CCRN/PPCN certification Exam AACN
critical care exam 1 (part 1) Questions
and Answers Updated 2026
two main professional organizations that support critical care? which one best supports critical care
nurses? - AnswerName the two organizations
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM)
Which one do you think best supports critical care nurses?
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
dedicated to providing knowledge and resources to those caring for acutely and critically ill patients
AACN: mission? vision? values? - AnswerMission: focuses on assisting acute and critical care nurses
to attain knowledge and influence to deliver excellence care
Vision: supports creating a health care system driven by the needs of patients and families in which
critical care nurses make their optimal contributions, which is described as synergy (mixture of nurse,
system, and patient along with patient characteristics and nurse competencies)
Values: accountability, advocacy, integrity, collaboration, leadership, stewardship, lifelong learning,
quality, innovation, and commitment
what is the synergy model and how is it used in practice? - AnswerThe Synergy Model focuses on the
extent to which nurses' competencies match patients' characteristics. The goal of Synergy Model
nursing is to "restore the patient to an optimal level of wellness as defined by the patient and family
certifications: CCRN? PCCN? ACCNS? ACNPC-AG? why are certifications important? - AnswerCCRN →
nurses who provide care for critically ill adult, pediatric, or neonatal populations
PCCN → nurses who provide acute care in progressive care, telemetry, and similar units
Once nurses achieve the CCRN or PCCN credential, they can be eligible to sit for additional
subspeciality certification in cardiac medicine or cardiac surgery
ACCNS→ acute and critical care clinical nurse specialist
ACNPC-AG→ acute care nurse practitioners
Why are certifications important?
validates knowledge of critical care nursing, promotes professional excellence, and helps nurse to
maintain a current knowledge base
, What 4 specific projects/organizations are in place to assist nurses in providing safe care? -
AnswerThe Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN)
National Patient Safety Goals→ by the Joint Commission
Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
rapid response teams/ medical emergency teams
what does QSEN do? - Answerroadmap for integrating quality and safety principles into prelicensure
nursing education
six core competencies: patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence-based practice,
quality improvement, informatics, and safety
What do national patient safety goals do? - Answerreduce medical errors and promote an
environment that facilitates safe practices
reduce infections
ex. improve accuracy of patient identification, improve communication among health care providers,
improve medication safety, use alarms safely, reduce risk of healthcare- associated infections,
identify safety risk, and prevent complications associated with surgery and procedures
What does IHI do? - Answeraction plan for reducing health care-associated infections and preventing
infections with multidrug-resistant organisms
promoted the concept of bundles of care to reduce harms, such as infections
bundles→ evidence-based practices that are done as a whole to improve outcomes (ex. ventilator
bundle)
What is the goal of rapid response teams? - Answergoal→ identify and manage both stable and
unstable patients and those at high risk for cardiopulmonary arrest to prevent unnecessary deaths
Can you explain what a bundle of care is? Give an example of one you may see at the bedside? -
AnswerCan you explain what a bundle of care is?
Bundle of Care→ evidence based best practices that are done as a whole to improve outcomes
A "bundle" is a group of interventions related to a disease process that, when executed together,
result in better outcomes than when implemented individually.
Give an example of one you may see at the bedside
Ventilator Bundle
critical care exam 1 (part 1) Questions
and Answers Updated 2026
two main professional organizations that support critical care? which one best supports critical care
nurses? - AnswerName the two organizations
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM)
Which one do you think best supports critical care nurses?
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
dedicated to providing knowledge and resources to those caring for acutely and critically ill patients
AACN: mission? vision? values? - AnswerMission: focuses on assisting acute and critical care nurses
to attain knowledge and influence to deliver excellence care
Vision: supports creating a health care system driven by the needs of patients and families in which
critical care nurses make their optimal contributions, which is described as synergy (mixture of nurse,
system, and patient along with patient characteristics and nurse competencies)
Values: accountability, advocacy, integrity, collaboration, leadership, stewardship, lifelong learning,
quality, innovation, and commitment
what is the synergy model and how is it used in practice? - AnswerThe Synergy Model focuses on the
extent to which nurses' competencies match patients' characteristics. The goal of Synergy Model
nursing is to "restore the patient to an optimal level of wellness as defined by the patient and family
certifications: CCRN? PCCN? ACCNS? ACNPC-AG? why are certifications important? - AnswerCCRN →
nurses who provide care for critically ill adult, pediatric, or neonatal populations
PCCN → nurses who provide acute care in progressive care, telemetry, and similar units
Once nurses achieve the CCRN or PCCN credential, they can be eligible to sit for additional
subspeciality certification in cardiac medicine or cardiac surgery
ACCNS→ acute and critical care clinical nurse specialist
ACNPC-AG→ acute care nurse practitioners
Why are certifications important?
validates knowledge of critical care nursing, promotes professional excellence, and helps nurse to
maintain a current knowledge base
, What 4 specific projects/organizations are in place to assist nurses in providing safe care? -
AnswerThe Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN)
National Patient Safety Goals→ by the Joint Commission
Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
rapid response teams/ medical emergency teams
what does QSEN do? - Answerroadmap for integrating quality and safety principles into prelicensure
nursing education
six core competencies: patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence-based practice,
quality improvement, informatics, and safety
What do national patient safety goals do? - Answerreduce medical errors and promote an
environment that facilitates safe practices
reduce infections
ex. improve accuracy of patient identification, improve communication among health care providers,
improve medication safety, use alarms safely, reduce risk of healthcare- associated infections,
identify safety risk, and prevent complications associated with surgery and procedures
What does IHI do? - Answeraction plan for reducing health care-associated infections and preventing
infections with multidrug-resistant organisms
promoted the concept of bundles of care to reduce harms, such as infections
bundles→ evidence-based practices that are done as a whole to improve outcomes (ex. ventilator
bundle)
What is the goal of rapid response teams? - Answergoal→ identify and manage both stable and
unstable patients and those at high risk for cardiopulmonary arrest to prevent unnecessary deaths
Can you explain what a bundle of care is? Give an example of one you may see at the bedside? -
AnswerCan you explain what a bundle of care is?
Bundle of Care→ evidence based best practices that are done as a whole to improve outcomes
A "bundle" is a group of interventions related to a disease process that, when executed together,
result in better outcomes than when implemented individually.
Give an example of one you may see at the bedside
Ventilator Bundle
