Health Promotion
23%of exam
GrowthInjury PreventionNutritionImmunizationsResilience
Assessment
35%of exam
HistoryGrowthPainSafetyMaltreatmentPsychosocial
Planning + Management
33%of exam
RespiratoryGI NutritionPainDischargePalliative
Professional Responsibilities
9%of exam
AdvocacyEthicsBoundariesCollaborationPrioritization
Quick Facts
- Exam
- CPN
- Owner
- PNCB
- Credential
- Certified Pediatric Nurse
- Items
- 175 MCQ
- Scored
- 150 scored
- Pretest
- 25 unscored
- Time
- 3 hours
- Format
- Computer-based MCQ
- Delivery
- PSI or LRP
- Eligibility
- RN plus pediatric hours
- Pass
- Scaled 400
- Window
- 90 days
- Fee
- $309 initial
Safe Sleep
Back alone firm empty
BackAloneFirmEmpty
Infant vs Toddler
Infant
- Trust
- Feeding cues
- Safe sleep
Toddler
- Autonomy
- Tantrums
- Poison risks
Age drives guidance
Development
- Infant
- Trust/bonding
- Toddler
- Autonomy/limits
- Preschool
- Concrete explanations
- School-age
- Industry/control
- Adolescent
- Privacy/identity
- Prematurity
- Corrected age
- Regression
- Stress response
- Play
- Therapeutic work
Prevention
- Safe Sleep
- Back firm empty
- Car Seats
- Rear harness booster
- Poisons
- Locked storage
- Firearms
- Locked unloaded
- Bikes
- Helmet every ride
- Drowning
- Touch supervision
- Screens
- Co-view limits
- Bullying
- Ask directly
SAMPLE
Signs Allergies Meds Past Last Events
SignsAllergiesMedsPastLastEvents
Distress vs Failure
Distress
- Retractions
- Tachypnea
- Interactive
Failure
- Fatigue
- Bradypnea
- Altered
Effort before exhaustion
Assessment Picker
- Stable toddler→Observe first(Least invasive)
- Infant pain→FLACC(Behavioral tool)
- School-age pain→Faces/numeric(Development fit)
- Adolescent concern→Private screen(Confidentiality)
- Language barrier→Interpreter(Do not guess)
- Growth concern→Plot trend(Pattern matters)
Blueprint Map
- Health Promotion
- 34 scored
- Assessment
- 53 scored
- Planning
- 50 scored
- Professional
- 13 scored
- Common Threads
- Safety/development/EBP
- Condition Lead
- Respiratory first
- Procedures
- Meds/PPE/tubes
- Scope
- US standards
FLACC
Face Legs Activity Cry Consolability
FaceLegsActivityCryConsolability
Dehydration vs Shock
Dehydration
- Dry mucosa
- Low tears
- Delayed refill
Shock
- Weak pulses
- Hypotension late
- Altered perfusion
Perfusion changes priority
Physical Assessment
- History
- Meds/risk/family
- Growth
- Plot trend
- Vitals
- Age-based norms
- Pain Tool
- Developmental fit
- Nutrition
- Intake/growth pattern
- Function
- Vision/hearing/mobility
- Deterioration
- Trend changes
- Maltreatment
- Assess/report
Assessment vs Management
Assessment
- Gather data
- Recognize trends
- Identify barriers
Management
- Implement plan
- Teach family
- Modify care
Data before action
Psych Assessment
- ACEs
- Trauma load
- SDOH
- Access barriers
- Family Dynamics
- Caregiver roles
- Culture
- Beliefs/practices
- Suicide Risk
- Ask plainly
- Substance Use
- Screen privately
- Adherence
- Motivation/access
- Teaching Needs
- Discharge gaps
ABCDE
Airway Breathing Circulation Disability Exposure
AirwayBreathingCirculationDisabilityExposure
Rescue vs Controller
Rescue
- Acute relief
- Albuterol
- Symptoms now
Controller
- Daily prevention
- Steroids
- Inflammation control
Relief vs prevention
Priority Picker
- Airway threatened→Immediate intervention(ABC)
- Respiratory distress→Oxygen/position(Reassess)
- Poor perfusion→Escalate(Shock risk)
- New neuro change→Assess now(Trend danger)
- Expected symptom→Monitor trend(Still reassess)
- Unsafe home→Report concern(Protect child)
Respiratory + GI
- Respiratory
- Highest condition
- Bronchiolitis
- Suction/hydration
- Asthma
- Rescue/controller
- Croup
- Stridor risk
- GI/Nutrition
- Second condition
- Dehydration
- Weight/perfusion
- Bilious Emesis
- Obstruction concern
- Tube Feeds
- Position/verify
Teach Back
Explain ask demonstrate verify document
ExplainAskDemonstrateVerifyDocument
Contact vs Droplet
Contact
- Gown/gloves
- Touch spread
- Dedicated equipment
Droplet
- Surgical mask
- Respiratory spread
