CPNP-AC Exam Information and Guideline
PNCB Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner - Acute Care 2025
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.
Number of Questions: Approximately 200 multiple-choice questions.
Time Allotted: 3.5 hours.
Content Areas: Based on the above topics, weighted as follows:
Clinical Practice: 60%
Professional Role and Policy: 10%
Systems-Based Practice: 15%
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention: 10%
Special Populations: 5%
- Health History and Physical Examination:
- Comprehensive and focused health histories.
- Developmental assessment
- Denver II
- Ages and Stages Questionnaire
- Physical examination techniques specific to pediatric populations.
- Interpretation of growth charts (e.g., WHO, CDC).
- Diagnostic Reasoning:
- Differential diagnosis development.
- Interpretation of diagnostic tests
- labs
- imaging
- EKG
- PFTs
- Use of clinical guidelines and evidence-based practice.
- Disease Management:
- Acute conditions
- respiratory distress
- sepsis
- dehydration
- Chronic conditions
- asthma
- diabetes
- cystic fibrosis
- Critical care
- shock
- traumatic injury
- cardiac arrest
- Pain management and palliative care.
- Pharmacology:
- Pediatric pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
- Common medications used in acute care
- antibiotics
- analgesics
- sedatives
- Medication dosing and safety
- weight-based dosing
- renal/hepatic adjustments
- Scope of Practice:
- State and federal regulations governing NP practice.
- Collaborative practice agreements and prescriptive authority.
- Ethical and Legal Issues:
- Informed consent and assent.
- Confidentiality and HIPAA compliance.
- End-of-life care and ethical dilemmas.
- Health Policy and Advocacy:
- Impact of healthcare policies on pediatric acute care.
- Advocacy for patients and families (e.g., access to care, health equity).
- Systems-Based Practice
- Care Coordination:
- Interdisciplinary collaboration
- with physicians
- social workers
- therapists
- Transition of care
- hospital to home
- pediatric to adult care
- Quality Improvement:
- Identifying and addressing gaps in care.
- Implementing evidence-based practice changes.
- Participating in quality improvement initiatives.
- Healthcare Systems:
- Understanding of healthcare financing
- Medicaid
- private insurance
- Utilization of healthcare resources
- telemedicine
- community resources
- Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
- Health Maintenance:
- Immunizations and vaccine schedules.
- Screening for developmental, behavioral, and mental health issues.
- Nutritional counseling and obesity prevention.
- Injury Prevention:
- Education on safety measures (e.g., car seats, helmet use).
- Prevention of accidental injuries (e.g., poisoning, burns).
- Family Education:
- Teaching families about disease management and prevention.
- Supporting families in coping with acute and chronic illnesses.
- Neonates and Infants:
- Management of prematurity, congenital anomalies, and neonatal emergencies.
- Developmental care in the NICU.
- Adolescents:
- Addressing risky behaviors (e.g., substance abuse, sexual health).
- Managing eating disorders and mental health issues.
- Children with Special Healthcare Needs:
- Care coordination for children with complex medical conditions.
- Supporting families of children with disabilities.
- Common Procedures:
- IV insertion, lumbar puncture, wound care, and suturing.
- Airway management (e.g., intubation, tracheostomy care).
- Use of ventilators, ECMO, and other life-support devices.
- Interpretation of monitoring data (e.g., hemodynamic monitoring, capnography).
- Acute Care: Short-term, intensive treatment for severe injuries or illnesses.
- Chronic Condition: A long-term health issue requiring ongoing management.
- Palliative Care: Focused on relieving symptoms and improving quality of life.
- Evidence-Based Practice: Integrating clinical expertise with the best available research.
- Pharmacokinetics: How the body processes medications.
- Health Equity: Ensuring all patients have access to quality care regardless of background.
- Interdisciplinary Team: Collaboration among healthcare professionals from different disciplines.
- Telemedicine: Use of technology to provide remote healthcare services.