CEN Exam Format | CEN Course Contents | CEN Course Outline | CEN Exam Syllabus | CEN Exam Objectives

The CEN exam is for nurses in the emergency department setting who want to demonstrate their expertise, knowledge and versatility in emergency nursing.



Killexams is the only source for emergency nursing professionals and their employers to obtain recognized certification with proven results for greater knowledge and performance. Enhance your knowledge, your career, and patient care with specialty certification in emergency nursing.



One of the more common questions we get from our customers is about the difference between a certification and a certificate. Here is the difference in a nutshell:



A certificate comes from an educational program where a certificate is awarded after the individual successfully completes the offering. Examples of certificates are Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) or Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC).



A certification, like the Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) is an earned credential that demonstrates the individuals specialized knowledge and skills. Certification is awarded by a third-party organization, such as Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing. Individuals receive their certification after meeting strict eligibility requirements and successfully completing the required examination. In addition, certifications have ongoing requirements that must be meant to maintain the credential, ensuring the holder has maintained their level of expertise in the specialty area. Certifications are nationally recognized and are often utilized as part of the earners signature.



Earning professional certifications such as the CEN, CPEN, CFRN, CTRN and TCRN offered by BCEN, and completing certificate programs such as ACLS, PALS, ENCP and TNCC, are critical to the work emergency nurses do, but there are significant differences.


1. Cardiovascular Emergencies 20

A. Acute coronary syndrome

B. Aneurysm/dissection

C. Cardiopulmonary arrest

D. Dysrhythmias

E. Endocarditis

F. Heart failure

G. Hypertension

H. Pericardial tamponade

I. Pericarditis

J. Peripheral vascular disease (e.g., arterial, venous)

K. Thromboembolic disease (e.g., deep vein thrombosis [DVT])

L. Trauma

M. Shock (cardiogenic and obstructive)

2. Respiratory Emergencies 16

A. Aspiration

B. Asthma

C. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

D. Infections

E. Inhalation injuries

F. Obstruction

G. Pleural effusion

H. Pneumothorax

I. Pulmonary edema, noncardiac

J. Pulmonary embolus

K. Respiratory distress syndrome

L. Trauma

3. Neurological Emergencies 16

A. Alzheimer's disease/dementia

B. Chronic neurological disorders (e.g., multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis)

C. Guillain-Barré syndrome

D. Headache (e.g., temporal arteritis,migraine)

E. Increased intracranial pressure (ICP)

F. Meningitis

G. Seizure disorders

H. Shunt dysfunctions

I. Spinal cord injuries, including neurogenic shock

J. Stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic)

K. Transient ischemic attack (TIA)

L. Trauma

4. Gastrointestinal, Genitourinary, Gynecology, and Obstetrical Emergencies 21

A. Gastrointestinal

1. Acute abdomen (e.g., peritonitis, appendicitis)

2. Bleeding

3. Cholecystitis

4. Cirrhosis

5. Diverticulitis

6. Esophageal varices

7. Esophagitis

8. Foreign bodies

9. Gastritis

10. Gastroenteritis

11. Hepatitis

12. Hernia

13. Inflammatory bowel disease

14. Intussusception

15. Obstructions

16. Pancreatitis

17. Trauma

18. Ulcers

B. Genitourinary

1. Foreign bodies

2. Infection (e.g., urinary tract infection, pyelonephritis, epididymitis, orchiitis, STDs)

3. Priapism

4. Renal calculi

5. Testicular torsion

6. Trauma

7. Urinary retention

C. Gynecology

1. Bleeding/dysfunction (vaginal)

2. Foreign bodies

3. Hemorrhage

4. Infection (e.g., discharge, pelvic inflammatory disease, STDs)

5. Ovarian cyst

6. Sexual assault/battery

7. Trauma

D. Obstetrical

1. Abruptio placenta

2. Ectopic pregnancy

3. Emergent delivery

4. Hemorrhage (e.g., postpartum bleeding)

5. Hyperemesis gravidarum

6. Neonatal resuscitation

7. Placenta previa

8. Postpartum infection

9. Preeclampsia, eclampsia, HELLP syndrome

10. Preterm labor

11. Threatened/spontaneous abortion

12. Trauma

5. Psychosocial and Medical Emergencies 25

A. Psychosocial

1. Abuse and neglect

2. Aggressive/violent behavior

3. Anxiety/panic

4. Bipolar disorder

5. Depression

6. Homicidal ideation

7. Psychosis

8. Situational crisis (e.g., job loss, relationship issues, unexpected death)

9. Suicidal ideation

B. Medical

1. Allergic reactions and anaphylaxis

2. Blood dyscrasias

a. Hemophilia

b. Other coagulopathies (e.g., anticoagulant medications, thrombocytopenia)

c. Leukemia

d. Sickle cell crisis

3. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)

