CMSRN Exam Preparation

CMSRN Exam Preparation and Resources

The certifying organization and CMSRN exam provides a list of recommended references to support candidates in their preparation. These include key textbooks and study materials that offer valuable insights into medical-surgical nursing.

At BoardCerts, our question banks are carefully crafted based on these recommended resources and the exam blueprints. This ensures that our practice questions are accurate, relevant, and aligned with the core competencies of medical-surgical nursing, helping candidates prepare effectively and confidently.

Key Domains in the CMSRN Exam

Exam Categories: Percentage Distribution

CMSRN Blueprint and Focus Areas

Area of Focus	Subtopics	Percent of Questions
Patient/Care Management	Patient safety Infection prevention Medication management Pain management Non-pharmacological interventions Surgical and procedural nursing management Nutrition	32%
Holistic Patient Care	Patient-centered care Diversity and inclusion Education of patients and families Health promotion Palliative and end-of-life care	15%
Elements of Interprofessional Care	Nursing process and clinical judgment measurement model Interprofessional collaboration Care coordination and transition management Documentation Technology	17%
Professional Concepts	Communication Critical thinking Healthy practice environment Scope of practice and ethics Quality management Evidence-based practice and research	15%
Nursing Teamwork and Collaboration	Delegation and supervision Career development relationships Professional development Leadership Disaster planning and management	21%

CMSRN Reference List

Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses. (2018). Scope and Standards of Medical Surgical Nursing Practice (6th ed.). Pitman, NJ.

Craven, H. (Ed.). (2023). Core Curriculum for Medical-Surgical Nursing. (6th ed.). Pitman, NJ: Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses.

Murray, E. (2021). Nursing Leadership and Management for Patient Safety and Quality Care (2nd ed.). F. A. Davis Company.

Hinkle, J.L., Cheever, K.H., & Overbaugh, K. (2021). Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing (15th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.

Ignatavicius, D.D., Workman, M.L., Rebar, C.R., & Heimgartnern, N.M. (2020). Medical Surgical Nursing: Concepts for Interprofessional Collaborative Care (10th ed.). St. Louis: Elsevier.

Bauldoff, G., Gubrud, P., & Carno, M. (2019). LeMone & Burke’s Medical-Surgical Nursing: Clinical Reasoning in Patient Care (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Harding, M.M., Kwong J., Hagler, D., Reinisch, C. (2022). Lewis’s Medical-Surgical Nursing: Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems (12th ed.). St. Louis: Elsevier.

Potter, P.A., Perry, A.G., Stockert, P.A., & Hall, A.M. (2017). Essentials for Nursing Practice (9th ed.). St. Louis: Elsevier.

Potter, P.A., Perry, A.G., Stockert, P.A., & Hall, A.M. (2022). Fundamentals of Nursing (11th ed.). St. Louis: Elsevier/Mosby.

Wilkinson, J.M., Treas, L.S., Barnett, K.L., & Smith, M.H. (2019). Fundamentals of Nursing: Volume 1- Theory, Concepts, and Applications; Volume 2- Thinking, Doing, and Caring. (4th ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co.

Norris T.L. (2018). Porth’s Pathophysiology: Concepts of Altered Health States (10th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.

Rogers J.L. (2022). McCance & Huether’s Pathophysiology: The Biologic Basis for Disease in Adults and Children (9th ed.). St. Louis: Elsevier/Mosby.

McCuistion, L.E., Yeager J.J., Winston, M.B., & DiMaggio, K. (2022). Pharmacology: A Patient-Centered Nursing Process Approach. (11th ed.). St. Louis: Elsevier/W.B. Saunders.

Skidmore-Roth, L. (2023). Mosby’s 2024 Nursing Drug Reference, 37th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier/Mosby.

Shields, K.M., Fox, K.L., & Liebrecht, C. (2024). Pearson Nurse’s Drug Guide 2024. Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Boyd, M.A., Luebbert, R. (2021). Psychiatric Nursing: Contemporary Practice. (6th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.

Giger, J.N. (2017). Transcultural Nursing: Assessment & Intervention. (7th ed.). Missouri: Elsevier.

Townsend, M.C. & Morgan, K.I. (2017). Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: Concepts of Care in Evidence-Based Practice. (9th ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co.

Mazur, E.E., and Litch, N.A. (2022). Lutz’s Nutrition and Diet Therapy. (8th ed.). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co.

American Journal of Nursing, MEDSURG Nursing Journal, Nursing Clinics of North America, Nursing 201X.

BoardCerts CMSRN Question Bank

The BoardCerts CMSRN Question Bank is meticulously designed to align with the official exam blueprint, ensuring you focus on the most relevant material for success.

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CMSRN Exam Preparation