation and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses recognize progressive care as part of the continuum of critical care. AACN's vision is dedicated to creating a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and families where critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. The AACN Synergy Model for Patient Care is the conceptual framework that actualizes the vision. It defines nursing practice based on the needs of the patient and the characteristics of the nurse to attain optimal patient outcomes.
RESOURCES
There are a number of resources available to you to help you study for the exam. The Exam handbook contains all the information needed to register for the exam. The handbook also contains a blueprint for study. To obtain a copy of the handbook, you may contact us by email at forproed@yahoo.com and we will be happy to send you the latest version.
You can also contact AACN directly at aacn.org as they have some study materials available for purchase.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
These sample questions are provided by AACN to help students understand the style of question asked. Answers are also provided below.
The PCCN examination incorporates Professional Caring and Ethical Practice, based on the AACN Synergy Model of Patient Care. This section makes up 20% of the examination. The remaining 80% of the exam covers Clinical Judgment. For more information, please read about the Synergy Model.
(Information about the Synergy Model is available in the handbook)
1. A 45-year-old patient who is 1 week post MI suddenly becomes agitated, restless, and diaphoretic. Systolic pressure drops while diastolic pressure rises, resulting in a pulse pressure of 20 mm Hg. Assessment also reveals faint radial and apical pulses that weaken significantly on inspiration. This patient is most likely experiencing
A. mitral valve rupture.
B. pulmonary embolus.
C. pulmonary edema.
D. cardiac tamponade.
2. Which of the following may predispose an individual to ventricular fibrillation?
A. hypernatremia and hypomagnesemia
B. hypophosphatemia and hyperchloremia
C. hypermagnesemia and hyponatremia
D. hyperkalemia and hypocalcemia
3. Chest auscultation of a patient in status asthmaticus commonly reveals
A. expiratory wheezes.
B. inspiratory crackles (rales).
C. coarse rhonchi.
D. a pleural friction rub.
4. The family of a critically ill patient wishes to spend the night, which is contrary to visiting policy. The nurse’s best action would be to
A. adhere to the visiting policy.
B. allow the family to stay in the room.
C. obtain a motel room near the hospital where the family may spend the night.
D. allow one or two family members to stay, then evaluate the patient’s response.
5. Members of the nursing staff are developing written patient education materials for a group of patients with diverse reading abilities. It would be most effective for the staff to
A. design individual handouts for each patient.
B. develop a computer-based education series.
C. write the materials at a fourth-grade reading level.
D. limit text and provide color pictures.
ANSWERS:
1.D 2.D 3.A 4.D 5.C
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