Starting Your Own CPN® Review Course?

From left: Casey O'Brien of Children's Memorial Hospital and the CHOP's CPN Review Course Committee: Barbara Dion, Linda Bevington, Annemarie Monachino and Cara Rakow. (Not pictured: Peg Kroger and Sheila Whelan)

We spoke to nurses at two hospitals that developed their own review courses for the CPN® Exam to find out what works for them. Whether you're looking to create a review course or perhaps revamp your existing course, we hope these nuggets of wisdom help.

If we knew then... First we asked Casey and Barbara what they wished they'd known when starting out. "Know your institution and what your nurses are looking for," Casey stresses. She also notes that they surveyed nurses first to gauge their interest level in offering a review course. Making sure your nurses really want a review course is crucial to making all your hard work a success. One thing Casey can't emphasize enough is to learn as much about the CPN® testing process as you can. "The PNCB website is a great resource," she notes.

CHOP's committee members shared that it took two to three times running the course to have it meet their expectations. Things to work out included limiting overlap and repetition of topics among presenters, requesting presenters to omit hospital-specific information, timing of sessions, and increasing the number and quality of review questions.

What it is. What it isn't... Barbara reinforces that you can't say this too many times: This review course is not a substitute for independent study. The purpose of your course to provide a quick review to highlight for nurses the areas in which they need more study.

Picking your presenters... As for selecting instructors, CHOP uses the following criteria: All instructors must be currently working in the specialty topic for the area they present. All must be senior nurses (clinical level IIIs and IVs, Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists). CHOP recruits experienced speakers who are known for their excellent presentation skills. Get recommendations from staff. Casey adds that Children's Memorial sought instructors who used interactive learning strategies. They also wanted to assure their nurses that becoming a CPN® was an achievable goal. Instructors must possess knowledge of the test format and breakdown of content areas. CHOP also has one physician presenter; all others are RNs working at their facility. Barbara notes, "It is a great opportunity to demonstrate the wealth of nursing knowledge we are fortunate to have here." And a final tip from CHOP: Always remind your presenters of the time and location of their part of the course, even if they have confirmed. "A facilitator's nightmare is to have an hour to fill and no speaker."

Trying out a new speaker? CHOP's committee works with new speakers to be very clear about expectations. They also review a new presenter's PowerPoints and work with them to develop sample test questions. Of course having course participants complete a survey to evaluate presenters and provide specific feedback is essential.

And don't forget to have some fun... Barbara says to keep the program lively. "We never go more than 90 minutes without a break or a game." Some of their games help cover topics that may not get fully addressed using a systems format. Examples of CHOP's games are Developmental Milestone Match, Tic Tac Toe (three correct responses and you win), Lab Value Quickies (matching), and Fast Facts. CHOP also gives homework. They provide resources to review immunization information and have participants complete a multiple-choice test. Correct answers are provided on handouts after the games.

What about timing? How soon before taking the exam should a nurse participate in a review course? CHOP tries to schedule an On-site Exam three weeks after the review course. Children's Memorial chooses to give the review course then offer the On-site Exam three times within that same month. Casey adds, "I think it's important for the nurses to set a date for their exam and keep that date in mind as they create a study plan."

And format... CHOP currently offers a four-evening format in the fall from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., plus a two-day format in the spring from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The benefits of each vary. The four-evening format gives participants time to digest material since the sessions are a week apart. Attendees don't feel as overwhelmed by the amount of the material this way, plus evening course attendees get slightly more course time as this format only has a half-hour break for dinner. One interesting statistic CHOP has found is that evening course attendees do have a higher passing average. CHOP's day course works best for nurses off-site... getting into the city by 4 p.m. can be a hassle, and any nurse with childcare issues may have difficulty with an evening course. Another consideration for the daytime vs. evening format is that nurses may not be in the best frame of mind for four intense hours of review after a full eight-hour day. When surveying your nurses to gauge interest in a review course, include questions about day vs. evening courses to be sure they can take part.

Survey says... Getting feedback after each course is key to meeting your nurses' needs and improving future courses. Children's Memorial asks participants to evaluate the course and provide feedback on the course organization, the ability of instructors to teach the material, and how well the nurses felt the course prepared them to take the exam. CHOP also collects demographic data to compare groups and their success rates. For example, they ask for how many years of RN experience, peds RN experience, years at CHOP, work status, and academic preparation. They also wish to know the nurses' reasons for taking the exam and what nurses perceive as the benefits of being certified. Of course one good way to see if a course works is to see if your nurses passed the exam. CHOP follows up with nurses taking the course to ask if they passed plus:

• How useful were the test-taking skills covered in the course?
• Did the course include an adequate number of review questions?
• Did the exam questions reflect the materials covered in the review course?
• How much time did you study?
• After taking the exam, I was surprised that...
• After taking the exam, I have the following suggestions...

It takes teamwork. Casey would like to remind those embarking on this endeavor that coordinating the course is definitely a team effort. "There are many tasks to complete, such as marketing the course, tracking registration and working with the instructors." Barbara adds, "Having a group work on the course is a great advantage. I get input from nurses in various roles (family ed, ambulatory and inpatient), suggestions, help with facilitation, etc." A final (and very important!) tip from Casey: Be prepared for questions from the staff. "Having answers for them will instill confidence in your organization and in your organization's desire to have them successfully become CPNs."

The PNCB sincerely thanks Casey, Barbara, Linda, Annemarie, Cara, Peg and Sheila for sharing their insights with us. Do you help coordinate a CPN® review course at your facility? We'd love to hear your tips as we develop a CPN® Review Course Tips and Strategies Guide. Simply email Lori Boocks with your input and we'll list you as a contributor for this new and exciting project once it becomes available!

[Return to Front Page]