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Regulatory Exam, Practical Nurse (REx-PN)

What this covers

Every Client Needs category and activity statement of the 2027 REx-PN Test Plan, the study guide that teaches it, and a free study sheet per category.

• Safe and Effective Care Environment18 to 24% of the exam

  Management of Care

  Activities

  29

  Practice

  63

  Mock pool

  46

  The 29 activity statements, in our words

  1. 1Keep client information private and confidential
  2. 2Stay within the scope of practice the law sets for you
  3. 3Draw on evidence, technology and policies to improve care
  4. 4Speak up for what clients need and are entitled to
  5. 5Give and take report on the clients you are assigned
  6. 6Start, review and revise the client's care plan
  7. 7Notice ethical dilemmas and respond to them properly
  8. 8Act in line with the nursing code of ethics, fairly and without causing harm
  9. 9Decide the order in which clients get care
  10. 10Plan your workload so time is used well
  11. 11Assign care to others, such as unregulated care providers, and oversee it
  12. 12Judge when a referral or consult is needed and get the orders for it
  13. 13Take and transcribe orders from prescribers
  14. 14Obtain the client's consent before care or a procedure and explain what it involves
  15. 15Build the client's advance directives into the care plan
  16. 16Work with other disciplines on the client's care
  17. 17Take part in resolving disagreements
  18. 18Know the limits of your own skills and ask for help
  19. 19Make legally required reports, such as suspected abuse or reportable disease
  20. 20Carry out admissions, transfers and discharges safely
  21. 21Teach clients and staff what clients' rights and responsibilities are
  22. 22Take part in quality and performance improvement work
  23. 23Document care using accepted terms and abbreviations
  24. 24Step in and report when another provider's practice is unsafe
  25. 25Include the client in decisions about their care
  26. 26Review and build your own competence through reflection and learning
  27. 27Support and teach new staff and students
  28. 28Draw on Indigenous ways of knowing and healing when caring for Indigenous clients
  29. 29Give fair care with equal access for every client, whatever their sexual orientation or gender identity or expression

  Study guide: Management of CareStudy sheet (free PDF)
• Safe and Effective Care Environment10 to 16% of the exam

  Safety and Infection Prevention and Control

  Activities

  13

  Practice

  39

  Mock pool

  29

  The 13 activity statements, in our words

  1. 1Confirm the client's identity correctly before giving care
  2. 2Assess for allergies or sensitivities and act on what you find
  3. 3Check that a prescriber's order is correct and suitable
  4. 4Spot errors and near misses in practice and act on them
  5. 5Teach clients and staff how to prevent and control infection
  6. 6Apply good body mechanics and safe handling while giving care
  7. 7Make sure equipment and its technology are used correctly and safely
  8. 8Meet the rules that govern restraint use
  9. 9Follow the facility's security procedures, for example for newborns or locked areas
  10. 10Teach the client how to stay safe and avoid injury, such as from falls
  11. 11Take part in planning for and responding to emergencies
  12. 12Use infection prevention and control principles, such as hand hygiene, aseptic technique and routine practices
  13. 13Handle hazardous and biohazardous materials by the set procedures

  Study guide: Safety and Infection Prevention and ControlStudy sheet (free PDF)
• Health Promotion and Maintenance6 to 12% of the exam

  Health Promotion and Maintenance

  Activities

  19

  Practice

  27

  Mock pool

  20

  The 19 activity statements, in our words

  1. 1Care for and teach clients during pregnancy
  2. 2Care for and teach a client before birth
  3. 3Care for and teach a labouring client, outside active labour
  4. 4Care for and teach clients after birth
  5. 5Care for newborns, infants and toddlers from birth through age 2, and teach their families
  6. 6Care for and teach children and teens aged 3 to 17
  7. 7Care for and teach adults aged 18 to 64
  8. 8Care for and teach older adults aged 65 and up
  9. 9Carry out full health assessments
  10. 10Gauge how ready and able a client is to learn and how they learn best
  11. 11Do preventive screening, such as vision, hearing, memory or diet checks
  12. 12Teach clients how to avoid and address risky health behaviours, such as smoking
  13. 13Teach clients how to stay healthy, such as regular checkups and vaccines
  14. 14Plan or join health activities for clients in the community
  15. 15Judge whether a client can manage care at home and plan to match
  16. 16Assess the social and other factors shaping a client's health and act on them
  17. 17Find community services for a client and help them reach them
  18. 18Spot what gets in the way of communication
  19. 19Assess growth and development at every age

  Study guide: Health Promotion and MaintenanceStudy sheet (free PDF)
• Psychosocial Integrity8 to 14% of the exam

  Psychosocial Integrity

  Activities

  18

  Practice

  33

  Mock pool

  24

  The 18 activity statements, in our words

  1. 1Use therapeutic communication
  2. 2Judge how well a client is coping with big changes and offer support
  3. 3Manage the care of, and support, a client facing emotional or behavioural difficulties
  4. 4Judge the risk of violence or aggression and keep everyone safe
  5. 5Check for substance misuse, dependence, withdrawal or toxicity and act on it
  6. 6Care for someone whose senses or thinking are disturbed
  7. 7Build the client's culture and beliefs into the care you plan and give
  8. 8Care for someone who is dying
  9. 9Look for signs of mistreatment or neglect and respond
  10. 10Care for and support clients with short and long term mental illness
  11. 11Assess how the family functions to decide the care plan
  12. 12Read nonverbal signs of physical or emotional stress
  13. 13Support someone who is grieving a loss
  14. 14Help a client adapt when stress or a change in health hits
  15. 15Notice what is stressing the client and how it affects care
  16. 16Notice how staff stress affects client care
  17. 17Find out why a client is not following the treatment plan
  18. 18Care for a client with cognitive impairment

