Complete digital study edition
Independent Certified Dialysis Nurse Study Guide
Complete Content Review, 1200 Practice Questions Across 8 Full-Length Tests and Detailed Explanations to Master Every Domain
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Master every domain of the CDN exam, for good.
You know the challenge: a broad blueprint, long shifts, and little time. This guide is built to close that gap with a complete content review, 1200 practice questions across 8 full-length tests, and detailed explanations for every answer. It's the preparation you'd design for yourself if you had the hours.
Everything you get
One purchase, everything below — no subscriptions, no upsells, no extra fees. Here is exactly what unlocks the moment you buy, and how each part helps you.
1,200
practice questions — every answer explained
2,000
digital flashcards, ready to drill
~10.3h
of professional audio narration
17
downloadable study tools
Complete audiobook — about 10.3 hours
The entire book, professionally narrated. Stream it in your browser or download the MP3s and study on the commute, at the gym, or on a break — so the material sinks in even when you can't sit down to read.
AI Study Tutor — ask this book anything
A tutor that has read this exact book: ask about any topic, get an answer grounded in its own chapters, right on your access page. 5 questions are included free with your purchase, and the tutor upgrade gives you unlimited questions (fair use: 100 a day — write to us and we lift it).
CDN Exam Blueprint Decoder
Break down the official CDN exam domains into a clear, study-ready.
Dialysis Nurse Study Plan & Tracker
A 12-week structured plan with daily checklists to keep you on schedule.
Fluid & Electrolyte Balance Cheat Sheet
Quick-reference tables for normal values, imbalances, and interventions.
Hemodialysis Access Care Protocol Cards
Step-by-step care protocols for fistulas, grafts, and catheters.
Peritoneal Dialysis Troubleshooting Guide
Common PD complications and how to resolve them confidently.
Renal Pharmacology Drug Chart
Dosages, side effects, and nursing considerations for key medications.
Infection Control Checklist for Dialysis Units
Ensure you meet CDC and AAMI standards with this practical audit.
Patient Education Scriptbook
Ready-to-use scripts for teaching patients about dialysis and self-care.
Acid-Base Balance Workbook
Fill-in exercises to master ABG interpretation and compensation.
Transplant Nursing Basics Quick Reference
Key concepts of renal transplantation and immunosuppression.
Nutrition & Renal Diet Toolkit
Dietary guidelines and meal planning tips for CKD patients.
Legal & Ethical Scenarios for Dialysis Nurses
Navigate common legal and ethical dilemmas with confidence.
CDN Exam Day Checklist
What to bring, what to expect, and how to structure your test day.
Lab Values Interpretation Decoder
Translate lab results into clinical actions quickly and accurately.
Dialysis Complications Response Playbook
Rapid-response steps for hypotension, cramping, and other emergencies.
Study Notes Template Pack
Structured templates for organized, efficient note-taking.
Self-Assessment Progress Log
Track your practice test scores and identify weak areas over time.
Delivered as a PDF and EPUB you can read on any device, plus downloadable audio and toolkit files. Nothing to install, and your access never expires.
Everything you'll master, chapter by chapter
The complete syllabus of this guide — built on the official exam outline.
