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Become a Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (CMSRN®) and Take Your Practice to the Next Level
CMSRN Certification
Medical-surgical nursing is a specialty with a distinct body of knowledge, skills and abilities that are validated by the Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (CMSRN) certification. The specialty is proudly highlighted right in the credential Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse.
The prestigious CMSRN credential has been offered to medical-surgical nurses since 2003. Medical-surgical nurses are the largest group of practicing health care professionals in the acute care setting.
We welcome you to become a part of over 40,000 current CMSRNs who have achieved this gold standard of excellence in the medical-surgical specialty. What's even better is that members of AMSN receive a discounted application fee.
Consider joining before applying. (Membership must be current at the time of application completion.)
CMSRN Certification Do It!
The prestigious CMSRN credential has been offered to medical-surgical nurses since 2003. Medical-surgical nurses are the largest group of practicing health care professionals in the acute care setting.
Prepare for the certification exam with this 12-hour multimedia course. It’s based on a 2-day live course that follows the CMSRN exam blueprint and also provides test taking tips and strategies. The CRC is available for purchase in the AMSN Online Library.
This course is also offered every other year at the AMSN Annual Convention.
Some facilities also host the course and occasionally allow non-employee nurses to attend. Visit our Calendar of Events for availability select "AMSN Certification Review Course" from the drop-down menu
CMSRN Exam Details:
The CMSRN exam is administered via Computer-Based Testing (CBT) delivered at Prometric testing centers worldwide and by Prometric’s live remote proctoring system, ProProctor.
Exam Details
- 150 multiple choice questions. 125 questions are scored and 25 questions are unscored.
- The case study questions are not numbered individually. For example, a case study with four questions might be numbered as 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and 3.4. This means the last question on the exam will be numbered around 75 even if you’ve answered the full 150 questions.
- The progress bar at the top of the exam will show you what percentage of the exam questions you have answered and how long you have left to finish the exam.
Exam Sections
- 10-minute tutorial. This provides you with the exam structure and how to navigate through the exam. Instructions on how to flag items, viewing unanswered questions, viewing case studies and ending the exam are just a few of the features covered. You will be able to read the tutorial at any time during the exam as long as the cumulative amount of time you spend reading the tutorial does not exceed 10 minutes.
- 3-hour content exam. The amount of time you have to complete and review all test questions. The time allotted for the tutorial and the exam survey are not included in the three hours. When you have answered and reviewed all of the test questions, click Finish Section to end the exam. You will not be able to return to the exam questions after clicking Finish Section.
- 5-minute exit survey. Share your feedback to help us create improved study materials and provide a better test center experience. When you have completed the survey, click Finish Test. If you do not answer all of the questions in the survey and fill in the write-in fields, the exam will inform you that you have not answered all of the questions on the test. However, this is referring to the survey questions and not the exam questions.
Results
- Standard score of 95 (equal to approximately 71% correct) to pass.
- You will receive a pass or fail status at the end of the exam.
- Your detailed score report will be emailed to you by Prometric within 24 hours of completing the exam. A total score and subscores in the examination content areas are provided.
- Your confirmation number is required to access the online score portal.
- Subscores in each of the examination content areas can be used, if needed, to assist in further study for those who choose to retake the exam.
CMSRN Accreditation
The CMSRN exam program has achieved the gold stamp of approval. After meeting rigorous standards, the CMSRN exam was granted accreditation by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC).
Accreditation demonstrates that the CMSRN credential is based on a valid and reliable testing process. The CMSRN exam received its initial accreditation from ABSNC in January 2009 and was reaccredited in 2018.
The ABSNC promotes the highest quality of specialty nursing practice through the establishment of standards of professional specialty nursing certification. ABSNC accreditation is valid for 5 years.
For more information about ABSNC accreditation, visit absnc.org.
Certification Comparison
There are two certification exams offered in the specialty of medical-surgical nursing. The Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board (MSNCB) provides a Certification Comparison table of the two certification programs to help you make an informed choice of which one is right for you.
CMSRN Exam Guide
The CMSRN Exam Guide includes information about the exam, the application and exam scheduling process, and how to access valuable study resources.
CMSRN Exam Blueprint
View the CMSRN Exam Blueprint, which is the framework for the exam.
CMSRN Exam Domains
The following Domains of Nursing Practice and associated activities are based on a practice analysis of medical-surgical nursing. Select a Domain to learn more about its associated activities.
- Maintain an environment in which patient confidentiality is assured.
- Assess patient's level of comfort/pain.
- Act as an advocate to help patient meet needs/goals.
- Acknowledge, respect, and support emotional state of patient and/or family as they experience and/or express their emotions.
- Assist patients to achieve optimal level of comfort, using an interdisciplinary approach.
- Modify plan of care to achieve patient's optimal level of comfort, i.e., pharmacological interventions, heat, cold, massage, positioning, touch, etc.
- Provide a therapeutic environment, considering privacy, noise, light, visitors'/providers' interaction with patients.
- Provide culturally competent patient care, including education.
- Support family involvement in accordance with patient's wishes regarding caregiving and decision making.
- Assess for potential for self-harm.
- Identify need of patient/family for support systems/resources and make appropriate referrals.
- Work on behalf of patient/family to help resolve ethical and clinical concerns.
- Coordinate care across multiple settings.
- Identify, acknowledge, support, and facilitate patient/family decisions regarding end-of-life care.
- Identify signs of domestic or intimate partner violence.
- Assess and provide for spiritual needs of patients and families.
