ACCNS-P Exam Information and Outline
Clinical Nurse Specialist - Wellness through Acute Care (Pediatric)
ACCNS-P Exam Syllabus & Study Guide
Before you start practicing with our exam simulator, it is essential to understand the official ACCNS-P exam objectives. This course outline serves as your roadmap, breaking down exactly which technical domains and skills will be tested. By reviewing the syllabus, you can identify your strengths and focus your study time on the areas where you need the most improvement.
The information below reflects the latest 2026 course contents as defined by AACN. We provide this detailed breakdown to help you align your preparation with the actual exam format, ensuring there are no surprises on test day. Use this outline as a checklist to track your progress as you move through our practice question banks.
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.
Exam Code: ACCNS-P
Exam Name: Clinical Nurse Specialist - Wellness through Acute Care (Pediatric)
Exam format: Computer-based- linear (fixed form)
Number of Questions: 175 multiple choice questions
Number of scored items: 150 scored questions (25 are unscored “pretest” items used for statistical data)
Time allotted: 3½ hours (3.5 hours)
Passing score / cut score: 94 correct out of the 150 scored items
Certification valid for: 5 years
- Cardiovascular
- Acute inflammatory disease (e.g.- myocarditis-endocarditis- pericarditis- vasculitis-Kawasaki)
- Cardiac surgery
- Cardiac tamponade
- Cardiogenic shock
- Cardiomyopathies (e.g.- hypertrophic- dilated-restrictive- idiopathic)
- Dysrhythmias
- Heart failure (acute and chronic)
- Hypertension
- Hypertensive urgencies or emergencies
- Pulmonary edema
- Structural heart defects and disease (acquiredand congenital)
- Vasculitis
- Respiratory
- Acute lung injury (ALI)- acute respiratorydistress syndrome (ARDS)
- Acute pulmonary embolus
- Acute respiratory failure
- Air-leak syndromes (e.g.- pneumothorax-pulmonary interstitial emphysema-pneumopericardium- pneumomediastinum)
- Airway obstruction
- Aspiration
- Asthma/reactive airway disease
- Chronic lung disease (e.g.- bronchopulmonarydysplasia- exacerbation- interstitialpulmonary fibrosis)
- Congenital and acquired anomalies
- Cystic fibrosis
- Exacerbation of chronic lung disease
- Inhalation injuries
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Pleural effusion
- Pulmonary hemorrhage
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Pulmonary infections
- Thoracic and pulmonary trauma and injuries
- Thoracic surgery (e.g.- lung reduction surgery-pneumonectomy- lobectomy- trachealsurgery)
Endocrine/Hematology/Gastrointestinal/Renal/Integumentary
- Endocrine
- Adrenal insufficiency
- Diabetes mellitus
- Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) andhyperglycemic hyperosmolar state (HHS)
- Hyperglycemia
- Hypoglycemia
- Inborn errors of metabolism
- Pituitary disorders
- Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretichormone secretion
- Thyroid disorders
- Hematology/Immunology/Oncology
- Anemia
- Anticoagulation
- Autoimmune diseases
- Bleeding disorders
- Blood and blood-product transfusion
- Coagulopathies
- Congenital and acquired immunosuppression
- Hematologic and solid tumors
- Hyperbilirubinemia
- Myelosuppression (i.e.- neutropenia-thrombocytopenia)
- Organ and tissue transplantation andassociated problems
- Sickle cell disease
- Venous thromboembolism
- Gastrointestinal
- Abdominal trauma
- Bowel infarction/obstruction/perforation
- Gastroesophageal reflux
- GI infectious disorders
- GI abnormalities (congenital and acquired)
- GI hemorrhage
- GI motility disorders (congenital and acquired)
- GI surgeries
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Liver disease (e.g.- hepatitis- hepatic failure)
