CCRN Exam References

The following references are for the Clinical Judgment portion of the CCRN exam, which previously made up 100% of the CCRN Exam. Effective July, 1999 the Clinical Judgment portion constitutes 80% of the exam, with the remaining 20% of the exam based on Professional Caring and Ethical Practice. At the bottom of this page are references for the Professional Caring and Ethical Practice portion of the exam. Please see elsewhere on this Web site for further discussion of the Synergy Model and the revisions to the examination.

Adult - Clinical Judgment

American Heart Association. (2005). Guidelines 2005 for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Available at: www.americanheart.org

Conover, M. B. (2003). Understanding Electrocardiography. 8th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier.

Copstead, L., & Banasik, J. L. (2000). Pathophysiology: Biological and Behavioral Perspectives. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders/Elsevier .

Darovic, G. O. (2002). Hemodynamic Monitoring: Invasive and Noninvasive Clinical Application. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders/Elsevier.

Emergency Nurses Association, & Newberry, L. (2003). Sheehy's Emergency Nursing: Principles and Practice. 5th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier.

Finkelmeier, B. A. (2000). Cardiothoracic Surgical Nursing, 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Hickey, J. V. (2002). The Clinical Practice of Neurological and Neurosurgical Nursing. 5th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

McNally, P. (2001). GI/Liver Secrets. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Hanley & Belfus/Elsevier.

McQuillan, K. A., Von Rueden, K. T., Hartsock, R. L., Flynn, M. B., & Whalen, E. (eds.) (2002). Trauma Nursing: From Resuscitation Through Rehabilitation. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders/Elsevier.

Pagana, K. D., & Pagana, J. (2005). Mosby's Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests. 3rd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier.

Skidmore-Roth, L. (2004). Mosby's 2004 Nursing Drug Reference. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier.

Smeltzer, S., & Bare, B. G. (2003). Brunner and Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing. 10th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Sole, M. L., Hartshorn, J., & Lamborne, M. L. (2001). Introduction to Critical Care Nursing. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders/Elsevier.

Stillwell, S. (2002). Mosby's Critical Care Nursing Reference. 3rd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier.

Urden, L., Lough, M. E. & Stacy, K. L. (2005). Thelan';s Critical Care Nursing: Diagnosis and Management. 5th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier.

Wiegand, D.J.L. & Carlson, K.K. (eds.) (2005). AACN Procedure Manual for Critical Care. 5th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier.

Woods, S., Sivarajan Froelicher, E. S., & Motzer, S. U. (2000). Cardiac Nursing . 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.


Neonatal - Clinical Judgment

American Heart Association. (2005). Guidelines 2005 for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Available at: www.americanheart.org

Copstead, L., & Banasik, J. L. (2000). Pathophysiology: Biological and Behavioral Perspectives, 2nd ed. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders/Elsevier.

Curley, M. A. Q., & Moloney-Harmon, P. A. (eds.) (2001). Critical Care Nursing of Infants and Children. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders/Elsevier.

Finkelmeier, B. A. (2000). Cardiothoracic Surgical Nursing, 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Hockenberry, M. J., Wilson, D., Winkelstein, M. L., & Kline, N. E. (2003). Wong's Nursing Care of Infants and Children. 7th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier.

Merenstein, G. B., & Gardner, S. L. (2002). Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care. 5th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier.

Pagana, K. D., & Pagana, J. (2005). Mosby's Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests. 3rd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier.

Polin, R. A., Yoder, M. C., & Burg, F. D. (2001). Workbook in Practical Neonatology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders/Elsevier.

Urden, L., Lough, M. E. & Stacy, K. L.(2005) Thelan's Critical Care Nursing: Diagnosis and Management. 5th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier.

Verklan, M. T. & Walden, M. (eds.) (2004). Core Curriculum for Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing. 3rd ed. St. Louis: W. B. Elsevier/Saunders.

Young, T. E., & Mangum, B. (2005). Neofax: A Manual of Drugs Used in Neonatal Care. 18th ed. Raleigh, NC: Acorn Publishing.


Pediatric - Clinical Judgment

American Heart Association. (2005). Guidelines 2005 for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Available at: www.americanheart.org

Betz, C. L., & Sowden, L. A. (2004). Pediatric Nursing Reference. 5th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier.

Boylston, M. & Beer, D. (2002). Methemoglobinemia: A Case Study. Critical Care Nurse,(22) 4: 50-55.

Copstead, L., & Banasik, J. L. (2000). Pathophysiology: Biological and Behavioral Perspectives, 2nd ed. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders/Elsevier.

Curley, M. A. Q., & Moloney-Harmon, P. A. (2001). Critical Care Nursing of Infants and Children. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders/Elsevier.

Darovic, G. O. (2002). Hemodynamic Monitoring: Invasive and Noninvasive Clinical Application. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders/Elsevier.

Finkelmeier, B. A. (2000). Cardiothoracic Surgical Nursing, 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Hockenberry, M. J., Wilson, D., Winkelstein, M. L., & Kline, N. E. (2003). Wong's Nursing Care of Infants and Children. 7th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier.

Moloney-Harmon, P. A., & Czerwinski, S. J. (2003). Nursing Care of the Pediatric Trauma Patient. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders/Elsevier.

Pagana, K. D., & Pagana, J. (2005). Mosby's Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests. 3rd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier.

Skidmore-Roth, L. (2004). Mosby's 2004 Nursing Drug Reference. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier.

Sole, M. L., Hartshorn, J., & Lamborne, M. L. (2001). Introduction to Critical Care Nursing. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders/Elsevier.

Urden, L., Lough, M. E. & Stacy, K. L. (2005) Thelan's Critical Care Nursing: Diagnosis and Management. 5th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier.

Professional Caring and Ethical Practice

The CCRN exam is based within the framework of the Synergy Model. Following are recommended references for the Professional Caring and Ethical Practice section of the exam, which now makes up 20% of the exams.

Daily care of patients has provided most critical care nurses with a large knowledge base in Professional Caring and Ethical Practice. Any up-to-date critical care nursing text has chapters which address the issues of advocacy/moral agency, caring practices, collaboration, facilitation of learning, response to diversity, clinical inquiry and systems thinking. Following are examples of references that you may find helpful in studying for the CCRN exam.

Curley, M. A. Q. (1998). Patient Nurse Synergy: Optimizing Patients' Outcomes. American Journal of Critical Care. 7: 64-72.

Dossey, B. M., Keegan, L., & Guzzetta, C. (2003). Holistic Nursing: A Handbook for Practice. 3rd ed. Boston: Jones & Bartlett.

Edwards, D. F. (1999). The Synergy Model: Linking Patient Needs to Nurse Competencies. Critical Care Nurse. 19 (1): 88-98.

Hardin, S.R. & Kaplow, R. (eds.) (2004). Synergy for Clinical Excellence: The AACN Synergy Model for Patient Care. Boston: Jones & Bartlett.

Lipson, J. G., Dibble, S. L., & Minarik, P. A. (eds.) (1996). Culture and Nursing Care: A Pocket Guide. San Francisco: UCSF Nursing Press.

Publisher Contacts

AACN - 800-899-2226
Acorn Publishing - 919-786-1155
American Heart Association - 800-242-8721
Elsevier (including Mosby, W. B. Saunders, and Hanley & Belfus) - 800-545-2522
Jones & Bartlett - 800-832-0034
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins - 800-638-3030
UCSF Nursing Press - 415-476-4992

Please feel free to contact AACN Certification Corporation at (800) 899-2226 with any questions.