NNCC CDN Syllabus

The NNCC Certified Dialysis Nurse (CDN) exam has 150 questions, a three-hour limit and a passing score of 70%. About 25 of the questions are unscored pilot items. More than half of the paper, 52%, comes from one area, chronic hemodialysis care for patients with end-stage renal disease. Here is how it is put together.

Curious how ready you are today? Try the CDN practice test first. The sections below show what your result should be measured against and how NNCC's blueprint becomes a plan.

What does the CDN certification prove, and who is eligible?

A dialysis nurse carries a very particular set of responsibilities. In one shift that can mean preparing and starting treatments, watching the machine and the patient at the same time, teaching a person with kidney failure how to manage fluid and diet, and keeping the water treatment system and the unit safe for everyone in the room. The Certified Dialysis Nurse credential is built around that work. It tells an employer and a patient that the nurse passed a standard examination written for registered nurses who practise in dialysis facilities.