CRNA (NCE) study guide
CRNA (NCE) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The National Certification Examination (NCE) is the certification exam administered by the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA), the organization that certifies and recertifies nurse anesthetists in the United States. Candidates are typically registered nurses who have completed or are nearing completion of a nurse anesthesia educational program and are preparing to practice as certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs). The CRNA (NCE) study guide has 6 sections and about 1,645 words.
01Basic Sciences (Anatomy, Physiology, Pathophysiology, Pharmacology)
Build the exam around a handful of organizing ideas. Pharmacokinetics : volume of distribution, clearance, context-sensitive half-time, and the effect-site equilibration constant (ke0) explain why propofol and alfentanil wake quickly after long infusions while thiopental and fentanyl do not.
272 words, about 1 min02Anesthesia Equipment, Instrumentation, and Technology
High pressure : cylinders, regulators, pipeline inlets. Pipeline supply is about 50 psig; a full oxygen E-cylinder reads roughly 1900–2200 psig and holds about 660 L; a nitrous oxide cylinder reads about 745 psig and stays there until the liquid is exhausted, so pressure says nothing about remaining volume.
290 words, about 1 min03General Anesthesia and Anesthetic Techniques
Preoperative assessment sets risk: airway exam, ASA physical status, aspiration risk, and NPO intervals - 2 hours for clear liquids, 4 hours for breast milk, 6 hours for formula or a light meal, 8 hours for a fatty meal. Induction choices follow hemodynamics: propofol causes vasodilation and apnea; etomidate is hemodynamically neutral but causes myoclonus and adrenal suppression; ketamine preserves pressure and bronchodilates.
276 words, about 1 min04Regional Anesthesia
Start with dose ceilings. Lidocaine maximum is 4.5 mg/kg plain and 7 mg/kg with epinephrine; bupivacaine 2–3 mg/kg; ropivacaine about 3 mg/kg.
264 words, about 1 min05Specialty Anesthesia Populations and Procedures
Neonates and infants : MAC is highest in this group (sevoflurane roughly 3.3% in neonates), the head is large and the larynx anterior and cephalad, the narrowest point is the cricoid, hepatic clearance and protein binding are immature (more free drug), heat loss is rapid, and fetal hemoglobin shifts the oxygen curve left. Obstetrics : aspiration risk, aortocaval compression after about 20 weeks relieved by left uterine displacement, and neuraxial techniques preferred.
262 words, about 1 min06Professional Issues and Patient Safety
Consent and standards : informed consent is a process - capacity, disclosure of risks and alternatives, and voluntariness - not a signature on a form. ASA standards require continuous pulse oximetry and capnography for moderate sedation and general anesthesia, with a qualified anesthesia professional immediately available.
281 words, about 1 min