The questions are all multiple choice. They are either case based or independent in nature.
Competencies
1. Professional Practice (20-24% of exam): safe, competent, ethical care
2. Nurse-Client Relationship (9-13% of exam): communication techniques, teaching-learning principles, appropriate cultural care, professional boundaries
3. Nursing Practice: Health and Wellness (22-26% of exam): health promotion, disease and illness prevention, primary health care
4. Nursing Practice: Alterations in Health (41-45% of exam): care of clients with acute, chronic, palliative or rehabilitation
Domains
1. Cognitive Domain:
- Knowledge/Comprehension
- Application
- Critical Thinking
- Attitudes and judgment
Content on the Exam
1. Basic Nursing Care: hygiene, asepsis, infection control, bowel and urinary elimination, nutrition, wound care, exercise, sexuality, CAM, health promotion and injury prevention
2. Basic Health Assessment: including VS, expected/unexpected findings, interviewing/communication, psychosocial and physical health assessment
3. Clinical Skills: Know common steps and procedures i.e. catheterization, dressing changes, suctioning, chest tubes, enemas, tracheostomy, injections, intravenous therapy
4. Professional Practice: documentation, accountability, informed consent, scope of practice, professional boundaries, advocacy, and working with other care providers
5. Maternal-Child Nursing: concepts of normal pregnancy, labour and delivery, common high risk situation, normal neonate, psychosocial aspects of pregnancy and loss
6. Pediatrics: G& D, communication, techniques, safety, IZ, common pediatric diseases and disorders
7. Mental Health: common mental health disease and therapeutic nursing communication/management
8. Adult Diseases: There are too many diseases to know, so think at a macro level and think of the problems the disease causes on a systems level.
9. Medications: Know drug classifications and frequently prescribed medications and OTC medications. Be aware that you are expected to know about commonly used herbal medications. Also, know your formulas for calculating dosages, drip rates etc.
10. Laboratory tests: normal ranges for common tests should be studied
a. Hematology: CBC and diff., Hgb, A1C, WBC, INR, Hct, Plt, PT, PTT
b. Biochemistry: glucose, electrolytes (Na+ , K+ , Cl-), BUN, creatinine, cholesterol, TG, cardiac enzymes (CK, CK-MB, troponin)
c. Urinalysis: pH, specific gravity, glucose, casts, ketones, protein
d. Microbiology: C& S