  Study guide: Psychosocial IntegrityStudy sheet (free PDF)
• Physiological Integrity6 to 12% of the exam

  Basic Care and Comfort

  Activities

  16

  Practice

  27

  Mock pool

  20

  The 16 activity statements, in our words

  1. 1Keep track of the client's nutrition
  2. 2Give tube feedings
  3. 3Check the client's elimination and act on what you find
  4. 4Track what the client takes in and puts out and act on it
  5. 5Check how the client sleeps and rests and act on it
  6. 6Judge how well the client manages daily self care and help as needed
  7. 7Teach and help a client manage a loss of physical function, sight or hearing, such as with aids or positioning
  8. 8Irrigate the bladder, wounds or eyes
  9. 9Care for the body after death
  10. 10Check the skin and protect its integrity
  11. 11Find out what complementary therapies or supplements the client uses and whether they are safe
  12. 12Ease discomfort without medication
  13. 13Check for pain and treat it
  14. 14Put on, look after or take off orthopedic devices such as splints or braces
  15. 15Help blood flow and venous return, such as through movement, stockings or compression devices
  16. 16Check and care for enteral tube sites

  Study guide: Basic Care and ComfortStudy sheet (free PDF)
• Physiological Integrity14 to 20% of the exam

  Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies

  Activities

  22

  Practice

  51

  Mock pool

  37

  The 22 activity statements, in our words

  1. 1Take part in reconciling a client's medications
  2. 2Store and keep medications safe and secure
  3. 3Teach the client about their medications
  4. 4Work out medication doses correctly
  5. 5Check relevant data, such as allergies, labs and interactions, before giving a medication
  6. 6Prepare and give medications following the rights of administration
  7. 7Watch a client who is receiving a blood product
  8. 8Judge how the client responds to a medication
  9. 9Handle or give controlled drugs as the law requires
  10. 10Watch IV infusions and look after the site
  11. 11Use a peripheral IV access device
  12. 12Adjust a medication dose within ordered limits based on your assessment
  13. 13Watch a client on parenteral nutrition and judge the response
  14. 14Handle or give high-alert medications
  15. 15Give medications by mouth
  16. 16Give medications through a feeding tube
  17. 17Give injections under the skin, into the skin or into muscle
  18. 18Give medications into the ear, eye or nose, by inhaler, rectally, vaginally or on the skin
  19. 19Give IV medications as a piggyback
  20. 20Work out and watch the IV flow rate
  21. 21Look after pain control devices such as PCA pumps or nerve catheters
  22. 22Start a subcutaneous infusion that runs continuously, keep it running and take it out

  Study guide: Pharmacological and Parenteral TherapiesStudy sheet (free PDF)
• Physiological Integrity8 to 14% of the exam

  Reduction of Risk Potential

  Activities

  19

  Practice

  33

  Mock pool

  24

  The 19 activity statements, in our words

  1. 1Notice when the client's condition shifts or trends and act on it
  2. 2Take precautions so a diagnosis or procedure does not lead to injury or complications
  3. 3Check vital signs and act when they shift or trend
  4. 4Carry out focused assessments
  5. 5Insert, care for or take out a urinary catheter
  6. 6Collect non-blood specimens, such as urine, stool or wound samples, for tests
  7. 7Follow test results and act on them
  8. 8Care for a client before surgery
  9. 9Judge how the client reacts to treatments and procedures and act on it
  10. 10Explain treatments and procedures to the client
  11. 11Look after or remove a nasogastric or orogastric tube
  12. 12Insert a nasogastric or orogastric tube
  13. 13Carry out bedside tests, such as bladder scans or point-of-care checks, and act on results
  14. 14Look after or take out a peripheral IV
  15. 15Start a peripheral IV
  16. 16Teach a client what to expect before or after surgery
  17. 17Care for someone recovering from a procedure under conscious sedation
  18. 18Look after a feeding tube placed through the skin
  19. 19Watch suction on a nasogastric tube, whether continuous or intermittent

  Study guide: Reduction of Risk PotentialStudy sheet (free PDF)
• Physiological Integrity6 to 12% of the exam

  Physiological Adaptation

  Activities

  19

  Practice

  27

  Mock pool

  20

  The 19 activity statements, in our words

  1. 1Understand the disease process behind acute and chronic conditions
  2. 2Spot signs of complications and act on them
  3. 3Explain a short or long term illness to the client
  4. 4Care for wounds and change dressings
  5. 5Watch and look after drainage devices, such as wound drains, chest tubes or wound vacs
  6. 6Carry out emergency care, such as CPR, breathing support or defibrillation
  7. 7Care for a client whose breathing or oxygen levels are impaired
  8. 8Care for a client with fluid or electrolyte imbalance
  9. 9Keep the client's body temperature in a healthy range
  10. 10Care for ostomies and teach about them
  11. 11Suction the mouth, airway or nasopharynx
  12. 12Care for someone who has a permanent pacemaker
  13. 13Help with invasive procedures, such as central line insertion
  14. 14Care for a client after surgery
  15. 15Care for a client with problems in blood flow, perfusion or clotting
  16. 16Judge whether the treatment plan is working for a short or long term illness
  17. 17Remove wound drains
  18. 18Take out sutures or staples
  19. 19Recognize basic abnormal heart rhythms on a strip

  Study guide: Physiological AdaptationStudy sheet (free PDF)

Source: 2027 REx-PN Test Plan and REx-PN FAQs. The categories, ranges and topics are the Test Plan's; the activity statements are shown in our own words (read the official wording in the Test Plan); the guides and items are ours. Every source this path is built on.