CNRN Practice Test 2025

cnrn certification

 

Neuroscience nurses work with patients who suffer from serious and often lifelong injuries or illnesses. This specialization requires patience and empathy. These nurses must also have good written communication skills for documenting patient conditions.

Nurses can qualify for the CNRN exam 2025 by providing two years of direct nursing experience in neuroscience or stroke care. This may be done through direct clinical practice, or indirect experience such as research and consultations.

CNRN Certification

In the field of nursing, certification is an important part of professional growth and advancement. It also helps to improve the quality of care that nurses provide to patients. Nurses serve as a beacon of compassion and clinical expertise, and they are essential to the health of the people in our communities. The CNRN exam is designed to measure the knowledge and skills of neuroscience nurses in a variety of settings.

In order to take the CNRN exam, candidates must be licensed registered nurses who have direct and indirect experience in neuroscience nursing. This includes working as an educator, consultant, or administrator. Indirect experience includes supervised clinical experiences, case management, or research.

The CNRN exam is written by subject matter experts (SMEs) who are trained by ABNN and PSI to write questions that are consistent with best practices for test development. Items are pre-tested to ensure that they are appropriate and do not contain bias or sensitivity issues. These items are then evaluated to determine if they should be included as scorable questions on the CNRN exam.

CNRN Exam

The Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN) Credential demonstrates your knowledge and experience in caring for patients with neurological trauma and illness. It’s an important validation that reflects the high standard of nursing practice and a commitment to excellence. Earning this credential also helps your employers and colleagues recognize your specialized understanding of the care of this patient population.

The CNRN exam is computer-based and includes 220 single-best answer multiple-choice questions. It takes about four hours to complete. It covers all aspects of neuroscience nursing, from basic to advanced topics. The test is randomized, so you may encounter questions on any topic, such as dementia or spinal cord injury.

Taking practice tests is an excellent way to assess your readiness for the CNRN exam. It will help you identify areas that need more study and determine if you are prepared to pass the exam. These practice test questions include detailed answer explanations, so you can understand why you missed a question. This will help you avoid making the same mistakes when you take the real exam.

cnrn exam

CNRN Salary

CNRNs are registered nurses who specialize in the field of neuroscience. These nurses work with patients who suffer from neurological issues like spinal cord injury, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy. RNs with a background in neuroscience also assist neurosurgeons during brain and spine procedures. They are often called brain nurses or neuroscience registered nurses (RNSNs).

CCRN certification is offered by the AACN Certification Corporation and it allows you to practice as an acute/critical care nurse in areas such as ICUs, CCUs, respiratory ICUs, medical ICUs, cardiac ICUs, NICUs, and more. Generally, most of the clinical hours you need to meet the requirement for CCRN certification must be spent on critical care units.

It is worth noting that CCRNs typically earn higher salaries than RNs who are not board certified. This is because a CCRN’s skills are in high demand and they tend to be educators and leaders on the unit. As such, they are a valuable asset to the hospital and can help increase patient outcomes. Moreover, a CCRN can negotiate for better benefits, such as paid time off and continued education stipends.

Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse

As a neuroscience nurse, you will work closely with neurologists and other nurses to care for patients with neurological conditions. You will also work with physical therapists, psychiatrists, and psychologists. This is a very rewarding career that allows you to help people on their road to recovery. In addition, you will get to work with the latest medical technology, from monitoring devices to sophisticated imaging machines.

Nursing is a very demanding career, and neuroscience nurses must be prepared to spend long shifts on their feet. It is also important for them to be able to think critically and make decisions in emergency situations. They also need excellent written communication skills to document patient information and communicate with other health care staff.

Obtaining the CNRN credential is an excellent way to show co-workers and hospital administrators that you have specialized knowledge of neuroscience nursing. The exam is administered by Applied Measurement Professionals and consists of 220 questions, with 20 being pre-test items. It is a computer-based test that takes four hours to complete.

CNRN Vs SCRN

The CNRN and SCRN are two national certifications that nurses can earn to show that they have the necessary skills to provide quality care for patients with stroke. Both are multiple-choice exams that can be taken in three hours. The CNRN is administered by the American Board of Neuroscience Nursing (ABNN), and it costs $300 for members and $400 for non-members. Nurses must retake the test every five years to keep their certification.

ABNN’s resources for exam candidates include the Candidate Handbook and other study materials. The CNRN and SCRN exams are computer-based. Upon completion of the exam, you will receive your pass/fail status and explanation of your scaled score. Only 150 of the 170 questions count toward your final score; the remaining 20 questions are pretest questions used to develop new exam items for future exams.

