You've made the decision to take the CNOR exam-now what? Join CCI staff as they review study prep materials, discuss successful study strategies, identify the main components of a multiple-choice question, and apply test-taking strategies.

1. AN INSIDER’S LOOK AT THE
CNOR EXAM

2. YOUR HOSTS FOR TONIGHT’S WEBINAR
Jim Stobinski, PhD, RN, CNOR
Director, Credentialing and Education
Julie Mower, MSN, RN, CNS, CNS-CP,CNOR
and
Dawn Whiteside, MSN, RN, CNOR, RNFA
Nurse Managers, Credentialing and Education
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3. COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. Review study prep materials.
2. Discuss successful study strategies.
3. Identify the main components of a multiple-choice
question.
4. Apply test-taking strategies to sample test questions.
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4. RESOURCES ON CCI WEBSITE
www.cc-institute.org
• Handbook
• CNOR Task and Knowledge Statements
• Study plan
• CNOR learner readiness survey
• Sample test questions
• Contact information for prep-for-cert courses
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5. EXAM PREPARATION TEXT BOOKS
• Current edition of AORN’s Guidelines for
Perioperative Practice
• Perioperative reference books
• Phillips, N. (2017). Berry and Kohn’s Operating
room technique (13th ed.). St. Louis, MO:
Elsevier.
• Rothrock, J.C. (2015). Alexander’s care of the
patient in surgery (15th ed.). St. Louis, MO.
Elsevier.
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6. OPTIONAL REFERENCES
• Pathophysiology textbook
• Medical dictionary
• Lab/ diagnostic test reference manual
• Drug reference-check hospital formulary or Epocrates at
www.epocrates.com
• AORN Journal
• AAMI standards
• Websites
• The Joint Commission at www.jointcomission.org
• CDC at www.cdc.gov
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7. CCI STUDY AIDS
• CNOR Exam Study Guide
• Flash cards
• On-line practice exam
Go to our bookstore at https://store.cc-institute.org for a list of all
CCI study prep items. NOTE: The CNOR Practice Test is not
required to sit for the exam. Your performance on the practice test
does not imply successful performance on the CNOR exam.
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8. CNOR EXAM CONTENT
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The Candidate Handbook is found at
http://www.cc-institute.org/cnor/prepare/handbook-plan
See table to right for
subject area
breakdown on
the CNOR exam
(information is subject to change)
Subject Area % of
Questions
1. Preoperative Patient Assessment
and Diagnosis
12%
2. Develop Individualized Plan of Care 10%
3. Intraoperative Activities 27%
4. Communications 10%
5. Transfer of Care 6%
6. Cleaning, Disinfecting, Packaging
and Sterilization
9%
7. Emergency Situations 11%
8. Management of Personnel Services
and Materials
6%
9. Professional Accountability 9%
Total 100%

