CNL (CLINICAL NURSE LEADER) CERTIFICATION REVIEW QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS|ACTUAL WITH RATIONALES|NEW UPDATE|ALREADY GRADED A+
Patient satisfaction scores in emergency department have shown a downward trend over the past three
quarters. As a clinical nurse leader in ED focus is to:
A) Create a script for triage nurse in welcoming the patient
B) Assign a volunteer to welcome patients to the hospital
C) Compare desired outcomes with national & state standards
D) Write a letter of apology to each dissatisfied patient - (ANSWER)C) Compare desired outcomes with
national & State standards
Rationale: Client care outcomes are a measure of quality practice. CNLs must know how to compare
desired outcomes that will improve safety, effectiveness, timeliness, efficiency, quality, and the degree
to which they are client centered.
Which of the following actions illustrates the CNL professional value of altruism?
A) Leading an interdisciplinary team looking at the remote cardiac monitoring process
B) Sponsoring a meeting with the monitor technicians to understand their barriers in the cardiac
monitoring process
C) Flow mapping the admission process of the remote cardiac-monitored patient
D) Editing the policy for the remote cardiac monitoring process. - (ANSWER)B) Sponsoring a meeting
with the monitor technicians to understand their barriers in the cardiac monitoring process
Rationale: Altruism is a concern for the welfare & well-being of others. In professional practice, altruism
is reflected by the CNL's concern for the welfare of clients, other nurses, and other health care
providers.
You are a CNL on the tele unit & orienting a newly graduated nurse. Critical thinking is best
demonstrated when:
A) The CNL discusses with the physician the rationale for discontinuing cardiac monitoring in the hospice
patient
B) Drawing the scheduled cardiac enzymes q8h
Reviewing the patient care guidelines & protocols related to hourly rounding
D) The CNL balances both the charge role & the preceptor role simultaneously - (ANSWER)A) The CNL
discusses with the physician the rationale for discontinuing cardiac monitoring in the hospice patient
,CNL (CLINICAL NURSE LEADER) CERTIFICATION REVIEW QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS|ACTUAL WITH RATIONALES|NEW UPDATE|ALREADY GRADED A+
Rationale: Critical thinking underlies independent & interdependent decision making. Critical thinking
includes questioning, analysis, synthesis, interpretation, inference, inductive & deductive reasoning,
intuition, application, & creativity.
You are a CNL selected to lead a team focused on implementing a multidisciplinary clinical pathway for
acute ischemic stroke & transient ischemic attack. The risk assessment tool that you have adopted
identifies all of the following as independent stroke risk factors except:
A) Age
B) Systolic BP
C) Liver dysfunction
D) Current smoking
E) Diabetes mellitus - (ANSWER)C) Liver Dysfunction
Rationale: Independent stroke predictors include age, systolic BP, hypertension, diabetes mellitus,
current smoking, established cardiovascular disease (any one of myocardiac infarction, angina, coronary
insufficiency, congestive heart failure, or intermittent claudication), Afib, & left ventricular hypertrophy
on ECG.
A lack of compliance with DVT prophylaxis has been identified in retrospective chart reviews of all
ischemic stroke patients in your organization. As a CNL on the neurological unit, your primary goal will
include:
A) Challenging the guidelines on primary prevention of ischemic stroke written by the American Stroke
Association
B) Gaining an understanding of how DVT prophylaxis is initiated on each stroke patient on your unit
C) Developing an organization-wide educational program on DVT prophylaxis
D) Developing a unit-based team of nursing personnel to investigate the problem. - (ANSWER)B) Gaining
an understanding of how DVT prophylaxis is initiated on each stroke patient on your unit.
Rationale:
White Paper: One competency is that of a systems analyst. A CNL participates in a system review &
conducts a microsystem analysis, identifying a clinical issue with a focus on a particular population.
,CNL (CLINICAL NURSE LEADER) CERTIFICATION REVIEW QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS|ACTUAL WITH RATIONALES|NEW UPDATE|ALREADY GRADED A+
You are working on improving the patient discharge process. Which of these targets would best reflect
clinical microsystem outcomes?
A) Hospital length of stay
B) Time of discharge order for all medical patients to the actual time the patient left
C) Number of discharge orders on your unit entered before 11am
D) Total number of discharged patients leaving by llam - (ANSWER)C) Number of discharge orders on
your unit entered before 11am
Rationale: A CNL as an outcomes manager uses data to change practice & to improve outcomes.
Selecting the most appropriate goals & targets will provide meaningful information.