Chapter 1: Your CDN Exam Roadmap: How to Study, What to Expect, and Where to Start
- ▸ Prioritizing the Four Content Domains in the CDN Blueprint
- ▸ Designing a Realistic Weekly Study Schedule Around Shift Work
- ▸ Self-Assessment: Choosing Your First Review Chapters
- ▸ Pairing Content Reading with Companion Practice Questions and Flashcards
- ▸ Setting Up the Ideal Study Environment for Focus and Recall
- ▸ Adjusting Your Plan After Practice Test Performance
Chapter 2: CDN Test-Taking Strategy and Exam-Day Preparation
- ▸ Understanding the 150-Question, 3-Hour Exam Format
- ▸ The Five-Step Approach to a Multiple-Choice Question
- ▸ Recognizing Distractors and Absolute Language Traps
- ▸ Managing Pacing, Flagging, and the Review Process
- ▸ Using Clinical Reasoning When You Are Unsure: Elimination and Anchoring
- ▸ Managing Test Anxiety Before and During the Exam
Chapter 3: Normal Kidney Function: Filtration, Reabsorption, and Endocrine Actions
- ▸ The Nephron: Glomerulus, Tubules, and Collecting Duct
- ▸ Glomerular Filtration Rate: Measurement, Estimation, and Cockcroft-Gault
- ▸ Tubular Reabsorption and Secretion: Sodium, Water, and Potassium
- ▸ Renal Hormones: Erythropoietin, Renin-Angiotensin, Calcitriol, and Aldosterone
- ▸ Acid-Base Balance by the Kidney: Bicarbonate Reclamation and Hydrogen Excretion
- ▸ Calcium, Phosphate, and Magnesium Handling by the Renal Tubule
Chapter 4: Chronic Kidney Disease in Adults: Staging, Progression, and Glomerular Causes
- ▸ CKD Definition and Staging Across GFR and Albuminuria Categories
- ▸ Mechanisms of Progression: Hyperfiltration, Proteinuria, and Fibrosis
- ▸ Diabetic Nephropathy: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Modifiable Factors
- ▸ Hypertensive Nephrosclerosis and Renal Artery Stenosis
- ▸ Primary Glomerular Diseases: FSGS, Membranous Nephropathy, and IgA Nephropathy
- ▸ Secondary Glomerular Disease: Lupus Nephritis and HIV-Associated Nephropathy
- ▸ Polycystic Kidney Disease, Alport Syndrome, and Other Hereditary Disorders
Chapter 5: Systemic Complications of Advanced CKD: Anemia, Mineral Bone Disease, and Metabolic Hazards
- ▸ Anemia of CKD: Etiology, Iron Deficiency, and Erythropoietin Physiology
- ▸ CKD-Mineral Bone Disease: Calcium, Phosphate, PTH, and FGF23
- ▸ Metabolic Acidosis and Anion Gap in Chronic Kidney Disease
- ▸ Potassium Homeostasis Failure: Hyperkalemia and Hypokalemia
- ▸ Uremic Syndrome: Pericarditis, Encephalopathy, Pruritus, and Bleeding Risk
- ▸ Protein-Energy Wasting and Nutritional Assessment in CKD
- ▸ Cardiovascular Disease: Heart Failure, Ischemic Syndromes, and Arrhythmias
Chapter 6: Hemodialysis Principles: Membrane Transport, Dialyzer Selection, and Dose Measurement
- ▸ Diffusion and Convection: How Solutes Cross the Semipermeable Membrane
- ▸ Ultrafiltration and Fluid Removal: Pressures, Rates, and Limits
- ▸ Dialyzer Types, Surface Area, and KoA: Matching the Filter to the Patient
- ▸ Clearance, Kt/V, and Urea Reduction Ratio: Measuring Adequacy
- ▸ Reverse Filtration, Backfiltration, and Microbiologic Safety
- ▸ Anticoagulation for the Hemodialysis Circuit: Heparin Protocols and Alternatives
- ▸ Sodium Modeling and Ultrafiltration Profiling: Tools for Intradialytic Stability
Chapter 7: Vascular Access for Chronic Hemodialysis: Planning, Cannulation, and Complication Management
- ▸ Choosing Between Fistula, Graft, and Catheter: The Fistula First Pathway
- ▸ AV Fistula Maturation, Cannulation Methods, and Primary Failure
- ▸ AV Graft Surveillance, Angioplasty, and Thrombectomy
- ▸ Central Venous Catheter Care, Lumen Management, and Locking Solutions
- ▸ Physical Examination of the Access: Bruit, Thrill, Pulse, and Arm Swelling
