Page 1 of 250
CLINICAL NURSE LEADER (CNL) CERTIFICATION EXAM WITH
STUDY GUIDE ALL 500 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
SOLUTIONS JUST RELEASED THIS YEAR
CLINICAL NURSE LEADER (CNL) CERTIFICATION EXAM 1
QUESTION: You are a CNL on the tele unit & orienting a newly graduated nurse. Critical thinking
is best demonstrated when:
A) The CNL discusses with the physician the rationale for discontinuing cardiac monitoring in the
hospice patient
B) Drawing the scheduled cardiac enzymes q8h
Reviewing the patient care guidelines & protocols related to hourly rounding
D) The CNL balances both the charge role & the preceptor role simultaneously - ANSWER✔✔A)
The CNL discusses with the physician the rationale for discontinuing cardiac monitoring in the
hospice patient
Rationale: Critical thinking underlies independent & interdependent decision making. Critical
thinking includes questioning, analysis, synthesis, interpretation, inference, inductive &
deductive reasoning, intuition, application, & creativity.
QUESTION: You are a CNL selected to lead a team focused on implementing a multidisciplinary
clinical pathway for acute ischemic stroke & transient ischemic attack. The risk assessment tool
that you have adopted identifies all of the following as independent stroke risk factors except:
A) Age
, Page 2 of 250
B) Systolic BP
C) Liver dysfunction
D) Current smoking
E) Diabetes mellitus - ANSWER✔✔C) Liver Dysfunction
Rationale: Independent stroke predictors include age, systolic BP, hypertension, diabetes
mellitus, current smoking, established cardiovascular disease (any one of myocardiac infarction,
angina, coronary insufficiency, congestive heart failure, or intermittent claudication), Afib, & left
ventricular hypertrophy on ECG.
QUESTION: A lack of compliance with DVT prophylaxis has been identified in retrospective chart
reviews of all ischemic stroke patients in your organization. As a CNL on the neurological unit,
your primary goal will include:
A) Challenging the guidelines on primary prevention of ischemic stroke written by the American
Stroke Association
B) Gaining an understanding of how DVT prophylaxis is initiated on each stroke patient on your
unit
C) Developing an organization-wide educational program on DVT prophylaxis
D) Developing a unit-based team of nursing personnel to investigate the problem. -
ANSWER✔✔B) Gaining an understanding of how DVT prophylaxis is initiated on each stroke
patient on your unit.
Rationale:
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White Paper: One competency is that of a systems analyst. A CNL participates in a system
review & conducts a microsystem analysis, identifying a clinical issue with a focus on a particular
population.
Patient satisfaction scores in emergency department have shown a downward trend over the
past three quarters. As a clinical nurse leader in ED focus is to:
A) Create a script for triage nurse in welcoming the patient
B) Assign a volunteer to welcome patients to the hospital
C) Compare desired outcomes with national & state standards
D) Write a letter of apology to each dissatisfied patient - ANSWER✔✔C) Compare desired
outcomes with national & State standards
Rationale: Client care outcomes are a measure of quality practice. CNLs must know how to
compare desired outcomes that will improve safety, effectiveness, timeliness, efficiency, quality,
and the degree to which they are client centered.
QUESTION: Which of the following actions illustrates the CNL professional value of altruism?
A) Leading an interdisciplinary team looking at the remote cardiac monitoring process
B) Sponsoring a meeting with the monitor technicians to understand their barriers in the cardiac
monitoring process
C) Flow mapping the admission process of the remote cardiac-monitored patient
, Page 4 of 250
D) Editing the policy for the remote cardiac monitoring process. - ANSWER✔✔B) Sponsoring a
meeting with the monitor technicians to understand their barriers in the cardiac monitoring
process
Rationale: Altruism is a concern for the welfare & well-being of others. In professional practice,
altruism is reflected by the CNL's concern for the welfare of clients, other nurses, and other
health care providers.
QUESTION: You are working on improving the patient discharge process. Which of these targets
would best reflect clinical microsystem outcomes?
A) Hospital length of stay
B) Time of discharge order for all medical patients to the actual time the patient left
C) Number of discharge orders on your unit entered before 11am
D) Total number of discharged patients leaving by llam - ANSWER✔✔C) Number of discharge
orders on your unit entered before 11am
Rationale: A CNL as an outcomes manager uses data to change practice & to improve outcomes.
Selecting the most appropriate goals & targets will provide meaningful information.
QUESTION: Electronic nursing documentation has recently been instituted in organization.