- Malnutrition
- Nausea/vomiting
- Pancreatitis
- Renal/Genitourinary
- Acute kidney injury
- Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
- Renal/genitourinary abnormalities (congenitaland acquired)
- Nephrotoxic medication-associated kidneyinjury (NAKI)
- Electrolyte imbalances
- Fluid volume imbalances
- Incontinence
- Infections (e.g.- UTI- PID- STIs)
- Renal trauma
- Integumentary
- Dermatologic disorders (e.g.- incontinenceassociated dermatitis- impetigo- coxsackie-atopic dermatitis)
- Exfoliative skin disorders (e.g.- StevensJohnson- TEN- epidermolysis bullosa)
- Infectious skin disorders
- IV infiltration and extravasation
- Pressure injuries
- Wounds
Musculoskeletal/Neurology/Psychosocial
- Musculoskeletal
- Congenital anomalies
- Functional issues (e.g.- immobility- debility-falls- gait disorders- myopathies)
- Infections (e.g.- necrotizing fasciitis-osteomyelitis)
- Rhabdomyolysis
- Spinal disease (e.g.- scoliosis- kyphosis- discdisease)
- Sports injuries
- Fractures
- Neurology
- Brain death
- Cerebral salt wasting
- Congenital neurological abnormalities
- Encephalopathy
- Head and brain trauma/injury
- Hydrocephalus
- Intracerebral hemorrhage
- Intracranial hypertension
- Migraine headaches
- Neurologic infectious diseases
- Neuromuscular disorders
- Seizure disorders
- Space-occupying lesions
- Spinal cord injury
- Stroke
- Vascular malformation
- Psychosocial/Behavioral/Cognitive Health Issues
- Aggression
- Agitation
- Anxiety disorders (e.g.- PTSD- OCD- fears-phobias)
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Delirium
- Developmental delays and regression
- Eating disorders
- Learning disabilities and disorders
- Maltreatment (e.g.- abuse and neglect)
- Medical nonadherence
- Mood disorders (e.g.- depression)
- Personality disorders (e.g.- antisocialbehaviors- schizophrenia)
- Post ICU syndrome
- Self-harm
- Sleep disorders
- Substance-use disorder
- Suicidal behavior
Multisystem
- Factors Influencing Health Status (risk assessment- prevention and wellness)
- Advanced care planning
- Care transition
- Caregiver burden
- Developmental care
- Genetic counseling
- Growth and development (e.g.- anticipatoryguidance- milestones)
- Immunizations/vaccinations
- Injury prevention (e.g.- shaken baby- helmets-car seats- environmental modification- gunsafety)
- Behavioral health screenings
- Nutrition and weight management
- Pain prevention and management(e.g.- needle stick- chronic pain syndromes)
- Physical health screenings
- Risk-taking behaviors (e.g.- unprotected sex-substance use)
- Safe sleep
- Vulnerable population screenings(e.g.- child abuse- intimate partner violence-human trafficking- bullying)
- Social determinants of health (e.g.- access tocare- socioeconomic factors- health literacy)
- Population health
- Team-based care
- Gender-affirming care
- Patient and family-centered care
- Interventions for health promotion
- Transition to adult care
- Health policy
- Dyslipidemia (early-onset screening)
- Multisystem
- Acid-base imbalances
- Burns
- Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome
- Compartment syndrome
- Distributive shock (e.g.- anaphylaxis-neurogenic)
- End-of-life issues
- Failure to thrive
- Hospital-acquired conditions (e.g.- CAUTI-CLABSI- VAP- falls)
- Hypovolemic shock
- Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy
- Infectious diseases (e.g.- perinatal- viral-bacterial)
- Morbid obesity
- Multisystem trauma
- Near-drowning
- Pain
- Palliative care issues
- Patient safety issues
- Post-resuscitation care
- Sensory impairment (e.g.- hearing- visual-speech- tactile)
- Sepsis/septic shock and MODS
- Toxic exposure (acute and chronic)
- Toxic ingestions and inhalations