This book offers more than standard didactic content in accordance with the PCCN test plan; it is also a workbook with multiple learning activities to engage the PCCN candidate in the test preparation experience. The text is peppered with questions, matching exercises, crossword puzzles, and fill-in-the-blank tables so readers can reinforce their understanding of the material and their recall of specific terminology.
The advantages of the self-paced learning that this kind of preparation tool offers are two-fold. First, candidates for certification can focus their time on those topics in which they are least confident. Second, the ability to highlight the text and handwrite answers to questions invites ownership of the preparation process, which a web-based tool does not offer.
The chapter on Professional Caring and Ethical Practice includes an excellent discussion of the AACN Synergy Model, and the test-taking tips in the book’s first chapter also warrant special mention. I...