CNOR Exam

The CNOR (Certified Nurse Operating Room) certification is for professional operating room nurses. Perioperative nursing is a career that is evolving as surgical methods advance and the health care industry evolves. Registered nurses play a large role during surgery and also serve as a bridge between the operating room and the recovery unit. They work everywhere that surgeries occur, from hospitals to ambulatory care units. Perioperative nurses must be credentialed in addition to other educational and experiential achievements. Part of the credentialing process, perhaps the most important part, is the CNOR exam.

The CNOR exam is a standardized test created by industry professionals. It is a comprehensive and thorough examination delivered via computer. The exam itself takes a little less than four hours to finish. There are nine different competencies that are tested, but within each section, there are various question types. There are a handful of questions about diagnosing patients before operations. Questions ask about specific symptoms and diseases but also deal with patients of various backgrounds. There are questions about coming up with a plan for each patient. There are questions about intraoperative procedures, or what to do during the operation. There are two sections that deal with communicating with other professionals and transferring patients to the care of others. There is a section that deals with instruments and sterilization, while another deals with emergent care. The final two sections deal with managing other personnel and professional responsibilities, such as understanding medical ethics and reporting requirements for government agencies.

The exam is computer-based, and the program delivers different questions in different orders to different candidates. The candidate's final score is based on the number of correct answers they give. Recertification can be achieved without taking another standardized exam but focuses on the continuing education a candidate has received in order to stay abreast of changes within the industry.

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