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Cardiac/Vascular Nurse 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 nonscored pretest questions. Questions are pretested to determine how well they perform before they are used in the scored portion of the examination. The pretest questions cannot be distinguished from those that will be scored, so it is important that a candidate answer all questions. However, a candidate's score 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

Category
Domains of Practice
No. of Questions
Percent
I
 Pathophysiology and Manifestation of Cardiac and Vascular Disease
26
17.33%
II
Communication
15
10.00%
III
Provision of Care
64
42.67%
IV
 Patient and Family/Caregiver Education
16
10.67%
V
 Psychosocial Aspects of Cardiac-Vascular Disease
11
7.33%
VI
Leadership
8
5.33%
VII
 Legal and Ethical Issues
10
6.67%
Total
150
100%

Test Content Outline

  1. Pathophysiology and Manifestation of Cardiac and Vascular Disease (17.33%)
    1. Disease process
      1. Pathphysiology/diagnosis
        1. Aneurysms
        2. Atherosclerotic disease
        3. Buerger/Raynaud
        4. Cardiomyopathy/heart failure/ventricular dysfunction
        5. Cor pulmonale
        6. Diabetes/metabolic syndrome
        7. Dyslipidemia
        8. Endothelial dysfunction
        9. Hypertension
        10. Infarction (e.g., cerebral, myocardial, peripheral vascular)
        11. Inflammation
        12. Pericarditis/vasculitis/endocarditis
        13. Renal disease (as associated with cardiac-vascular disease, renovascular disease)
        14. Sleep disorder
        15. Structural and congenital anomalies (Marfan Syndrome, atrial septal defect)
        16. Thromboembolic phenomena
        17. Valvular disease
        18. Vasospasm
        19. Venous insufficiency
      2. Manifestations/symptoms
        1. Angina/claudication/ischemia/transient ischemic attack (TIA)
        2. Cerebral and myocardial infarction symptoms
        3. Dysrhythmias (e.g., sudden death, atrial fibrillation)
        4. Fatigue (associated with cardiac and vascular disorders)
        5. Hypotension/hypertension
        6. Shock
        7. Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
        8. Syncope (cardiac, vascular and neurologic causes)/drop attack
        9. Venous ulcers
        10. Edema (compartment syndrome, pulmonary edema)
    2. Pharmacology
      1. Alcohol (as associated with cardiac-vascular disorders)
      2. Drug classification/interactions/incompatibility
      3. Indications
      4. Mechanism of action
      5. Non-prescription (as associated with cardiac-vascular disorders; e.g., herbals, over-the-counter)
      6. Recreational drug (e.g., cocaine, methamphetamine)
      7. Side effects

  2. Communication (10.00%)
    1. Therapeutic and interviewing skills
      1. Knowledge and ability to collect information
      2. Use of appropriate communication skills with patients and family within the context of acute and chronic cardiac/vascular illness
    2. Communication barriers/cultural competence (e.g., literacy, beliefs, age, language, sensory/motor/mental disabilities, and emotional states)
    3. Documentation and professional communication
      1. Accurate, timely, and appropriate information transfer and documentation
      2. Collaborative plan of care across all disciplines and providers
      3. Patient and family advocacy

  3. Provision of Care (42.67%)
    1. Physical/psychosocial assessment
      1. Assessment process (assessment, diagnosis, and screening)
      2. Skills/tools/equipment (e.g., Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI), finger stick for glucose, pulse oximetry)
      3. Diagnostic (e.g., invasive and non-invasive, laboratory values)
    2. Management of cardiac and vascular disease: treatments and interventions
      1. Clinical practice guidelines (evidence-based practice, application of...)
      2. Standards of care utilizing theories of physical, cognitive, and emotional development in adult
      3. Response to therapy (e.g., International Normalized Ratio (INR), lipids, blood pressure, weight, pain, glucose)
      4. Medical treatments and interventions (e.g., transplants, bypass, stents, ablation, sclerotherapy, cardioversion, Automatic Implantable Cardiovertor Defibrillator (AICD) pacemakers, compression devices)
      5. Nursing interventions (e.g., plan of care, post-procedure care, pain control)
      6. Pharmacological management (application and response to medications)
      7. Cardiac and vascular rehabilitation
      8. Complications (e.g., post-procedure, medications, treatments)
      9. Emergency situations
    3. Health promotion/lifestyle and behavioral change/risk factor reduction (primary, secondary, tertiary)
      1. Behavioral change models (e.g., readiness for change, self-efficacy, health belief, locus of control)
      2. Skills involved with behavior change (e.g., goal-setting, self-monitoring, social support)
      3. Therapeutic lifestyle counseling
        1. Stress management
        2. Weight control
        3. Nutrition
        4. Physical activity
        5. Tobacco cessation
        6. Diabetes/metabolic syndrome
        7. Hypertension
        8. Lipid management
        9. Alcohol use
      4. Environmental safety (including immunization, community health and safety issues, resources)
    4. Evaluation/outcomes/discharge planning (considering family situations, overall health status, living conditions, and long-term care needs)

  4. Patient and Family/Caregiver Education (10.67%)
    1. Principles of adult learning (e.g., Knowles, readiness to learn, barriers to learning, literacy)
    2. Development and implementation of individualized teaching plan (including adherence to plan of care, self-monitoring skills, appropriate tools/resources, goal-setting)
    3. Evaluation and documentation of patient educational outcomes

  5. Psychosocial Aspects of Cardiac-Vascular Diease (7.33%)
    1. Coping and Adjustment
      1. Changes across the adult life span
      2. Crisis concepts and abnormal coping
      3. Living with chronic illness/quality of life issues
      4. Responses to illness (e.g., anger, hostility, denial, and depression)
      5. Sexual concerns
    2. End of life/death and dying (e.g., palliative care, hospice, advanced directives)

  6. Leadership (5.33%)
    1. Quality Improvement
    2. Advocacy (e.g., patient, staff, colleagues)
    3. Delegation, supervision, and role modeling
    4. Professional development

  7. Legal and Ethical Issues (6.67%)
    1. Patients' rights (including confidentiality issues, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), informed consent, self-determination, bill of rights, do not resuscitate (DNR) order, advanced directives)
    2. Risk management (e.g., adhering to regulatory and legal guidelines in relation to informed consent, advanced directive with appropriate documentation)
    3. Nursing Code of Ethics

This page last revised 02/15/2007.