CRNFA Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the CRNFA exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 CRNFA Exam Format at a Glance
📚 CRNFA Topics to Study (33)
✍️ Sample CRNFA Questions & Answers
1. AORN's Guideline for Electrosurgery recommends that the RNFA take which precaution when using electrosurgical units (ESUs) near implanted electronic devices?
AORN recommends individualized assessment per manufacturer guidance and interdisciplinary collaboration before ESU use in patients with pacemakers or ICDs.
2. Preoperative marking of the surgical site is performed to prevent which type of adverse surgical event?
Surgical site marking is a Joint Commission Universal Protocol requirement specifically designed to prevent wrong-site, wrong-side, and wrong-procedure surgeries.
3. Which electrosurgical mode uses a continuous waveform to achieve tissue cutting with minimal hemostasis?
The cut mode delivers a continuous, unmodulated waveform that rapidly vaporizes tissue, producing a clean cut with minimal lateral thermal spread.
4. During a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy, the patient's oxygen saturation suddenly drops and breath sounds disappear on the operative side. The CRNFA should first suspect:
Double-lumen endobronchial tube migration can cause loss of lung isolation and ventilation failure, and is a common cause of sudden desaturation in VATS procedures.
5. Which type of needle holder is most appropriate when suturing delicate cardiovascular tissue?
The Castroviejo needle holder is a fine, spring-loaded instrument designed for delicate cardiovascular and ophthalmic suturing.
6. During a total knee arthroplasty, the surgeon asks the CRNFA to apply a pneumatic tourniquet. The tourniquet pressure for a lower extremity should typically be set at:
Tourniquet pressure should be individualized based on limb occlusion pressure plus a safety margin of 40–80 mmHg to minimize tissue and nerve injury.