PNCB CPN Certification Exam Syllabus

• Growth and development (e.g., infant bonding, milestones, puberty)
• Injury prevention (e.g., safe sleep practices, vehicle safety, environmental safety, bicycle safety, gun safety)
• Nutrition (e.g., breast or formula feeding, introduction of solids, healthy diet)
• Preventive care (e.g., oral health, immunizations, physical activity/exercise)
• Psychosocial stressors (e.g., bullying, social media use, mental health concerns)
• Risk reduction (e.g., substance use, gang activity, relationship/partner violence)
• Sexual health (e.g., pregnancy and transmitted infection prevention, sexual development)
• Building resilience and healthy coping

- Refer child and family to community resources (e.g., behavioral/mental health providers, early intervention services, social services)

• Obtain health history (e.g., medical conditions, medications, family medical risk factors)
• Assess growth parameters and developmental milestones
• Perform physical assessment using a developmental approach
• Assess pain using developmentally/cognitively appropriate tools
• Assess nutritional status
• Assess functional status (e.g., self-care, ambulation, vision, hearing)
• Recognize and anticipate trends and variables that may lead to improvement or deterioration of physiologic status
• Recognize and screen for signs and symptoms of addiction and withdrawal (e.g., prenatal exposure, medically induced dependency, substance use)
• Assess for risks to safety
• Assess for physical signs of maltreatment or neglect

- Psychosocial

• Assess the child’s environments (e.g., home, school, health care setting) for developmental, cognitive, and physical needs
• Identify cultural and spiritual influences that impact child and family health care practices
• Assess impacts of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) (e.g., death of caregiver, divorce, abuse) and social determinants of health (e.g., socio-economic status, displacement, racial inequalities)
• Assess family dynamics
• Assess general state of mental and emotional health (e.g., depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicide risk)
• Assess for risk-taking behaviors (e.g., substance use, sexual activity, dangerous driving)
• Assess for risk factors (e.g., family stress, substance abuse, human trafficking) and psychosocial indicators (e.g., withdrawal, inconsistencies in history) of maltreatment or neglect
• Recognize acute stressors impacting the child and family, and assess responses and coping skills
• Identify child’s and family’s adjustment to acute and chronic conditions
• Assess coping mechanisms of child, siblings, and caregivers
• Determine child’s and family’s understanding of health/disease process
• Assess barriers to adherence with the therapeutic regimen (e.g., motivation, access, interventions, resources)
• Identify educational needs of child and family (e.g., plan of care, priorities, discharge planning)

• Collaborate with members of the child’s health care team to contribute to an accurate medical diagnosis
• Develop and implement the nursing plan of care based on physical and behavioral assessment findings as well as lab/diagnostic results
• Manage child’s pain using pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic approaches
• Respond when a child needs immediate nursing intervention
• Communicate significant findings to appropriate health care professionals
• Prioritize care based on child’s individual needs
• Utilize equipment and technology appropriate for the needs of the child
• Incorporate complementary and integrative health approaches in the plan of care
• Modify plan of care based on child's response
• Integrate complex care needs into the plan of care (e.g., sensory, cognitive, and motor deficits; technology dependence)
• Facilitate optimal nutrition throughout illness and recovery (e.g., oral, parenteral, enteral)
• Perform nursing procedures and interventions as appropriate for the plan of care
• Maintain a safe care environment
• Develop and implement the transfer of care/discharge plan (e.g., inter/intra-departmental handoff, transition to home, transition to adult care)

- Psychosocial and Child/Family-centered Care

• Incorporate child and family’s cultural and spiritual needs into the plan of care
• Integrate gender identity and sexual health into plan of care (e.g., use child’s preferred name/pronouns)
• Implement strategies to address barriers to care
• Implement communication strategies appropriate to child’s and family’s developmental/learning needs and preferences
• Provide developmentally appropriate preparation and support for procedures (e.g., distraction, imagery)
• Encourage developmentally appropriate play
• Collaborate with the child and family in creating and adapting the nursing plan of care, incorporating the family’s needs, values, priorities
• Evaluate child and family’s readiness for discharge
• Provide education to the child and family
• Integrate trauma-informed care principles (e.g., safety, trustworthiness and transparency, choice) into care planning and management
• Provide support for the child and family dealing with grief and loss

- Palliative and End of Life Care

• Provide guidance for anticipated progression of condition and treatment options
• Promote quality of life for the child and family (e.g., massage therapy for chronic condition, play therapy)
• Support end of life decision making (e.g., DNR status, family presence, hospice)
• Manage care and needs throughout the dying process (e.g., symptom management, interdisciplinary resources, support for family)