Electronic nursing documentation has recently been instituted in organization. Select a response that
best defines a clinical decision support:
A) A reminder to save & sign your admission assessment
B) A visual red-alert when a patient's potassium is 6..8 mEq/L
C) A pop-up to initiate the discharge instruction sheet with every physician discharge order
D) An electronic nursing care plan - (ANSWER)C) A pop-up to initiate the discharge instruction sheet with
every physician discharge order.
Rationale: CDS is a computer-based program designed to assist clinicians in making clinical decisions by
filtering & integrating vast amounts of information & providing suggestions for clinical intervention.
CNL focus on projects within a clinical microsystem. A clinical microsystem can be best described as:
A) A department-wide program focused on improving continuity of care & patient satisfaction
B) Trending the post-op care on all surgical units
C) The clinical & business processes of a single unit within an organization
D) All medical & surgical units guided by a chief nursing officer - (ANSWER)C) The clinical & business
processes of a single unit within an organization
Rationale: The microsystem is described by the AACN White Paper as the practice level of the CNL.
All are part of the data necessary for a CNL to fully understand & assess his or her clinical unit except:
, CNL (CLINICAL NURSE LEADER) CERTIFICATION REVIEW QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS|ACTUAL WITH RATIONALES|NEW UPDATE|ALREADY GRADED A+
A) The organization financial statement
B) The target population & age distribution
C) The percentage of FTEs
D) Rate of nosocomial infections
E) Fall rates - (ANSWER)A) The organization financial statement
Rationale: A comprehensive assessment of the clinical unit is a foundation for the work of the CNL but
does not include the financial statement of the organization. In comprehending the "big picture" of the
organization, the CNL should have an understanding of the financial health of the institution.
The results of a quarterly report identify an increase in patient falls on the tele unit. Your first action will
be to:
A) Implement hourly rounding
B) Gain an understanding of patient care practices on the tele unit
C) Assign patient personal alarms to all patients at risk
D) Revise the current fall risk documentation form - (ANSWER)B) Gain an understanding of patient care
practices on the tele unit
Rationale: Assessment includes gathering information about the health status of the client & analyzing &
synthesizing those making judgments about nursing interventions on the basis of findings, evaluation, &
managing of individual care outcomes.
You have been asked to lead the tele fall prevention committee. Which combination of team members
would best suit the initial phase of this group?
A) A behavioral health APRN
B) A staff RN
C) A physical therapist
D) The nurse manager
E) All of the Above
F) Only A, B, & D are needed - (ANSWER)E) All of the above
ANSWERS|ACTUAL WITH RATIONALES|NEW UPDATE|ALREADY GRADED A+
Patient satisfaction scores in emergency department have shown a downward trend over the past three
quarters. As a clinical nurse leader in ED focus is to:
A) Create a script for triage nurse in welcoming the patient
B) Assign a volunteer to welcome patients to the hospital
C) Compare desired outcomes with national & state standards
D) Write a letter of apology to each dissatisfied patient - (ANSWER)C) Compare desired outcomes with
national & State standards
Rationale: Client care outcomes are a measure of quality practice. CNLs must know how to compare
desired outcomes that will improve safety, effectiveness, timeliness, efficiency, quality, and the degree
to which they are client centered.
Which of the following actions illustrates the CNL professional value of altruism?
A) Leading an interdisciplinary team looking at the remote cardiac monitoring process
B) Sponsoring a meeting with the monitor technicians to understand their barriers in the cardiac
monitoring process
C) Flow mapping the admission process of the remote cardiac-monitored patient
D) Editing the policy for the remote cardiac monitoring process. - (ANSWER)B) Sponsoring a meeting
with the monitor technicians to understand their barriers in the cardiac monitoring process
Rationale: Altruism is a concern for the welfare & well-being of others. In professional practice, altruism
is reflected by the CNL's concern for the welfare of clients, other nurses, and other health care
providers.
You are a CNL on the tele unit & orienting a newly graduated nurse. Critical thinking is best
demonstrated when:
A) The CNL discusses with the physician the rationale for discontinuing cardiac monitoring in the hospice
patient
B) Drawing the scheduled cardiac enzymes q8h
Reviewing the patient care guidelines & protocols related to hourly rounding
D) The CNL balances both the charge role & the preceptor role simultaneously - (ANSWER)A) The CNL
discusses with the physician the rationale for discontinuing cardiac monitoring in the hospice patient
,CNL (CLINICAL NURSE LEADER) CERTIFICATION REVIEW QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS|ACTUAL WITH RATIONALES|NEW UPDATE|ALREADY GRADED A+
Rationale: Critical thinking underlies independent & interdependent decision making. Critical thinking
includes questioning, analysis, synthesis, interpretation, inference, inductive & deductive reasoning,
intuition, application, & creativity.
