In order to receive the Certification for Adult, Pediatric, and/or Neonatal Critical Care Nurses, individuals must pass the CCRN examination. These tests have been developed by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. Nurses may opt to take any or all of the three exams.
The exam for CCRN for adults is divided into two main parts: clinical judgment (80% of the exam) and professional caring and ethical practice (20%). The content of the clinical judgment section is as follows:
- cardiovascular (32%)
- pulmonary (17%)
- endocrine (4%)
- hematology/immunology (3%)
- neurology (5%)
- gastrointestinal (6%)
- renal (5%)
- multisystem (8%)
The content of the professional caring and ethical practice section is as follows:
- advocacy/moral agency (2%)
- caring practices (4%)
- collaboration (4%)
- systems thinking (2%)
- response to diversity (2%)
- clinical inquiry (2%)
- facilitation of learning (4%)
The CCRN exam for pediatrics is also divided into clinical judgment and professional caring sections. The breakdown of the professional caring section is exactly the same as for the adult exam. The content emphasis is slightly different in the clinical judgment section, however:
- cardiovascular (19%)
- pulmonary (22%)
- endocrine (5%)
- hematology/immunology (6%)
- neurology (10%)
- gastrointestinal (5%)
- renal 4%)
- multisystem (9%)
Likewise, the CCRN exam for neonatal care has the same professional caring section and a slightly different emphasis in the clinical judgment section:
- cardiovascular (10%)
- pulmonary (36%)
- endocrine (4%)
- hematology/immunology (4%)
- neurology (6%)
- gastrointestinal (7%)
- renal (2%)
- multisystem (11%)
Score is determined by the number of questions answered correctly; there is no deduction for answering a question incorrectly. Each CCRN exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions, and must be completed within three hours. A computerized score report will be available to the candidate immediately after the CCRN exam, and a hard copy of the report will be mailed 6 to 8 weeks later. If the candidate has passed the CCRN exam, proof of certification will accompany the hard copy.
The CCRN exam is administered by Applied Measurement Professionals five days a week, all year long. Nurses who are interested in taking the CCRN exam should visit the AMP website. In rare cases, individuals may be allowed to take a paper-based version of the CCRN exam; for more information, see the AACN website.
CCRN Practice Tests
Online CCRN Adult Prep Course
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CCRN Study Guide
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