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

1. General principles of transport nursing practice

A. Transport physiology

1. Physiologic stressors of transport

2. Effects of altitude on patients

B. Scene operations

1. Secure landing zone

2. Incident Command System

C. Communications

1. Radio operations

2. Patient handoff (e.g., history from referring provider, updates for receiving provider, SBAR)

3. Crew resource management

D. Safety and survival

1. ELT

2. Navigation (e.g., maps, GPS, night-vision goggles)

3. Transponder codes

4. Survival principles (post-crash)

5. Transport vehicle emergencies

6. Pre-mission preparation (e.g., shift preparedness, risk assessment, crew briefings, weather limitations,AMRM)

E. Management of man-made disasters (e.g., terrorism, industrial accident, transportation accident, mass casualties)

F. Professional issues

1. Evidence-based practice and research

2. Legal issues

a. HIPAA

b. EMTALA

c. Consent

d. Mandatory reporting (e.g., abuse, neglect, diversion, non-accidental trauma)

e. Legal concepts in patient care (e.g., negligence, assault, battery, abandonment)

3. Ethical issues

4. Psychosocial issues in transport, including families

G. Management

1. Quality management and fair work environment

2. Outreach and community education

3. Stress management (e.g., self-care, post-traumatic critical incident)

2. Resuscitation principles 27 31

A. Principles of assessment and patient preparation

1. Physical assessment

2. Pain and comfort assessment

3. Preparing the patient for transport (i.e., packaging)

B. Airway management

1. Airway assessment

2. Airway management

3. Difficulties encountered with airway

4. Rapid Sequence Induction for Intubation (RSI), including pharmacology

C. Mechanical ventilation

1. Invasive ventilation

2. Non-invasive ventilation

D. Perfusion

1. Components of oxygen delivery

2. Shock pathophysiology

3. Trauma triad (hypothermia, acidosis, coagulopathies)

4. Acid base imbalances

3. Trauma 26 31

A. Principles of management

1. Mechanism of injury

2. Shock

a. Hypovolemic

b. Obstructive

c. Distributive (including neurogenic)

d. Cardiogenic

3. Immobilization

B. Neurologic

1. Traumatic brain injuries

2. Spinal cord injuries

3. Post-traumatic seizures

C. Thoracic

1. Chest wall injuries

2. Pulmonary injuries

3. Cardiac injuries

4. Great vessel injuries

D. Abdominal

1. Hollow organ injuries

2. Solid organ injuries

3. Diaphragmatic injuries

4. Retroperitoneal injuries

5. Abdominal compartment syndrome

E. Orthopedic

1. Vertebral injuries

2. Pelvic injuries

3. Compartment syndrome

4. Amputations

5. Extremity fractures

6. Soft-tissue injuries

F. Burn

1. Chemical burns

2. Electrical burns

3. Thermal burns

4. Radiological burns

5. Inhalation injuries

G. Maxillofacial and neck

1. Facial injuries, including fractures

2. Ocular injuries

3. Blunt and penetrating neck injuries

4. Medical emergencies 44 44

A. Neurologic

1. Seizure disorders

2. Stroke

3. Neuromuscular disorders

4. Space occupying lesions

a. Blood

b. Tumors

c. Abscesses

d. Hydrocephalus

e. Encephalopathies

B. Cardiovascular

1. Acute coronary syndrome

2. Congestive heart failure

3. Pulmonary edema

4. Dysrhythmias

5. Aortic abnormalities

6. Hypertension

7. Mechanical/circulatory support (e.g., IABP, VAD, pacing)

C. Pulmonary

1. COPD

2. Acute lung injury/ARDS

3. Pulmonary infections

4. Asthma

5. Pulmonary embolism

D. Abdominal

1. Abdominal compartment syndrome

2. GI bleed

3. Conditions of the hollow organs (e.g., obstruction,rupture)

4. Conditions of the solid organs (e.g., pancreatitis, hepatitis)

E. Electrolyte disturbances

F. Metabolic and endocrine

1. Diabetic emergencies

2. Neuroendocrine disorders (e.g., diabetes insipidus, SIADH, HHNK)

3. Thyroid conditions

4. Adrenal disorders

G. Hematology

1. Coagulopathies (including platelet disorders)

2. Anemias

H. Renal

1. Acute kidney injury (i.e., acute renal failure)

2. Chronic renal failure

I. Infectious and communicable diseases

1. SIRS and sepsis

2. Isolation precautions (e.g., MRSA, influenza-like illness, highly-infectious diseases)

J. Shock

1. Hypovolemic

2. Obstructive

3. Distributive (including neurogenic and anaphylaxis)

4. Cardiogenic

K. Environmental and toxicological emergencies

1. Environment

a. Allergic reactions

b. Cold related (e.g., hypothermia, frostbite)

c. Heat related (e.g., heatstroke, heat exhaustion)

d. Submersion injuries (i.e., diving injuries, drowning, near drowning)

e. Bites and envenomation

2. Toxicology

A. Obstetrical patients

1. Complications of pregnancy

2. Delivery and post-partum care of mother and infant

3. Trauma

B. Pediatric

1. Trauma

2. Medical (e.g., respiratory, cardiac, and neurological emergencies, metabolic disturbances)

C. Geriatric

1. Trauma (e.g., falls, immobilization)

2. Medical (e.g., drug interactions and comorbidities, dementia)

D. Bariatric (e.g., logistical issues, drug dosage, skin issues,airway management)



Procedures

PA catheter

Point-of-care testing

Video laryngoscopy

Chest radiographs

Transvenous pacing

Capnography for non-intubated patients

Surgical cricothyrotomy

Therapeutic hypothermia

Central venous pressure measurement

Arterial line

Needle cricothyrotomy

Needle thoracostomy

Tourniquet application

Central line

Chest tube

Pelvic stabilization

Non-invasive mechanical ventilation

Traction splint

12-lead ECG

Invasive mechanical ventilation

Transcutaneous pacing

Blood product administration

Capnography for intubated patients

Endotrachael intubation

Initiate/titrate medications

Intraosseous catheter

IABP operation

Escharotomy

CT scans

Medical circulatory devices (VAD, Impella®)

Fracture/dislocation reduction

ICP monitoring

Pericardiocentesis

Neck radiographs

Ventriculostomy monitoring