10 exam-style questions with answers and explanations, straight from our 1,035-question bank. Tap an answer to check yourself. When you're ready, take the scored version in the free practice test.
The CNN exam has 150 questions and runs 3 hours.
These 10 free CNN questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Certified Nephrology Nurse blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
A patient with stage G4 chronic kidney disease has a hemoglobin of 9.2 g/dL. Iron studies are within normal limits and there is no evidence of bleeding. Which factor is the PRIMARY cause of this patient's anemia?
Correct answer: A - Reduced erythropoietin production by the kidneys
A patient newly prescribed sevelamer asks when to take the medication. To achieve the intended therapeutic effect, the nurse instructs the patient to take each dose:
Correct answer: D - With meals, so it can bind phosphorus in the food being eaten
A hemodialysis patient's serum potassium is 6.9 mEq/L, and the cardiac monitor shows peaked T waves. Which intervention should the nurse anticipate administering FIRST?
Correct answer: A - Intravenous calcium gluconate
While preparing to initiate hemodialysis, the nurse can no longer palpate a thrill or auscultate a bruit over the patient's AV fistula. Which action should the nurse take FIRST?
Correct answer: C - Notify the provider, as the fistula may be thrombosed
A hospitalized patient with a baseline serum creatinine of 0.9 mg/dL is found to have a creatinine of 2.7 mg/dL. Urine output has been 0.4 mL/kg/h for the past 14 hours. Using KDIGO criteria, this represents which stage of acute kidney injury?
Correct answer: C - Stage 3
A patient's pre-dialysis BUN is 90 mg/dL and the post-dialysis BUN is 27 mg/dL. What is the urea reduction ratio (URR) for this treatment?
Correct answer: D - 70%
A peritoneal dialysis patient reports cloudy drainage effluent and diffuse abdominal pain. Which action is the priority?
Correct answer: B - Obtain effluent for cell count, Gram stain, and culture and notify the provider
A peritoneal dialysis patient reports that dialysate is draining slowly and incompletely, but there is no pain and the effluent is clear. Which is the MOST common cause of this outflow problem?
Correct answer: A - Constipation, because a distended bowel impedes catheter drainage
During a home hemodialysis treatment, the venous needle dislodges completely and blood is rapidly escaping from the patient's access site. After stopping the blood pump, what should the patient be taught to do to control the blood loss?
Correct answer: B - Apply firm direct pressure to the bleeding access site
Minutes after the vascular clamps are released during kidney transplantation, the allograft becomes mottled and cyanotic and rapidly loses function. This presentation is most consistent with which type of rejection?
Correct answer: D - Hyperacute rejection, caused by preformed recipient antibodies against donor antigen
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