PSNCB-CPSN Exam Information and Outline
Certified Plastic Surgical Nurse (CPSN)
PSNCB-CPSN Exam Syllabus & Study Guide
Before you start practicing with our exam simulator, it is essential to understand the
official PSNCB-CPSN exam objectives. This course outline serves as your roadmap.
The information below reflects the 2026 syllabus defined by
PNCB.
Below are complete topics detail with latest syllabus and course outline, that will help you good knowledge about exam objectives and topics that you have to prepare. These contents are covered in questions and answers pool of exam.
The CPSN exam is a computer-based test consisting of 175 multiple-choice questions. Candidates are given 3 hours to complete the exam. The questions are divided into the following categories:
Core Knowledge (25% of the exam):
Anatomy and physiology
Wound healing and tissue repair
Pharmacology related to plastic surgery
Anesthesia and pain management
Preoperative Care (20% of the exam):
Patient assessment and education
Preoperative planning and preparation
Informed consent and ethical considerations
Intraoperative Care (20% of the exam):
Surgical procedures and techniques
Sterilization and infection control
Operating room safety and protocols
Postoperative Care (25% of the exam):
Postoperative assessment and monitoring
Complication management
Patient education and discharge planning
Professional Issues (10% of the exam):
Legal and ethical issues in plastic surgical nursing
Scope of practice and professional standards
Patient advocacy and communication
Details:
- Patient Assessment and Care Planning
- Preoperative assessment
- medical history
- physical examination
- risk factors
- Psychosocial assessment
- patient expectations
- body image
- mental health
- Development of individualized care plans.
- Patient education and informed consent.
- Informed consent
- risk assessment
- body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
- comorbidities
- Intraoperative Care
- Roles and responsibilities of the plastic surgical nurse in the operating room.
- Sterile techniques and infection control.
- Surgical instrumentation and equipment.
- Anesthesia monitoring and patient positioning.
- Aseptic technique
- surgical draping
- electrosurgery
- tourniquet
- deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis
- Postoperative Care
- Immediate postoperative care
- monitoring
- pain management
- wound care
- Management of postoperative complications
- infection
- hematoma
- seroma
- Long-term follow-up and patient education.
- Scar management and rehabilitation.
- Hematoma
- seroma
- dehiscence
- necrosis
- compression garments
- negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT)
- Reconstructive Procedures
- Principles of reconstructive surgery
- grafts
- flaps
- microsurgery
- Common reconstructive procedures
- breast reconstruction
- facial reconstruction
- burn reconstruction
- Postoperative care for reconstructive patients.
- Autograft
- allograft
- free flap
- pedicle flap
- tissue expansion
- skin graft
- Cosmetic Procedures
- Principles of cosmetic surgery
- facial rejuvenation
- body contouring
- non-surgical procedures
- Common cosmetic procedures
- rhinoplasty
- liposuction
- breast augmentation
- Postoperative care for cosmetic patients.
- Botox
- dermal fillers
- laser resurfacing
- abdominoplasty
- blepharoplasty
- liposuction
- Phases of wound healing
- inflammatory
- proliferative
- remodeling
- Types of wound closure (primary- secondary- tertiary intention).
- Wound care products
- hydrocolloids
- hydrogels
- alginates
- Pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain management techniques.
- Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA).
- Assessment tools
- visual analog scale
- numeric rating scale
- Infection Control
- Surgical site infections (SSI).
- Antibiotic prophylaxis.
- Hand hygiene and sterilization techniques.
- Ethical and Legal Considerations
- Patient confidentiality (HIPAA compliance).
- Ethical dilemmas in plastic surgery (e.g.- cosmetic surgery for minors).
- Legal issues
- malpractice
- informed consent
- Patient Education and Support
- Preoperative and postoperative instructions.
- Emotional support and counseling.
- Lifestyle modifications
- smoking cessation
- weight management
- Head and neck
- Disease process - Cranial-facial congenital anomalies - cleft lip & palate; Vascular malformations - hemangiomas- Port wine stain- Arteriovenous malformation; cancers- skin lesions
- Trauma - facial fractures- Le Forte fx- mandibular fractures- burns- soft tissue trauma- animal bites
- Breast
- Disease process - cancer- benign tumors- congenital Poland syndrome- asymmetry- nipple deformity (e.g.- inversion)
- Trauma - soft tissue injury- burns- necrosis- abscesses (pressure ulcers)
- Extremities
- Disease process - cancers- ulcers- amputation- contractures- benign tumors (ganglion- mucocysts- epidermoid inclusion cyst)
- Trauma - amputation- burns- lacerations- fractures- gamekeeper’s injury- dislocation of digits- brachial plexus injury- vascular injury (replantation- revascularization)- animal bites
- Abdomen & trunk
- Disease process - cancers- benign tumors- post-bariatric surgeries- vaginal reconstruction
- Trauma - burns- soft tissue injuries- gunshot wounds- avulsion injuries- genital injury.
- Cosmetic/Aesthetic
- Surgical
- Head and neck - rhinoplasty- blepharoplasty- cheek augmentation- chin augmentation- ears- face lift- brow lift- hair transplant- neck lift- suctionassisted liposuction (SAL).
- Breast - augmentation- reduction- revision- mastopexy- malegynecomastia- SAL.
- Extremities - arm lift- SAL- thigh lift.
- Abdomen & trunk - Body contouring: buttock augmentation- SAL- lower body lift- tummy tuck- labiaplasty- vaginaplasty.
- Nonsurgical/Aesthetic
- Aesthetic injectables.
- Laser- light- & energy therapies.
- Clinical skin care.