4. Electrolyte/fluid imbalance

5. Endocrine conditions:

a. Adrenal

b. Glucose related conditions

c. Thyroid

6. Fever

7. Immunocompromise (e.g., HIV/AIDS, patients receiving chemotherapy)

8. Renal failure

9. Sepsis and septic shock

6. Maxillofacial, Ocular, Orthopedic and Wound Emergencies 21

A. Maxillofacial

1. Abscess (i.e., peritonsillar)

2. Dental conditions

3. Epistaxis

4. Facial nerve disorders (e.g., Bells palsy, trigeminal neuralgia)

5. Foreign bodies

6. Infections (e.g., Ludwig'sangina, otitis, sinusitis, mastoiditis)

7. Acute vestibular dysfunction (e.g., labrinthitis, Ménière's disease)

8. Ruptured tympanic membrane

9. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dislocation

10. Trauma

B. Ocular

1. Abrasions

2. Burns

3. Foreign bodies

4. Glaucoma

5. Infections (e.g., conjunctivitis, iritis)

6. Retinal artery occlusion

7. Retinal detachment

8. Trauma (e.g., hyphema, laceration, globe rupture)

9. Ulcerations/keratitis

C. Orthopedic

1. Amputation

2. Compartment syndrome

3. Contusions

4. Costochondritis

5. Foreign bodies

6. Fractures/dislocations

7. Inflammatory conditions

8. Joint effusion

9. Low back pain

10. Osteomyelitis

11. Strains/sprains

12. Trauma (e.g., Achilles tendon rupture, blast injuries)

D. Wound

1. Abrasions

2. Avulsions

3. Foreign bodies

4. Infections

5. Injection injuries (e.g., grease gun, paintgun)

6. Lacerations

7. Missile injuries (e.g., guns, nail guns)



8. Pressure ulcers

9. Puncture wounds

10. Trauma (i.e., including degloving injuries)

7. Environment and Toxicology Emergencies, and Communicable Diseases 15

A. Environment

1. Burns

2. Chemical exposure (e.g., organophosphates, cleaning agents)

3. Electrical injuries

4. Envenomation emergencies (e.g., spiders, snakes, aquatic organisms)

5. Food poisoning

6. Parasite and fungal infestations (e.g., giardia, ringworm, scabies)

7. Radiation exposure

8. Submersion injury

9. Temperature-related emergencies (e.g., heat, cold, and systemic)

10. Vector borne illnesses:

a. Rabies

b. Tick-borne illness (e.g., Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever)

B. Toxicology

1. Acids and alkalis

2. Carbon monoxide

3. Cyanide

4. Drug interactions (includingalternative therapies)

5. Overdose and ingestions

6. Substance abuse

7. Withdrawal syndrome

C. Communicable Diseases

1. C. Difficile

2. Childhood diseases (e.g., measles, mumps, pertussis, chicken pox,

diphtheria)

3. Herpes zoster

4. Mononucleosis

5. Multi-drug resistant organisms (e.g., MRSA, VRE)

6. Tuberculosis



8. Professional Issues 16

A. Nurse

1. Critical Incident Stress Management

2. Ethical dilemmas

3. Evidence-based practice

4. Lifelong learning

5. Research

B. Patient

1. Discharge planning

2. End of life issues:

a. Organ and tissue donation

b. Advance directives

c. Family presence

d. Withholding, withdrawing, and palliative care

3. Forensic evidence collection

4. Pain management and procedural sedation

5. Patient safety

6. Patient satisfaction

7. Transfer and stabilization

8. Transitions of care

a. external handoffs

b. internal handoffs

c. patient boarding

d. shift reporting

9. cultural considerations (e.g., interpretive services, privacy, decision making)

C. System

1. Delegation of tasks to assistive personnel

2. Disaster management (i.e., preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery)

3. Federal regulations (e.g., HIPAA, EMTALA)

4. Patient consent for treatment Performance improvement

6. Risk management

7. Symptom surveillance

a. recognizing symptom clusters

b. mandatory reporting of diseases

D. Triage