CNRN Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the CNRN 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.
📋 CNRN Exam Format at a Glance
📚 CNRN Topics to Study (21)
✍️ Sample CNRN Questions & Answers
1. The nurse is preparing a patient for lumbar puncture to assess for meningitis after TBI. Before performing the LP, the priority is to:
CT head must be obtained first to rule out elevated ICP before LP; antibiotics should be started empirically without delaying treatment pending imaging.
2. A nurse notes Cushing's triad in a neuroscience patient. Which set of findings is characteristic?
Cushing's triad consists of hypertension (widening pulse pressure), bradycardia, and irregular respirations, signaling impending brainstem herniation.
3. A nurse caring for a patient with advanced Parkinson's disease observes excessive drooling (sialorrhea). This is BEST explained by:
Sialorrhea in Parkinson's disease results from impaired and infrequent automatic swallowing due to bradykinesia — saliva production is not increased, but clearance is reduced.
4. Which post-operative position is recommended after infratentorial (posterior fossa) craniotomy to minimize cerebellar and brainstem edema?
Head elevation at 30–45 degrees with midline head positioning promotes venous drainage and reduces posterior fossa edema after infratentorial craniotomy.
5. The nurse is caring for a patient in refractory status epilepticus requiring continuous EEG monitoring. The therapeutic goal of treatment is to achieve:
In refractory status epilepticus, treatment with anesthetic agents aims to achieve burst suppression on EEG, indicating adequate seizure suppression.
6. ICP is 30 mm Hg in a patient with an external ventricular drain (EVD). When the drain is opened, the output is extremely slow. What comes after that?
An ICP of 30 mmHg is significantly elevated and requires immediate attention. If the external ventricular drain (EVD) is open but output is extremely slow, it suggests a potential malfunction, obstruction, or inadequate drainage, which can lead to further neurological compromise. This situation warrants immediate medical evaluation and intervention from the attending physician or resident.