Exam Blueprint
The exam blueprint is the framework for the Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (CMSRN®) certification exam. The blueprint is valuable to the test taker because it breaks down the sections of the test. Use it to help you focus your study as you prepare for the exam.
Content Areas of the Examination
Effective Through April 2013
Each test question stems from the exam blueprint and is based on a Patient Problem and a Nursing Role (Domains of Nursing Practice) as listed below. For example, an exam question may ask about instructing a patient with diabetes. The Patient Problem is diabetes and the Domain of Practice is teaching/coaching
The following tables provide the percentage of exam questions for each Patient Problem and Domain of Nursing Practice areas.
| Patient Problems by Physiological Systems | % of Test |
|---|---|
| Gastrointestinal | 18-20% |
| Pulmonary | 18-20% |
| Cardiovascular | 14-16% |
| Diabetes (types 1 & 2) and other Endocrine | 14-16% |
| Genitourinary, Renal, and Reproductive | 11-13% |
| Musculoskeletal and Neurological | 10-12% |
| Hematological, Immunological, and Integumentary | 8-10% |
| Domains of Nursing Practice | % of Test |
|---|---|
| Diagnostic and patient monitoring function | 24-26% |
| Administering/monitoring therapeutic interventions | 24-26% |
| Helping role | 16-18% |
| Teaching/coaching function | 16-18% |
| Effective management of rapidly changing situations | 9-11% |
| Monitoring and ensuring quality of health care practices | 2-4% |
| Organizational and work-role competencies | 2-4% |
*Benner, P. (1984). From novice to expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing practice. Menlo Park, CA: Addison-Wesley.
Exam Blueprint
Domains of Nursing Practice
Read More about the Domains of Nursing Practice Covered on the Exam
Topics Excluded from Examination
The examination does not include the care of patients who are on ventilators, immediate postoperative care of patients with open-heart or transplant surgery, monitored conscious-sedation analgesia, or hemodialysis.
Exam Blueprint - Effective May 2013
Each test question is coded for one physiological system and one nursing practice domain.
| Patient Problems by Physiological Systems | % of Test |
|---|---|
| Gastrointestinal | 16-18% |
| Pulmonary | 15-17% |
| Cardiovascular | 15-17% |
| Diabetes (types 1 & 2) and other Endocrine | 14-16% |
| Genitourinary, Renal, and Reproductive | 14-16% |
| Musculoskeletal and Neurological | 12-14% |
| Hematological, Immunological, and Integumentary | 7-9% |
| Domains of Nursing Practice | % of Test |
|---|---|
| Helping Role | 16-18% |
| Teaching/coaching function | 16-18% |
| Diagnostic and patient monitoring function | 23-25% |
| Administering/ monitoring therapeutic interventions | 23-25% |
| Effective management of rapidly changing situations | 11-13% |
| Monitoring and ensuring quality of health care practices | 1-3% |
| Organizational and work-role competencies | 3-5% |
*Benner, P. (1984). From novice to expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing practice. Menlo Park, CA: Addison-Wesley.
Comparison of Changes
| Patient Problems by Physiological Systems | % of Test | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 2013 | |
| Gastrointestinal | 18-20% | 16-18% |
| Pulmonary | 18-20% | 15-17% |
| Cardiovascular | 14-16% | 15-17% |
| Diabetes (types 1 & 2) and other Endocrine | 14-16% | 14-16% |
| Genitourinary, Renal, and Reproductive | 11-13% | 14-16% |
| Musculoskeletal and Neurological | 10-12% | 12-14% |
| Hematological, Immunological, and Integumentary | 8-10% | 7-9% |
| Domains of Nursing Practice | % of Test | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 2013 | |
| Helping Role | 24-26% | 16-18% |
| Teaching/coaching function | 24-26% | 16-18% |
| Diagnostic and patient monitoring function | 16-18% | 23-25% |
| Administering/ monitoring therapeutic interventions | 16-18% | 23-25% |
| Effective management of rapidly changing situations | 9-11% | 11-13% |
| Monitoring and ensuring quality of health care practices | 2-4% | 1-3% |
| Organizational and work-role competencies | 2-4% | 3-5% |
