Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Certification Exam Content Outline

This is a computer-based test (CBT)

There are 175 questions on this examination. Of these, 150 are scored questions and 25 are pretest questions that are not scored. Pretest questions are used to determine how well these questions will perform before they are used on the scored portion of the examination. The pretest questions cannot be distinguished from those that will be scored, so it is important for a candidate to answer all questions. A candidate's score, however, is based solely on the 150 scored questions. Performance on pretest questions does not affect a candidate's score.

This Test Content Outline identifies the areas that are included on the examination. The percentage and number of questions in each of the major categories of the scored portion of the examination are also shown.

Please note that various categories and subcategories, throughout this test content outline, are associated with a major body system or problem area. These body systems and problem areas are listed in the note located at the end of this document.

Test Content Outline

1. Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (19.0%)
   1. Epidemiology/risk analysis (i.e., assess conditions related to body systems and problems areas; as associated with Note 1: Body Systems and Problem Areas)
   2. Genetics (i.e., assess history for genetic/familial risks)
   3. Risk reduction/lifestyle modification
      1. assess and mange risks related to body systems and problems areas (as associated with Note 1: Body Systems and Problem Areas)
      2. ammunization indications and contraindications
   4. Health behavior guidelines
      1. nutrition
      2. exercise
      3. sun exposure
      4. sleep
   5. Growth and development (i.e., identify normal and abnormal findings in history and physical exam related to body systems and problem areas; as associated with Note 1: Body Systems and Problem Areas)
   6. Screening tests (i.e., select screening tests based on patient's clinical condition, risk, cost, benefits, and clinical guidelines)
   7. Wellness evaluation (i.e., evaluate health promotion and disease prevention activities)
2. Assessment of Acute and Chronic Illness/Conditions (23.0%)
   1. Epidemiology/disease control (i.e., consider etiology, clinical presentation, and natural history of body systems and problems areas; as associated with Note 1: Body Systems and Problem Areas)
   2. Physiology/Pathophysiology (i.e., correlate with clinical presentation and history related to body systems and problem areas; as associated with Note 1: Body Systems and Problem Areas)
   3. Anatomy/Anatomical variants related to body systems and problems areas (as associated with Note 1: Body Systems and Problem Areas)
   4. Advanced diagnostic reasoning (i.e., integrate history, physical, and diagnostic data related to body systems and problem areas; as associated with Note 1: Body Systems and Problem Areas)
   5. Advanced health assessment (as associated with Note 1: Body Systems and Problem Areas)
3. Clinical Management of Acute and Chronic Illness/Conditions (27.5%)
   1. Current clinical standards of practice related to management of body systems and problem areas. (as associated with Note 1: Body Systems and Problem Areas)
   2. Clinical practice guidelines
      1. professional organizations (e.g., AHA and AAP)
      2. governmental agencies (e.g., CDC and JCAHO)
   3. Pharmacotherapeutics (i.e., prescribe considering cost, pharmacokinetics, indications, and contraindications to manage conditions related to body systems and problem areas; as associated with Note 1: Body Systems and Problem Areas)
   4. Clinical therapeutics
      1. nutrition
      2. occupational/physical therapy
      3. complementary/alternative therapy
   5. Clinical decision-making (i.e., integrate data to formulate a plan of care related to management of body systems and problem areas; as associated with Note 1: Body systems and Problem Areas)
   6. Safety
      1. developmental
      2. environmental
      3. physical
      4. psychosocial
   7. Developmental, family, and health related theory application
4. The Nurse Practitioner and Patient Relationship (21.0%)
   1. Documentation (i.e., documentation reflects diagnostic reasoning process and type of visit)
   2. Cultural and spiritual competence
   3. Therapeutic communication
      1. telecommunication
      2. verbal
      3. nonverbal
      4. written
   4. Teaching/anticipatory guidance
   5. Patient advocacy
5. Professional Role and Policy (8.0%)
   1. Ethics
      1. consent/assent (e.g., consent to treatment, advance directives)
      2. abuse/neglect
      3. reportable disease
   2. Scope of practice of the Advanced Practice Nurse\Certification\Licensing
      1. consultation
      2. prescribing
      3. coordination
      4. referring
      5. diagnostics
      6. malpractice/negligence
      7. credentialing
   3. Access to care
      1. treatment cost-effectiveness
      2. drug costs
      3. poverty
      4. transportation
      5. communication
6. Research (1.5%)
   1. Manage conditions using evidence-based research for body systems and problem areas (as associated with Note 1: Body Systems and Problem Areas)
   2. Outcome Evaluation
   3. Continuous Process Improvement

Note 1: Body Systems and Problem Areas

1. Respiratory
2. Head, Ears, Eyes, Nose, Throat
3. Gastrointestinal
4. Cardiovascular
5. Genitourinary
6. Musculoskeletal
7. Neurological
8. Integumentary
9. Hematopoietic
10. Lymphatic
11. Endocrine
12. Reproductive
13. Immune
14. Infectious Disease
15. Nutrition
16. Psychological/ Sociological
17. Developmental
18. Functional/Mobility
19. Mental Health
20. Complimentary/ Alternative
21. Acute/Chronic Pain
22. Behavioral
23. Physiological
24. Environmental Safety

This page last revised 1/25/2007.