Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

The FNP certification examination is an entry-level competency-based examination that tests clinical knowledge in family/individual across the life span (prenatal, pediatric, adolescent, adult, older adult, and elderly primary care).

How many questions are on the examination?

• There are 150 questions on each examination. A candidate's score is based solely on the 135 scored questions. Of the 150 questions, 15 are pretest questions.
• Pretest questions are used on the examinations to obtain statistical information for determining how well they perform prior to vetting them for use on the scored portion of the examination. The pretest questions cannot be distinguished from those that are scored. A test-taker’s score on pretest questions does not affect a candidate's final score.

FNP EXAMINATION BLUEPRINT

Age Parameters are not defined for any population. AANPCB uses growth and development for constructing the certification exams.

FNP DOMAIN 01 - ASSESS
Task 0101: Obtain subjective patient information including but not limited to relevant medical history (including biopsychosocial, economic, environmental, family, military, travel, occupational, preventive components), chief complaint, history of present illness, and review of systems to determine health needs and problems by:

• Interviewing patient/family/appropriate others
• Reviewing records
• Obtaining information regarding additional healthcare providers involved in patient care
• Identifying both patient- and population-specific health, medical, and psychosocial risk factors

Task 0102: Obtain objective information based on patient age/developmental level, health history, and comorbidities to further define and evaluate health needs and problems by:

• Performing physical examinations
• Ordering/performing/supervising diagnostic tests and procedures
• Ordering/performing/supervising screening tests

FNP DOMAIN 02 - DIAGNOSE
Task 0201: Formulate differential diagnoses by:

• Synthesizing and analyzing subjective/objective information
• Prioritizing potential diagnoses

Task 0202: Establish definitive diagnoses by:

• Ordering, performing, supervising, and interpreting additional diagnostic test
• Performing and interpreting additional physical examinations
• Synthesizing and analyzing additional information

FNP DOMAIN 03 - PLAN
Task 0301: Establish a safe plan of patient-centered treatment and care that is individualized, cost effective, consistent with best evidence, age appropriate, and culturally-sensitive in order to address the diagnoses by:

• Considering co-morbidities
• Ordering, performing, supervising, and interpreting results of further tests
• Prescribing, ordering, and administering pharmacological therapies
• Prescribing, ordering, and administering non-pharmacologic therapies and/or procedures
• Providing relevant education and/or counseling
• Providing anticipatory guidance, health promotion, and injury prevention
• Making referrals to and engaging in consultation with other health professionals and community resources
• Including patient/family/appropriate others as active participants
• Providing for appropriate follow-up
• Responding to patients in urgent and emergent situations

FNP DOMAIN 04 - EVALUATE
Task 0401: Determine the effectiveness of the plan of treatment and care based on outcomes by:

• Assessing patient response(s)
• Collecting additional subjective and/or objective information as needed

Task 0402: Modify the plan of treatment and care as appropriate based on outcomes by:

• Ordering, conducting, supervising and interpreting further tests
• Adjusting therapies
• Providing additional education
• Initiating referrals and consultations
• Coordinating follow-up and monitoring plan of care
• Including patient, family, and/or appropriate others as active participants

FNP KNOWLEDGE AREAS

• Health promotion, harm reduction, and disease prevention
• Anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology
• Therapeutic communication, change management, and crisis management
• Health history
• Sign and symptoms
• Physical examination
• Diagnostic and therapeutic tests and/or procedures
• Clinical decision-making
• Differential diagnosis
• Pharmacological therapies
• Non-pharmacological/ complementary/ alternative therapies
• Biopsychosocial principles/theories
• Patient and family education and counseling
• Community resources
• Healthcare economics
• Evidence-informed practice
• Legal and ethical issues
• Cultural competence
• Principles of epidemiology, population health, and social determinants of health
• Practice management

FNP PROCEDURES