.spoke-cta{margin:24px 0}a.btn-join{display:inline-block;background:#2b6cb0;color:#fff!important;padding:12px 20px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:600;text-decoration:none;line-height:1.4}.spoke-q>li{margin:0 0 22px}.spoke-q ul{margin:6px 0 6px 18px}.spoke-table{border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;margin:18px 0}.spoke-table th,.spoke-table td{border:1px solid #d6dee8;padding:8px 12px;text-align:left;vertical-align:top}.spoke-table thead th{background:#f0f5fa}.spoke-sources{margin-top:32px;padding-top:16px;border-top:1px solid #e2e8f0;font-size:.92em;color:#4a5568}.spoke-sources a{word-break:break-word}
The conversions and rules that recur on the CHPN. Skim before test day, then prove it with
practice questions.
Exam facts
- 150 questions (135 scored), 3 hours
- Domains: assessment & care planning, pain & symptom management, communication, ethics,
end-of-life care
Opioid equianalgesic basics
- Oral morphine 30 mg ≈ IV morphine 10 mg (oral:IV ≈ 3:1)
- Oral morphine 30 mg ≈ oral oxycodone 20 mg ≈ oral hydromorphone 7.5 mg
- Breakthrough dose ≈ 10% of the total 24-hour dose, offered every 1–2 hours as needed
- Reduce 25–50% for incomplete cross-tolerance when rotating opioids
Symptom management quick hits
- Dyspnea — opioids are first-line
- Opioid constipation — start a stimulant laxative (senna) prophylactically
- Terminal secretions — reposition, reassure family, consider an anticholinergic
- Nausea — match the antiemetic to the cause (e.g., haloperidol for opioid-related)
Hospice benefit essentials
- Medicare hospice eligibility: prognosis of 6 months or less if the disease
runs its usual course, certified by two physicians - Care focuses on comfort; the patient elects the hospice benefit and forgoes curative treatment
for the terminal diagnosis
Unlock 590+ CHPN practice questions across 4 full-length simulators — $19.99 lifetime →
Sources & references
The exam facts on this page are drawn from official certifying-body materials, reviewed 2026-06-18 by the DrCertifications exam-prep team (10+ years in exam preparation and publishing).