You've made the decision to take the CNOR exam-now what? Join CCI staff as they review study prep materials, discuss successful study strategies, identify the main components of a multiple-choice question, and apply test-taking strategies.

1. AN INSIDER’S LOOK AT THE CNOR
EXAM

2. We are conducting a sound test. Please type in
the chat box if you CANNOT hear the speaker.
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3. HOUSEKEEPING DETAILS
• Today’s webinar is being recorded and will be
available soon.
• Submit questions via the chat feature in the lower
right hand
corner of your screen.
• Questions will be answered during and at the end of
the webinar.
• If you need additional information
or support, please call us at
888-257-2667 8-4 MT.
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4. YOUR HOSTS FOR TONIGHT’S WEBINAR
Julie Mower, MSN, RN, CNS, CNS-CP,CNOR
and
Dawn Whiteside, MSN, RN, CNOR, RNFA
Nurse Managers, Credentialing and Education
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5. COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. Review study prep materials.
2. Discuss successful study strategies.
3. Identify the main components of a multiple-choice
question.
4. Apply test-taking strategies to sample test questions.
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6. RESOURCES ON CCI WEBSITE
www.cc-institute.org
• Handbook
• CNOR Task and Knowledge Statements
• Study plan
• CNOR learner readiness survey
• Sample test questions
• Contact information for prep-for-cert courses
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7. EXAM PREPARATION TEXT BOOKS
• Current edition of AORN’s Guidelines for
Perioperative Practice
• Perioperative reference books
• Phillips, N. (2017). Berry and Kohn’s Operating
room technique (13th ed.). St. Louis, MO:
Elsevier.
• Rothrock, J.C. (2015). Alexander’s care of the
patient in surgery (15th ed.). St. Louis, MO.
Elsevier.
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8. CCI STUDY AIDS
Go to our bookstore at https://store.cc-institute.org for a list of all CCI study prep items.
NOTE: Purchase of any CCI products is not required to take the CNOR Exam and will not guarantee
an increase in your chances for passing the CNOR Exam.
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9. The Official CNOR Exam Prep
• CCI’s latest exam prep product
• In depth content review
• 100 practice exam questions
• Over 150 key terms
• More than 45 exam tips
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Go to our bookstore at https://store.cc-institute.org for a list of all CCI study prep items.
NOTE: Purchase of any CCI products is not required to take the CNOR Exam and will not guarantee an
increase in your chances for passing the CNOR Exam.

10. OPTIONAL REFERENCES
• Pathophysiology textbook
• Medical dictionary
• Lab/ diagnostic test reference manual
• Drug reference-check hospital formulary or Epocrates at
www.epocrates.com
• AORN Journal
• AAMI standards
• Websites
• The Joint Commission at www.jointcomission.org
• CDC at www.cdc.gov
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11. CNOR EXAM CONTENT
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The Candidate Handbook is found at
http://www.cc-institute.org/cnor/prepare/handbook-plan
See table to right for
subject area
breakdown on
the CNOR exam
(information is subject to change)
Subject Area % of
Questions
1. Preoperative Patient Assessment
and Diagnosis
12%
2. Develop Individualized Plan of Care 10%
3. Intraoperative Activities 27%
4. Communications 10%
5. Transfer of Care 6%
6. Cleaning, Disinfecting, Packaging
and Sterilization
9%
7. Emergency Situations 11%
8. Management of Personnel Services
and Materials
6%
9. Professional Accountability 9%
Total 100%

