AACN PCCN Exam Overview:
| Certification Vendor: | AACN Certification Corporation |
| Exam Name: | Progressive Care Certified Nursing Exam |
| Exam Number: | PCCN |
| Exam Duration: | 150 minutes |
| Real Exam Qty: | 125 (100 scored, 25 unscored pretest) |
| Passing Score: | 68 out of 100 scaled score (~70%) |
| Exam Format: | Multiple-choice questions, Computer-based, Live online proctored |
| Available Languages: | English |
| Related Certifications: | CCRN PCCN-K CMC ACCNS |
| Certificate Validity Period: | 3 years |
| Exam Price: | $255 (AACN Members), $370 (Non-Members) USD |
| Recommended Training: | AACN Official Review Courses AACN PCCN Exam Handbook & Resources |
| Exam Registration: | Pearson VUE Scheduling AACN Official Application Portal |
| Sample Questions: | AACN PCCN Sample Questions |
| Exam Way: | Computer-based testing at Pearson VUE/PSI centers; live online proctored; limited paper-based options |
| Pre Condition: | Current unrestricted RN license; 1,750 hours progressive care experience in past 2 years (875 in last year) OR 5 years experience + 2,000 hours total (144 in last year) |
| Official Syllabus URL: | https://www.aacn.org/certification/get-certified/pccn |
AACN PCCN Exam Syllabus Topics:
| Section | Weight | Objectives |
|---|---|---|
| Topic 1: Clinical Judgment | 80% | - Hematology & Immunology
|
| Topic 2: Professional Caring & Ethical Practice | 20% | - Cultural competence & psychosocial support - Collaboration & systems thinking - Patient/family education & communication - Advocacy & ethical decision-making - Evidence-based practice & safety |
AACN Progressive Care Certified Nursing Sample Questions:
1. Of the following, which is an absolute contraindication for chest tube insertion?
A) A lung that is adherent to the chest wall through the hemithorax
B) Multiple adhesions
C) Coagulopathy
D) Extensive pulmonary blebs
2. Which of the following describes the injury which occurs in Brown-Sequard syndrome?
A) Lateral injury to one side of the spinal cord
B) Injury to the posterior spinal column
C) Injury to the central gray matter of the spinal cord with preservation of the outer white matter
D) Injury to the anterior portion of the spinal cord with disruption of blood flow through the anterior spinal artery
3. In situations of acute or chronic rejection, the cardiac transplant patient may be "pulsed" with steroids.
These doses are typically:
A) 500 to 1000 mg IV daily for 3 days
B) 50 to 100 mg IV daily for 3 days
C) 50 to 100 mg po daily for one month
D) 1000 mg IV twice daily for one week
4. Anemia is defined as:
A) A hemoglobin count less than 12 g/dL
B) A hemoglobin count less than 10 g/dL with at least one of the following symptoms: Shortness of breath on exertion, hematocrit less than 33%, and/or pallor of the skin and mucous membranes
C) A hemoglobin count less than 8 g/dL with hematocrit less than 33%
D) A hemoglobin count less than 10 g/dL
5. A medication commonly prescribed to eradicate H. pylori is:
A) Cephalexin
B) Ceftriaxone
C) Clarithromycin
D) Levofloxacin
Solutions:
| Question # 1 Answer: A | Question # 2 Answer: A | Question # 3 Answer: A | Question # 4 Answer: A | Question # 5 Answer: C |

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