- ▸ Access-Related Complications: Stenosis, Thrombosis, Aneurysm, and Steal
- ▸ Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infections: Prevention and Bundle Strategies
Chapter 8: The Outpatient Hemodialysis Treatment: Prescription, Assessment, and Daily Operations
- ▸ Designing the Hemodialysis Prescription: Time, Blood Flow, Dialysate Flow, and UF Rate
- ▸ Dialysate Composition and Individualization for the Chronic Patient
- ▸ Pretreatment Assessment: Weight, Blood Pressure, Access, and Interval History
- ▸ Machine Setup, Priming, and Safety Checks Before Connection
- ▸ Intradialytic Nursing Care: Vital Signs, Alarms, and Documentation
- ▸ Posttreatment Assessment, Access Hemostasis, and Discharge Teaching
- ▸ Reusing Hemodialyzers: Protocols, Risks, and Current Practice
Chapter 9: Intradialytic Complications and Emergency Response in the Dialysis Unit
- ▸ Hypotension During Hemodialysis: Causes and Step-by-Step Management
- ▸ Muscle Cramps: Mechanisms, Prevention, and Treatment
- ▸ Dialysis Disequilibrium Syndrome: Risk, Recognition, and Mitigation
- ▸ First-Use and Hypersensitivity Reactions: Type A and Type B
- ▸ Air Embolism: Detection, Immediate Positioning, and System Check
- ▸ Bleeding and Anticoagulation Emergencies: HIT, Overdose, and Reversal
- ▸ Arrhythmia and Sudden Cardiac Arrest in the Outpatient Setting
Chapter 10: Pharmacology and Nutrition for the Patient on Hemodialysis
- ▸ Renal Dosing and Dialyzability of Common Medications
- ▸ Anemia Medications: ESAs, IV Iron Preparations, and HIF Stabilizers
- ▸ Phosphate Binders, Vitamin D Analogs, and Calcimimetics
- ▸ Antihypertensive Selection and Timing Around Dialysis
- ▸ Antibiotics: Dose Adjustments, Postdialysis Supplementation, and Monitoring
- ▸ Renal Diet Prescription: Sodium, Potassium, Phosphorus, and Fluid
- ▸ Protein and Energy Needs: Nutrition Screening and Intradialytic Options
Chapter 11: Acute Kidney Injury and Delayed Graft Function in the Chronic HD Unit
- ▸ AKI in Patients with CKD: Causes, Detection, and the Role of the Outpatient Unit
- ▸ Prerenal, Intrinsic, and Postrenal Injury: Clinical Differentiation
- ▸ Urgent Dialysis Indications: Volume Overload, Hyperkalemia, Acidosis, and Toxicity
- ▸ Delayed Graft Function: Definition, Risk Factors, and Dialysis Management
- ▸ Dialysis Considerations for the Kidney Transplant Recipient: Access and Immunosuppression
- ▸ Fluid and Electrolyte Targets in AKI and DGF Versus Stable ESRD
- ▸ Monitoring for Renal Recovery and Transitioning Off Dialysis
Chapter 12: Water Treatment and Dialysate Quality for Hemodialysis
- ▸ Why Water Quality Matters: Toxins, Chloramines, and Biofilm Risk
- ▸ Overview of the Water Treatment Train: Sediment Filtration, Softening, and Carbon Adsorption
- ▸ Carbon Tanks and Chloramine Removal: Breakthrough Testing and Alarms
- ▸ Reverse Osmosis and Deionization: Function, Rejection Rates, and Monitoring
- ▸ Distribution Loops, Storage Tanks, and Ultrafilters
- ▸ AAMI/ISO Standards for Water and Dialysate Purity
- ▸ Bicarbonate Dialysate Preparation and Proportioning Systems
Chapter 13: Putting It All Together: Mastery Review and Transition to Practice
- ▸ Building a One-Page Summary Sheet for Each Exam Domain
- ▸ Connecting Concepts Across Domains: From AKI to Water Quality to Access Care
- ▸ Recognizing the Most Frequently Tested Nursing Actions in Dialysis Scenarios
- ▸ Using Case Studies to Reinforce Clinical Decision-Making
- ▸ Creating Your Personal Weak-List Review Plan for the Final Week
…plus the full-length practice exams with every answer explained.
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