12. TIME-SAVING STRATEGIES
• Do a self-assessment; start and build on what you
already know, rather than from the beginning.
• Use the subject areas to organize your study plan.
• Start with the areas that have the highest % of
numbers
or
• With the subjects that are least familiar.
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13. STUDY TIPS
• Average study time prior to exam: 3 months.
• Turn off text messages, TV and e-mail while you
study.
• Break content and time into bite-size chunks.
• Review, review, review.
• Be able to apply broad concepts versus memorizing
facts and figures.
From: Shellenbarger, S. Toughest Exam Question: What is the Best Way to Study? Wall Street
Journal, 26 OCT 2011, pp. D1, D2.
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14. CNOR EXAM
• 200 multiple choice questions
• 3 hours and 45 minutes
• Tests ability to apply knowledge to perioperative
practice setting
• Questions are developed by pool of CNOR nurses
• Administered by Prometric
• May be taken Monday – Saturday, except holidays
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15. COMPONENTS OF A MULTIPLE CHOICE
QUESTION
• Stem
• Will provide all the information needed to answer the
question.
• Question may be either:
• open-ended (fill in the blank)
or
• close-ended (ends with a question mark)
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16. COMPONENTS OF A MULTIPLE CHOICE
QUESTION (cont.)
• 4 possible answers
• There is only one correct answer.
• The other 3 “distractors” are plausible but not correct.
• Question often contains a quantifier, such as first,
best, or most important.
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17. ANALYZING THE QUESTION
• Eliminate the distractors by identifying why they are
incorrect.
• Question should be answered according to current
best practice as published in the literature, not
necessarily by past experience or facility’s present
practice.
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18. CHOOSING THE CORRECT ANSWER
• Try to answer the question without looking at the
options.
• Eliminate distractors with absolutes such as “always”
or “never”.
• Review your answers at the end and change answers
judiciously.
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19. COMMON ERRORS IN ANALYZING QUESTIONS
• “Reading into” the stem.
• “Overthinking”-using experience beyond 2 years
• Taking too much time/question.
• Missing the quantifier.
• Changing answers to multiple questions.
• Leaving questions blank.
• Looking for the same questions on the exam that
were on practice tests/flash cards.
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20. SAMPLE QUESTION #1A
The patient population which accounts for the greatest
number of eye muscle procedures is:
A. Pediatric
B. Adolescent
C. Adult
D. Geriatric
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21. ANALYSIS OF TEST QUESTION
• What did you need to know to answer this question?
• If you were unfamiliar with the content of this
question, where could you go to find out more
information ?
• Type answer in chat window.
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22. ANSWER QUESTION #1A
Correct answer is: A. Pediatric
Rationale: Strabismus correction requires early
recognition and is the third most common performed
pediatric procedure between the ages of 6 months and
6 years.
• Reference: Phillips, Nancy. (2017). Berry and Kohn’s
Operating room technique, p. 142. St. Louis: Elsevier.
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23. SAMPLE QUESTION #1B
The most effective way to evaluate a patient’s
comprehension of her upcoming surgery is to:
A. have the patient describe the procedure in her own
words.
B. witness her signing her consent form.
C. ask yes/no questions.
D. document that the patient has received a patient
education brochure.
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24. ANALYSIS OF TEST QUESTION
• How did you choose which answer you thought was
correct?
• Type response in chat window.
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25. ANSWER QUESTION #1B
Correct answer is: A. have the patient describe her
procedure in her own words.
Rationale: To evaluate understanding, have the patient
repeat in her own words what has been explained.
Reference: Phillips, N. (2017). Berry and Kohn’s
operating room technique, p. 371. St. Louis: Mosby.
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26. SAMPLE QUESTION #1C
The perioperative nurse discovers that a sponge is
missing during the closing count for a left lung
lobectomy. The nurse’s first action would be to:
A. repeat the count.
B. notify the surgeon.
C. document the count as incorrect.
D. notify the supervisor.
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27. ANALYSIS OF THE TEST QUESTION
Prioritization: All of the options could have been correct-
how did you choose your answer? (type answer in chat
window)
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28. ANSWER QUESTION #1C
Correct answer is: B. notify the surgeon.
Rationale: The RN circulator should inform and receive
verbal acknowledgement from the surgeon and surgical
team as soon as a discrepancy in a surgical count is
identified.
Reference: AORN. (2016). Prevention of retained
surgical items. In Guidelines for perioperative practice,
p. 396. Denver, CO: Author.
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29. UPCOMING CCI WEBINARS
• Dec. 14, 2016: Last Minute Tips for a Painless
Testing Experience
• Recorded sessions will be available via our YouTube
Channel at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8qq9R2GcQls7
-KAytxqtJA (link at the top right hand side of our
website) and on our website at
http://bit.ly/CCIWebinars
• Slides will be available for download at
http://www.slideshare.net/OR_Nurses
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30. QUESTIONS?
Type your questions in the chat window-we’re happy to
answer them!
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31. Please know that the CCI staff is here to help
you achieve your goal of CNOR certification.
If you have questions, please contact us at
888-257-2667 or info@cc-institute.org
www.cc-institute.org