CPAN® Exam Preparation

CPAN Preparation and Resources

The American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing Certification (ABPANC) provides a list of suggested references to assist candidates in preparing for the CPAN exam. These include key resources and textbooks that cover essential perianesthesia nursing topics.

At BoardCerts, we integrate these recommended resources and the CPAN exam blueprint into our question banks to ensure they are accurate, comprehensive, and aligned with the core competencies of perianesthesia nursing.

Key Concepts on CPAN Exam

Exam Categories: Percentage Distribution

CPAN Blueprint and Focus Areas

Area of Focus	Subtopics	Percent of Questions
Anesthesia	Anesthesia techniques: General Regional Local Moderate sedation Monitored IV sedation (MAC and TIVA) Anesthetic and reversal agents Stages of anesthesia Anesthesia considerations for special populations:	24%
Physiology	Pathophysiology of body systems Physical assessment Physical responses to procedures and anesthesia Potential complications to pre-existing conditions	18%
Perianesthesia Monitoring and Intervention	Normal and abnormal diagnostic results Vital signs and hemodynamic monitoring Complications with emergence Abnormal physiological conditions Positioning Injury prevention Thermoregulation Airway management Fluid and electrolyte management Infection prevention and control Acute and chronic pain management Alternative and non-pharmacological treatment modalities (e.g., cold therapy, aromatherapy, relaxation techniques) Pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics Interactions and incompatibility with medications or supplements Post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) Perianesthesia-specific emergencies	35%
Perianesthesia Care Considerations	Continuum and Transfer of Care: Post-anesthesia Phase I Post-anesthesia Phase II Individualized patient care Environmental factors (e.g., noise, temperature, air flow, latex) Psychosocial factors (e.g., coping styles, developmental stage, religion/spirituality, culture) Behavioral health factors (e.g., alcohol, tobacco, substance use, obesity) Mental health factors (e.g., anxiety, depression, bipolar, PTSD, autism spectrum) Patient and family planning and education: Day of procedure Discharge instructions Communication principles and techniques	14%
Professional Nursing Practice and Guidelines	Multidisciplinary collaboration and referral Evidence-based practice ACLS guidelines PALS guidelines Healthcare quality and patient safety principles Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS) guidelines/protocol ASPAN standards American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) guidelines Regulatory, legal, and ethical guidelines (e.g., Patient Bill of Rights, privacy and confidentiality, advance directives, informed consent, HIPAA, and the Americans with Disabilities Act)	9%

Reference - https://www.cpancapa.org/

References Used to Validate the Real CPAN Exam Questions

The BoardCerts CPAN Question Bank is expertly crafted to align with the official exam blueprint, helping each individual concentrate on the most relevant topics for success.

In addition, the exam candidate handbook lists the following resources as the reference material used to write the CPAN exam questions. These resources can be used as additional study material in your exam preparation:

ACLS Provider Manual, American Heart Association.
PALS Provider Manual, American Heart Association.
Perianesthesia Nursing Standards, Practice Recommendations, and Interpretive Statements 2023 – 2024, ASPAN.
Perianesthesia Nursing Core Curriculum – Preprocedure, Phase l and Phase ll PACU Nursing, Elsevier.
Drain’s PeriAnesthesia Nursing: A Critical Care Approach, Elsevier Saunders.
Saunders Nursing Drug Handbook, Saunders (Elsevier).
Critical Care Nursing, Diagnosis and Management, Elsevier.
Wong’s Nursing Care of Infants and Children, Mosby.
Nurse Anesthesia, Elsevier.

BoardCerts Question Bank

The BoardCerts CPAN 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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