CPN CLE study guide
CPN CLE · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN) credential is a professional certification for registered nurses who care for infants, children, and adolescents. It signals that a nurse has met a knowledge standard beyond licensure and is pursued by nurses in inpatient pediatric units, ambulatory clinics, emergency departments, and specialty practices who want portable evidence of pediatric expertise. The CPN CLE study guide has 10 sections and about 2,956 words.
01Growth and Development
Growth and development items ask you to separate normal variation from a true red flag, and to know which milestone windows are wide versus narrow. Use the right chart: WHO standards for birth to 24 months, CDC charts from age 2.
342 words, about 2 min02Health Promotion, Screening, and Anticipatory Guidance
These questions test the well-child visit: what happens at every visit, what is screened at specific ages, and which guidance matches the child's stage. Developmental surveillance at every well visit; autism-specific screening with the M-CHAT-R at 18 and 24 months.
296 words, about 1 min03Family-Centered Care and Communication
This domain tests whether you treat the family as the constant in the child's life and communicate in a way that builds partnership rather than compliance. Family-centered care rests on dignity and respect, information sharing, participation, and collaboration.
298 words, about 1 min04Assessment and Physical Examination of the Pediatric Patient
Assessment items test your ability to recognize a sick child quickly, obtain age-appropriate data, and sequence the exam so the child stays calm. Pediatric Assessment Triangle first: appearance, work of breathing, circulation to skin.
299 words, about 1 min05Acute and Chronic Illness Management
This domain tests evidence-based management of common pediatric conditions and the coordination of long-term care. Bronchiolitis: supportive care - suction, hydration, oxygen for saturations below 90%.
280 words, about 1 min06Medication Administration and Pharmacologic Principles
Medication questions are almost always about weight-based calculation, safe dose verification, and avoiding the classic pediatric errors. Verify every order against a safe dose range in mg/kg (or mg/m² for chemotherapy) before administration.
276 words, about 1 min07Safety, Injury Prevention, and Child Maltreatment
Safety questions ask you to give developmentally matched injury prevention and to recognize and report maltreatment correctly. Car seats: rear-facing until at least 2 years or the seat's rear-facing limit; then forward-facing with harness; booster until the seat belt fits, typically 4'9" and 8–12 years.
306 words, about 2 min08Fluid and Electrolyte Balance and Nutrition
Fluid questions test maintenance calculation, dehydration assessment, and safe intravenous fluid selection; nutrition questions test feeding progression. Holliday-Segar maintenance: 100 mL/kg/day for the first 10 kg, 50 for the next 10, 20 for each kilogram thereafter.
280 words, about 1 min09Pediatric Emergencies and Critical Care
Emergency items test resuscitation numbers, drug doses, and the human side of a crisis - family presence, team roles, and debriefing. High-quality CPR for children: two-rescuer compression-to-ventilation ratio of 15:2, rate 100–120 per minute, depth one-third of the anterior-posterior chest diameter, full recoil, minimal interruptions.
271 words, about 1 min10Professional Practice, Ethics, and Legal Issues
This domain tests consent, confidentiality, delegation, and advocacy - the situations where the right clinical answer still requires a legal and ethical frame. Legal consent for a minor comes from a parent or guardian; the child provides developmentally appropriate assent from about age 7.
308 words, about 2 min