CENP case studies
CENP · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Certified Emergency Nurse Practitioner (CENP) credential is a specialty certification for nurse practitioners who practice in emergency care settings - freestanding EDs, hospital emergency departments, urgent care with emergency scope, and fast-track or observation units. It signals that an NP has met a national standard of knowledge beyond entry-level FNP or AGACNP preparation, and it is typically pursued by clinicians who already manage undifferentiated complaints, order and interpret point-of-care and advanced imaging, perform procedures, and disposition patients independently or in collaboration with a physician. The CENP case studies are 5 cases and about 3,100 words.
1Dyspepsia in a Diabetic Woman: The Anchoring Trap
A 58-year-old woman presents at 21:30 with two hours of "heartburn" that began after dinner, plus a vague sense that "something is wrong." She has type 2 diabetes, hypertension, a 30 pack-year smoking history, and long-standing GERD treated with omeprazole. Vitals: HR 104, BP 148/86, RR 22, SpO2 96% on room air, T 37.1°C.
500 words, about 3 min2DKA With Hyperkalemia and Hypotension: Sequencing the First Hour
A 24-year-old man with type 1 diabetes presents with 12 hours of vomiting after a presumed gastroenteritis, during which he stopped his basal insulin. HR 128, BP 92/54, RR 30 and deep, T 37.8°C, SpO2 98%.
517 words, about 3 min3A "Small" Subdural in an Anticoagulated Elderly Patient
A 79-year-old woman arrives three hours after a ground-level fall at home in which she struck her occiput on a doorframe. She takes apixaban for atrial fibrillation and daily aspirin.
679 words, about 3 min4Cardioversion in a COPD Patient With a Full Stomach and a Difficult Airway
A 66-year-old man presents with two days of palpitations and mild exertional dyspnea. HR 148 and irregular, BP 118/72, RR 20, SpO2 96% on room air.
671 words, about 3 min5The Febrile 7-Week-Old: How Far Does the Workup Go?
A 7-week-old girl is brought in by her parents for a rectal temperature of 38.4°C at home, rechecked as 38.2°C in the ED. She was born at term, has no chronic conditions, and has not yet received her two-month immunizations.
733 words, about 4 min