Both the CNRN and the SCRN require a RN license and a minimum of 2,300 nursing hours in the specialty area of stroke care. Continuing education is also required for certification renewal. ABNN randomly selects 10% of all recertification applicants to audit, and you must submit proof of your CE hours by the last day of your five-year certification period.

cnrn salary

CNRN Book

CNRN Exam Secrets Study Guide is the ideal prep solution for anyone looking to pass the Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN) exam. This book includes practice test questions and detailed explanations of each answer, helping you to elevate your CNRN test score and avoid the stress of taking the exam. It covers all of the important information you’ll need to know to do well on the exam: the concepts, procedures, and principles that the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses and American Board of Neuroscience Nursing expect you to understand.

This innovative review for nurses preparing for the Adult CCRN® exam mirrors the CCRN test-format blueprint, with chapters devoted to the specific subject matter tested. Its “Think in Questions” format helps readers anticipate the type of questions that will be asked, and promotes critical thinking throughout. Topical “bite-size” sections and numerous tables and charts facilitate learning and memorization. Also included are practice CCRN-style Q&A, test-taking skills, and specific guidance on preparing for the certification exam. CNRN® and CCRN® are registered trademarks of AACN Certification Corporation, which does not sponsor or endorse this product.

CNRN Certification Verification

The CNRN credential is an indicator of expert-level nursing care for acutely and critically ill patients. It validates your knowledge and experience in neuroscience nursing practice to hospital administrators, peers and patients. Research studies have linked CCRN certification to higher levels of clinical expertise and leadership.

To become a CNRN, you must have current, unencumbered licensure as an RN or APRN and have at least 1 year of nursing experience caring for acutely/critically ill patients. This includes those who left an ICU-type setting to work in another area of the healthcare system, but still spent the majority of their clinical hours with acutely/critically ill patients.

In addition to meeting the clinical and experience requirements, CNRNs must also complete 100 CERPs during their 3-year renewal period. At least 30 of the CERPs must be in Category A and 10 must be in each of Categories B and C. This includes courses that address clinical judgment, clinical inquiry and advanced practice skills. It also covers topics like pathophysiology, nursing research, new equipment and technical skills, and statistics.

CNRN Exam Dates

The Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN) exam is an important test for aspiring nurses. It can open many doors and lead to wonderful opportunities. However, if you do not perform well on the test, you will be limited in your options and may have to put your plans for the future on hold. Preparing for the CNRN exam is essential to ensuring success. 

The CNRN exam is administered by PSI Services in hundreds of locations across the United States and abroad. You can schedule your exam online at the PSI website. If you are not able to take the CNRN test on your scheduled date, you can reschedule it at no additional charge, provided that you contact PSI two business days before your original examination date. You will forfeit fees if you fail to report to the testing center on your scheduled date or fail to reschedule in time for your appointment.

CNRN EXAM Questions and Answers

The only certification that denotes thorough familiarity with and practice with core concepts in neuroscience nursing is the Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN) designation. The CNRN credential can be the best choice for your professional development if you often treat patients with neurological trauma, chronic illnesses, tumors, infections, seizures, and other problems.

The CNRN certification publicly acknowledges the acquisition and presentation of a distinctive body of knowledge required for the practice of neuroscience nursing.

Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse

  • Candidates must hold a current license as a registered nurse from the United States, Canada, or a U.S. territory that issues licenses based on the NCLEX or the U.S. State Board Test Pool Examination.
  • Additionally, RNs must have completed 2,080 hours, or one full year, of direct or indirect neuroscience practice within the previous three years.
  • RNs should apply to take the certification exam, and after receiving a passing score and meeting all eligibility requirements, they will be certified.
  • 75 hours of continuing education are required after two years of full-time practice (4,160 hours), or two years of part-time practice (2,500 hours) and 100 hours of continuing education.

Given the variety of neurological conditions and their causes, CNRNs treat patients of all ages, from infants and children to the elderly.

Give yourself plenty of time to study for the CNRN; considering the volume of material you must understand, most people need at least 2 or 3 months.

A yearly salary between $61,000 and $135,000 with an hourly rate of $35.34.

  • AANN members can pay with a credit card for $300 or a check for $325.
  • Those who are not members may pay with a credit card for $400 or a check for $425.

The passing score is determined by a methodical criterion-referenced process that relies on the expertise of national neuroscience nursing experts as well as the support of qualified psychometricians from PSI. This procedure establishes the raw score, or the number of right answers, needed to pass a test; this score corresponds to the number of right answers that a candidate with the bare minimum of competence would be expected to deliver. The ABNN Board of Trustees has the final say in determining what constitutes a passing score.

  • Study for your benefit. Avoid entering unprepared.
  • Ensure your own wellbeing. Make sure you’re getting enough rest, exercise, and healthy food. These factors are all related to brain function according to science. Maintaining your physical health will benefit your academic performance.
  • Purchase a study manual or deck of flashcards. Certain study methods work well for some people. Make the most of your study strengths by identifying them. 

One of the most challenging specialties to master is neuroscience. You should have a thorough understanding of how the nervous system functions and how it impacts the rest of the body if you want to work as a neuroscience nurse.