- Distance matters
Touch vs spray
Intervention Picker
- Mild dehydration→ORS(Small frequent)
- Asthma flare→Rescue bronchodilator(Acute relief)
- Active seizure→Protect airway(Time event)
- Awake hypoglycemia→Fast carb(Swallow safe)
- Line care→Aseptic technique(Prevent infection)
- Discharge teaching→Teach-back(Verify skill)
Neuro + Endocrine
- Seizure
- Safety/airway
- ICP
- Cushing trend
- Head Injury
- Neuro trend
- Diabetes
- Sick-day plan
- Hypoglycemia
- Fast glucose
- DKA
- Dehydration/acidosis
- Endocrine
- Growth patterns
- Withdrawal
- Screen exposure
Palliative vs Hospice
Palliative
- Quality focus
- Any stage
- Concurrent treatment
Hospice
- End of life
- Comfort goals
- Team support
Quality vs terminal
Infection + Procedures
- PPE
- Standard first
- Contact
- Gown/gloves
- Droplet
- Surgical mask
- Airborne
- N95 room
- Lines
- Aseptic maintenance
- Tubes
- Patency/security
- Suctioning
- Oxygenation watch
- Specimens
- Correct collection
Meds + Fluids
- Weight Dosing
- kg-based
- Rights
- Client/drug/dose
- Allergies
- Verify reaction
- High Alert
- Double check
- Generic Names
- Know common
- Fluids
- Intake/output
- Electrolytes
- Cardiac watch
- Vascular Access
- Patency/infection
Family-Centered Care
- Family Presence
- Support choice
- Teach Back
- Confirm understanding
- Procedure Prep
- Age appropriate
- Distraction
- Pain support
- Trauma Informed
- Choice/control
- Discharge
- Caregiver demo
- Transition
- Handoff continuity
- Chronic Care
- Home routines
Priority Rules
- ABCs
- Airway first
- Unstable
- Immediate intervention
- Unexpected
- Assess now
- Pain
- Treat multimodal
- Discharge
- Safety readiness
- Complex Care
- Technology needs
- Pediatric Dose
- Weight-based
- Reassess
- Modify plan
ACE
Advocate collaborate escalate
AdvocateCollaborateEscalate
Privacy vs Reporting
Privacy
- Adolescent trust
- Private screening
- Respect limits
Reporting
- Safety concern
- Abuse suspicion
- Legal duty
Safety limits privacy
Policy Picker
- Exam application→Ethics CE(Before applying)
- Need scheduling→PSI(90-day window)
- Cannot attend→Reschedule early(48 hours)
- Late arrival→Do not test(15 minutes)
- Failed attempt→Reapply after results(New window)
- Exam content→Do not share(Security rule)
Exam Frame
- Total Items
- 175 questions
- Scored Items
- 150 count
- Pretest
- Hidden unscored
- Testing Time
- 180 minutes
- Item Type
- Multiple choice
- Pacing
- 62 sec/item
- Score Scale
- 200-800 scale
- Pass Mark
- 400 scaled
Palliative + Professional
- Palliative
- Quality focus
- DNR
- Wishes documented
- Hospice
- Team support
- Grief
- Family/sibling support
- Advocacy
- Child/family voice
- Mandatory Report
- Suspected abuse
- Boundaries
- Social media caution
- Burnout
- Support colleagues
Common Traps
Pretest Guessing
Hidden items ≠ Answer all
Blueprint Balance
Assessment biggest ≠ Professional still counts
LPN Hours Trap
RN hours count ≠ LPN hours excluded
Generic Meds
Brand may appear ≠ Generic expected
Stable Numbers
Age norms matter ≠ Adult norms mislead
Infant Reserves
Decline can accelerate ≠ Reassess frequently
Pain Scores
Tool must fit ≠ Number not universal
Vaccine Records
Verify documented doses ≠ Do not restart
Safe Sleep Trap
Back remains start ≠ Empty sleep space
Confidentiality Trap
Private adolescent time ≠ Safety exceptions apply
Maltreatment Trap
Inconsistent history matters ≠ Report suspicion
Exam Ethics Trap
Outline discussion allowed ≠ Live questions prohibited
Last Minute
- 1.175 items; 150 scored
- 2.3 hours; pace steady
- 3.Weights: 23/35/33/9
- 4.Assessment is largest domain
- 5.Respiratory leads conditions
- 6.Use pediatric age norms
- 7.Weight-based dosing needs kg
- 8.Assess before nonurgent action
- 9.Airway before education
- 10.Maltreatment: report suspicion
- 11.Adolescents need private screening
- 12.Teach-back before discharge
- 13.Generic meds are fair game
- 14.Pretest hidden; answer all
- 15.Ethics CE before application
- 16.PSI window is 90 days
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