You are a CNL selected to lead a team focused on implementing a multidisciplinary clinical pathway for
acute ischemic stroke & transient ischemic attack. The risk assessment tool that you have adopted
identifies all of the following as independent stroke risk factors except:
A) Age
B) Systolic BP
C) Liver dysfunction
D) Current smoking
E) Diabetes mellitus - (ANSWER)C) Liver Dysfunction
Rationale: Independent stroke predictors include age, systolic BP, hypertension, diabetes mellitus,
current smoking, established cardiovascular disease (any one of myocardiac infarction, angina, coronary
insufficiency, congestive heart failure, or intermittent claudication), Afib, & left ventricular hypertrophy
on ECG.
A lack of compliance with DVT prophylaxis has been identified in retrospective chart reviews of all
ischemic stroke patients in your organization. As a CNL on the neurological unit, your primary goal will
include:
A) Challenging the guidelines on primary prevention of ischemic stroke written by the American Stroke
Association
B) Gaining an understanding of how DVT prophylaxis is initiated on each stroke patient on your unit
C) Developing an organization-wide educational program on DVT prophylaxis
D) Developing a unit-based team of nursing personnel to investigate the problem. - (ANSWER)B) Gaining
an understanding of how DVT prophylaxis is initiated on each stroke patient on your unit.
Rationale:
White Paper: One competency is that of a systems analyst. A CNL participates in a system review &
conducts a microsystem analysis, identifying a clinical issue with a focus on a particular population.
,CNL (CLINICAL NURSE LEADER) CERTIFICATION REVIEW QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS|ACTUAL WITH RATIONALES|NEW UPDATE|ALREADY GRADED A+
You are working on improving the patient discharge process. Which of these targets would best reflect
clinical microsystem outcomes?
A) Hospital length of stay
B) Time of discharge order for all medical patients to the actual time the patient left
C) Number of discharge orders on your unit entered before 11am
D) Total number of discharged patients leaving by llam - (ANSWER)C) Number of discharge orders on
your unit entered before 11am
Rationale: A CNL as an outcomes manager uses data to change practice & to improve outcomes.
Selecting the most appropriate goals & targets will provide meaningful information.
Electronic nursing documentation has recently been instituted in organization. Select a response that
best defines a clinical decision support:
A) A reminder to save & sign your admission assessment
B) A visual red-alert when a patient's potassium is 6..8 mEq/L
C) A pop-up to initiate the discharge instruction sheet with every physician discharge order
D) An electronic nursing care plan - (ANSWER)C) A pop-up to initiate the discharge instruction sheet with
every physician discharge order.
Rationale: CDS is a computer-based program designed to assist clinicians in making clinical decisions by
filtering & integrating vast amounts of information & providing suggestions for clinical intervention.
CNL focus on projects within a clinical microsystem. A clinical microsystem can be best described as:
A) A department-wide program focused on improving continuity of care & patient satisfaction
B) Trending the post-op care on all surgical units
C) The clinical & business processes of a single unit within an organization
D) All medical & surgical units guided by a chief nursing officer - (ANSWER)C) The clinical & business
processes of a single unit within an organization
Rationale: The microsystem is described by the AACN White Paper as the practice level of the CNL.
All are part of the data necessary for a CNL to fully understand & assess his or her clinical unit except:
, CNL (CLINICAL NURSE LEADER) CERTIFICATION REVIEW QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS|ACTUAL WITH RATIONALES|NEW UPDATE|ALREADY GRADED A+
A) The organization financial statement
B) The target population & age distribution
C) The percentage of FTEs
D) Rate of nosocomial infections
E) Fall rates - (ANSWER)A) The organization financial statement
Rationale: A comprehensive assessment of the clinical unit is a foundation for the work of the CNL but
does not include the financial statement of the organization. In comprehending the "big picture" of the
organization, the CNL should have an understanding of the financial health of the institution.
The results of a quarterly report identify an increase in patient falls on the tele unit. Your first action will
be to:
A) Implement hourly rounding
B) Gain an understanding of patient care practices on the tele unit
C) Assign patient personal alarms to all patients at risk
D) Revise the current fall risk documentation form - (ANSWER)B) Gain an understanding of patient care
practices on the tele unit
Rationale: Assessment includes gathering information about the health status of the client & analyzing &
synthesizing those making judgments about nursing interventions on the basis of findings, evaluation, &
managing of individual care outcomes.
You have been asked to lead the tele fall prevention committee. Which combination of team members
would best suit the initial phase of this group?
A) A behavioral health APRN
B) A staff RN
C) A physical therapist
D) The nurse manager
E) All of the Above
F) Only A, B, & D are needed - (ANSWER)E) All of the above