- Identify ethical issues in clinical practice and facilitate a resolution with patient, family, and staff.
- Assess the patient's and family's readiness and ability to learn.
- Identify barriers to learning.
- Prepare/educate patient for transition in care, e.g., discharge to home or other facility.
- Provide information and rationales related to diagnosis, procedures, self-care, prognosis, wellness, and modifiable risk factors.
- Utilize opportunities for spontaneous education.
- Encourage patient's and family's participation in establishing educational goals.
- Develop and implement an individualized teaching plan for patient and/or family.
- Evaluate and modify teaching plan based on achievement of pre-established and ongoing learning needs.
- Assist staff in identifying educational needs of patients and their families.
- Assist staff in selecting/developing educational materials appropriate for intended learner(s).
- Teach patient and family about available community resources.
- Conduct and document a comprehensive baseline assessment.
- Anticipate patient's response to treatment and monitor for potential problems.
- Reassess patient based on established standards of care at appropriate intervals.
- Interpret results of laboratory and diagnostic studies and take appropriate action.
- Use invasive and non-invasive methods to collect data.
- Analyze all patient data in formulating a plan of care.
- Participate in medication reconciliation at transitions of care.
- Anticipate the patient's response and needs related to physiological, psychosocial sexual, spiritual, and cultural aspects of his/her illness.
- Prioritize identified problems and modify the plan of care to achieve the best possible outcomes.
- Develop an individualized plan of care congruent with patient goals.
- Identify purpose and appropriateness of diagnostic studies.
- Administer medications accurately and safely.
- Identify subtle changes in patient's assessment to prevent deterioration of patient status.
- Assess patient's level of consciousness.
- Monitor patients for therapeutic responses, reactions, untoward effects, toxicity, and incompatibilities of administered medications.
- Implement measures to ensure adequate oxygenation and gas exchange.
- Monitor and implement measures to prevent alterations in skin integrity.
- Initiate, maintain, and monitor intravenous therapy.
- Identify, document, and report deviations from expected findings.
- Monitor for signs and symptoms of complications of disease processes.
- Implement measures to address threats to patient safety, e.g., falls, seizures.
- Maintain patent airway.
- Maintain integrity and prevent infection of invasive drainage systems, e.g., catheters, percutaneous drains.
- Implement measures to maintain adequate hydration and electrolyte balance.
- Provide care to patients on continuous cardiac monitoring.
- Use adaptive/assistive devices for mobility, immobility, positioning, and comfort.
- Interpret cardiac rhythm strips.
- Monitor for complications of musculoskeletal trauma and surgical procedures.
- Perform a neurovascular assessment, e.g., extremities, flaps, grafts.
- Provide optimum nutrition during hospitalization, allowing for cultural and individual preferences.
- Identify and implement transmission-based precautions based on patient's history and symptoms.
- Monitor effectiveness of nutritional interventions.
- Develop and implement a wound management strategy.
- Care for patient receiving IV patient-controlled analgesia.
- Perform central line dressing change.
- Administer heparin drip.
- Apply and/or monitor devices used to immobilize affected area, e.g., cast, splint, collar, etc.
- Care for patient receiving epidural analgesia.
- Provide care for patients who have chest drainage systems.
- Recognize signs that a patient’s condition is deteriorating and take appropriate action.
- Obtain appropriate orders to address a change in the patient’s condition.
- Determine priorities in rapidly changing situations.
- Use existing guidelines/protocols/policies to respond to changing patient situations, e.g., hypoglycemia, wound dehiscence.
- Use existing guidelines/protocols/policies to respond to urgent and emergent situations, e.g., acute chest pain, stroke.
- Initiate basic life support.
- Communicate effectively to the healthcare team.
- Question/clarify orders as appropriate.
- Incorporate evidence-based practice into the patient's plan of care.
- Coordinate and/or participate in interdisciplinary activities to ensure consistent patient outcomes, e.g., core measures.
- Report system failures, e.g., chain of command, equipment, safety, medication administration, computer systems.
- Assist nursing staff in incorporating evidence-based practice and quality improvement into practice.
- Participate in quality improvement activities.
- Identify clinical problems for further investigation.
- Practice in accordance with the rules and regulations of the state board of nursing in state(s) of licensure.
- Adhere to the Scope and Standards of Medical-Surgical Nursing Practice.
- Utilize electronic/computer resources to optimize patient care.
- Set priorities based on assignment, unit, and institutional needs.
- Act as a professional role model.
- Participate as an active member of the interdisciplinary healthcare team.
- Delegate patient care assignments based on competency levels and scope of practice of healthcare team members.
- Act as a resource for other nurses on the unit.
- Provide collaborative, interdisciplinary, coordinated care.
- Incorporate strategies that support effective team dynamics in a caring and nurturing environment.
- Evaluate own practice based on established standards of care.
- Evaluate nursing care based on outcome criteria.
- Recognize unsafe work practices (nurse/patient ratio, ergonomics, standard precautions, etc.) and intervene appropriately.
- Identify, develop, and implement strategies to reduce readmissions.
- Use the chain of command appropriately.
- Serve as consultant to nursing staff and other disciplines.
- Coordinate and/or participate in interdisciplinary activities to ensure consistent patient outcomes, e.g., core measures.
- Identify, develop, and implement strategies to decrease length of stay while improving patient/family/staff satisfaction and patient care.
- Provide expert support to unit educators, preceptors, and nurse managers.
- Follow institutional policies and procedures in response to an internal or external crisis or event.
Please contact us with any questions you may have about Certification.
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