Select a response that best defines a clinical decision support:
A) A reminder to save & sign your admission assessment
CLINICAL NURSE LEADER (CNL) CERTIFICATION EXAM WITH
STUDY GUIDE ALL 500 QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
SOLUTIONS JUST RELEASED THIS YEAR
CLINICAL NURSE LEADER (CNL) CERTIFICATION EXAM 1
QUESTION: You are a CNL on the tele unit & orienting a newly graduated nurse. Critical thinking
is best demonstrated when:
A) The CNL discusses with the physician the rationale for discontinuing cardiac monitoring in the
hospice patient
B) Drawing the scheduled cardiac enzymes q8h
Reviewing the patient care guidelines & protocols related to hourly rounding
D) The CNL balances both the charge role & the preceptor role simultaneously - ANSWER✔✔A)
The CNL discusses with the physician the rationale for discontinuing cardiac monitoring in the
hospice patient
Rationale: Critical thinking underlies independent & interdependent decision making. Critical
thinking includes questioning, analysis, synthesis, interpretation, inference, inductive &
deductive reasoning, intuition, application, & creativity.
QUESTION: You are a CNL selected to lead a team focused on implementing a multidisciplinary
clinical pathway for acute ischemic stroke & transient ischemic attack. The risk assessment tool
that you have adopted identifies all of the following as independent stroke risk factors except:
A) Age
, Page 2 of 250
B) Systolic BP
C) Liver dysfunction
D) Current smoking
E) Diabetes mellitus - ANSWER✔✔C) Liver Dysfunction
Rationale: Independent stroke predictors include age, systolic BP, hypertension, diabetes
mellitus, current smoking, established cardiovascular disease (any one of myocardiac infarction,
angina, coronary insufficiency, congestive heart failure, or intermittent claudication), Afib, & left
ventricular hypertrophy on ECG.
QUESTION: A lack of compliance with DVT prophylaxis has been identified in retrospective chart
reviews of all ischemic stroke patients in your organization. As a CNL on the neurological unit,
your primary goal will include:
A) Challenging the guidelines on primary prevention of ischemic stroke written by the American
Stroke Association
B) Gaining an understanding of how DVT prophylaxis is initiated on each stroke patient on your
unit
C) Developing an organization-wide educational program on DVT prophylaxis
D) Developing a unit-based team of nursing personnel to investigate the problem. -
ANSWER✔✔B) Gaining an understanding of how DVT prophylaxis is initiated on each stroke
patient on your unit.
Rationale:
, Page 3 of 250
White Paper: One competency is that of a systems analyst. A CNL participates in a system
review & conducts a microsystem analysis, identifying a clinical issue with a focus on a particular
population.
Patient satisfaction scores in emergency department have shown a downward trend over the
past three quarters. As a clinical nurse leader in ED focus is to:
A) Create a script for triage nurse in welcoming the patient
B) Assign a volunteer to welcome patients to the hospital
C) Compare desired outcomes with national & state standards
D) Write a letter of apology to each dissatisfied patient - ANSWER✔✔C) Compare desired
outcomes with national & State standards
Rationale: Client care outcomes are a measure of quality practice. CNLs must know how to
compare desired outcomes that will improve safety, effectiveness, timeliness, efficiency, quality,
and the degree to which they are client centered.
QUESTION: Which of the following actions illustrates the CNL professional value of altruism?
A) Leading an interdisciplinary team looking at the remote cardiac monitoring process
B) Sponsoring a meeting with the monitor technicians to understand their barriers in the cardiac
monitoring process
C) Flow mapping the admission process of the remote cardiac-monitored patient
, Page 4 of 250
D) Editing the policy for the remote cardiac monitoring process. - ANSWER✔✔B) Sponsoring a
meeting with the monitor technicians to understand their barriers in the cardiac monitoring
process
Rationale: Altruism is a concern for the welfare & well-being of others. In professional practice,
altruism is reflected by the CNL's concern for the welfare of clients, other nurses, and other
health care providers.
QUESTION: You are working on improving the patient discharge process. Which of these targets
would best reflect clinical microsystem outcomes?
A) Hospital length of stay
B) Time of discharge order for all medical patients to the actual time the patient left
C) Number of discharge orders on your unit entered before 11am
D) Total number of discharged patients leaving by llam - ANSWER✔✔C) Number of discharge
orders on your unit entered before 11am
Rationale: A CNL as an outcomes manager uses data to change practice & to improve outcomes.
Selecting the most appropriate goals & targets will provide meaningful information.
QUESTION: Electronic nursing documentation has recently been instituted in organization.
Select a response that best defines a clinical decision support:
A) A reminder to save & sign your admission assessment
