The CNOR Policy Manual contains a “job analysis” that defines the tasks performed by the operating room nurse and lists the knowledge and skills required to complete those tasks. It is intended to be used only as a guideline for exam preparation, not as a study tool.
Study Bibliography
The following references are recommended for CNOR exam preparation:
- CNOR Exam Study Guide and Practice Resource, 2nd Edition, CCI
- 2006 Standards, Recommended Practices and Guidelines, AORN, Inc.
- Alexander's Care of the Patient in Surgery, Rothrock, J.C., 13th ed, 2007
- Berry and Kohn's Operating Room Technique, Phillips, N., 10th ed., 2004
CNOR Study Groups
You can form study groups with fellow applicants to prepare for the exam. CCI has provided a study plan for your use.
The following article was written in 1996 by Carol Tyler, RN, BS, CNOR, CCI Board of Directors. Its intention is to provide background and assistance with CNOR study groups. For more information on this tool, please contact CCI at info@cc-institute.org.
To many of us, the thought of taking a written examination to validate our level of knowledge and skill specific to operating-room nursing practice can seem threatening. Though your practice may be strongly rooted within one framework of the nursing process and you are confident of your ability to provide competent patient care that blends the art and science of nursing, the thought of having to demonstrate your professional achievement by taking a formal 200-question test might leave you feeling uncertain. Perhaps you're uncomfortable with the testing process and not sure how to prepare. One successful approach is to establish a study group with the objective of providing comprehensive structure for thorough review of the theory and practice of operating room nursing.
Operating room nurses within your clinical environment or AORN chapter may be willing to make the personal and professional commitment to pursue certification and would be interested in the support, discipline, and collegiality a study group could provide. With the support and encouragement of nursing management, several operating room nurses at the Evanston Hospital in Evanston, Illinois, established a CNOR study group. The group leader, already certified, assumed responsibility for the development of the curriculum and class schedule. The group agreed to meet for two hours weekly after working hours. The duration of the course would be five to six months, and sessions would be spent reviewing material relevant to a specific area of operating-room nursing theory and practice. Discussion of the assigned readings for that week would conclude with appropriate sample test questions from the CNOR Study Guide.
Twenty-five content areas were established and a list of relevant resources for each topic were identified. The content blocks were defined by blending the components of the nursing process, the AORN Competency Statements on Perioperative Nursing, the AORN Standards of Nursing Practice (focus on patient outcome standards) and the AORN Recommended Practices for Perioperative Nursing. This structure provided a comprehensive review of operating-room nursing practice and focused on the professional, scientific, and technical components of our practice with the nursing process serving as the foundation.
The group used four reference tools:
- Perioperative Patient Care: The Nursing Perspective of Kneedler and Dodge, Jones and Bartlett publisher
- Alexander's Care of the Patient in Surgery coauthored by Meeker and Rothrock, Mosby publisher
- CNOR Study Guide, copyright CBPN
- AORN Standards and Recommended Practices, copyright AORN
The group leader served as the facilitator for a majority of the sessions, with group members rotating coverage whenever the leader was absent. The group leader made arrangements for guest lecturers when appropriate. For example, a clinical nurse specialist from the ICU was the facilitator for content related to physiologic monitoring (such as Swan, arterial line, etc.) and fluid and electrolyte balance. A pharmacist from the operating-room satellite pharmacy was the lecturer for intraoperative pharmacology. Content areas involving anesthesia care, medications, and agents was facilitated by a certified registered nurse anesthetist.
Over the course of several weeks, a special bond and camaraderie developed between the members of the study group. It became important for all of them to be successful with this endeavor. They supported and helped one another understand and master content. Discussions were often lively, yet always respectful. The study group also served as an impetus to introduce and implement positive change within the clinical setting. It was the commitment and perseverance of each member that made this a successful experience.
This format was used annually for several years and was updated as references were revised and new articles became available. While a study group provides an opportunity for a structured, well-paced learning experience, it will succeed only if the members are invested and committed to its success.