9. TIME-SAVING STRATEGIES
• Do a self-assessment; start and build on what you
already know, rather than from the beginning.
• Use the subject areas to organize your study plan.
• Start with the areas that have the highest % of
numbers
or
• With the subjects that are least familiar.
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10. STUDY TIPS
• Average study time prior to exam: 3 months.
• Turn off text messages, TV and e-mail while you
study.
• Break content and time into bite-size chunks.
• Review, review, review.
• Be able to apply broad concepts versus memorizing
facts and figures.
From: Shellenbarger, Sue. Toughest Exam Question: What is the
Best Way to Study? Wall Street Journal, 26 OCT 2011, p. D1, D2.
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11. CNOR EXAM
• 200 multiple choice questions
• 3 hours and 45 minutes
• Tests ability to apply knowledge to perioperative
practice setting
• Questions are developed by pool of CNOR nurses
• Administered by Prometric
• May be taken Monday – Saturday, except holidays
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12. COMPONENTS OF A MULTIPLE CHOICE
QUESTION
• Stem
• Will provide all the information needed to answer the
question.
• Question may be either:
• open-ended (fill in the blank)
or
• close-ended (ends with a question mark)
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13. COMPONENTS OF A MULTIPLE CHOICE
QUESTION (cont.)
• 4 possible answers
• There is only one correct answer.
• The other 3 “distractors” are plausible but not correct.
• Question often contains a quantifier, such as first,
best, or most important.
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14. ANALYZING THE QUESTION
• Eliminate the distractors by identifying why they are
incorrect.
• Question should be answered according to current
best practice as published in the literature, not
necessarily by past experience or facility’s present
practice.
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15. CHOOSING THE CORRECT ANSWER
• Try to answer the question without looking at the
options.
• Eliminate distractors with absolutes such as “always”
or “never”.
• Review your answers at the end and change answers
judiciously.
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16. COMMON ERRORS IN ANALYZING QUESTIONS
• “Reading into” the stem.
• “Overthinking”-using experience beyond 2 years
• Taking too much time/question.
• Missing the quantifier.
• Changing answers to multiple questions.
• Leaving questions blank.
• Looking for the same questions on the exam that
were on practice tests/flash cards.
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17. SAMPLE QUESTION #1A
The patient population which accounts for the greatest
number of eye muscle procedures is:
A. Pediatric
B. Adolescent
C. Adult
D. Geriatric
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18. ANALYSIS OF TEST QUESTION
• What did you need to know to answer this question?
• If you were unfamiliar with the content of this
question, where could you go to find out more
information ?
• Type answer in chat window.
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19. ANSWER QUESTION #1A
Correct answer is: A. Pediatric
Rationale: Strabismus correction requires early
recognition and is the third most common performed
pediatric procedure between the ages of 6 months and
6 years.
• Reference: Phillips, Nancy. (2017). Berry and Kohn’s
Operating room technique, p. 142. St. Louis: Elsevier.
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20. SAMPLE QUESTION #1B
The most effective way to evaluate a patient’s
comprehension of her upcoming surgery is to:
A. have the patient describe the procedure in her own
words.
B. witness her signing her consent form.
C. ask yes/no questions.
D. document that the patient has received a patient
education brochure.
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21. ANALYSIS OF TEST QUESTION
• How did you choose which answer you thought was
correct?
• Type response in chat window.
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22. ANSWER QUESTION #1B
Correct answer is: A. have the patient describe her
procedure in her own words.
Rationale: To evaluate understanding, have the patient
repeat in her own words what has been explained.
Reference: Phillips, N. (2017). Berry and Kohn’s
operating room technique, p. 371. St. Louis: Mosby.
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23. SAMPLE QUESTION #1C
The perioperative nurse discovers that a sponge is
missing during the closing count for a left lung
lobectomy. The nurse’s first action would be to:
A. repeat the count.
B. notify the surgeon.
C. document the count as incorrect.
D. notify the supervisor.
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24. ANALYSIS OF THE TEST QUESTION
Prioritization: All of the options could have been correct-
how did you choose your answer? (type answer in chat
window)
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25. ANSWER QUESTION #1C
Correct answer is: B. notify the surgeon.
Rationale: The RN circulator should inform and receive
verbal acknowledgement from the surgeon and surgical
team as soon as a discrepancy in a surgical count is
identified.
Reference: AORN. (2016). Prevention of retained
surgical items. In Guidelines for perioperative practice,
p. 396. Denver, CO: Author.
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26. UPCOMING CCI WEBINARS
• Sept. 14: Last Minute Tips for a Painless Testing
Experience
• Oct. 12th: Essentials of Certification
• Recorded sessions will be available via our YouTube
Channel at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8qq9R2GcQls7
-KAytxqtJA (link at the top right hand side of our
website) and on our website at
http://bit.ly/CCIWebinars
• Slides will be available for download at
http://www.slideshare.net/OR_Nurses
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27. QUESTIONS?
Type your questions in the chat window-we’re happy to
answer them!
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28. Please know that the CCI staff is here to help
you achieve your goal of CNOR certification.
If you have questions, please contact us at
888-257-2667 or info@cc-institute.org
www.cc-institute.org