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See where you stand before you invest in prep. These sample questions match the
HPCC CHPN style — scenario-based, single best answer, with a rationale
that explains the reasoning. Work each before reading the answer.
Unlock 590+ CHPN practice questions across 4 full-length simulators — $19.99 lifetime →
How close are these to the real CHPN?
The CHPN is 150 questions (135 scored, 15 unscored) over 3 hours, spanning the full scope of
hospice and palliative nursing — pain and symptom management, communication, ethics, and
end-of-life care. The samples below reflect that mix.
Sample CHPN questions
- A patient is starting around-the-clock oral morphine. What should be prescribed
prophylactically?- A. An antiemetic only
- B. A stimulant laxative such as senna
- C. Nothing unless constipation develops
- D. A bulk-forming fiber laxative
Answer: B. Opioid-induced constipation is near-universal and does not
improve with tolerance, so a stimulant laxative (senna) is started prophylactically. Bulk-forming
agents (D) can worsen it. - A patient on 30 mg of oral morphine every 4 hours must switch to IV. Using a
3:1 oral-to-IV ratio, the equivalent IV dose per interval is about:- A. 30 mg
- B. 90 mg
- C. 10 mg
- D. 3 mg
Answer: C. Oral morphine is roughly three times the IV dose, so 30 mg
oral ≈ 10 mg IV. Equianalgesic conversions are core CHPN content. - A patient with end-stage COPD has severe dyspnea at the end of life. What is the
first-line pharmacologic treatment?- A. A benzodiazepine
- B. An opioid such as morphine
- C. A bronchodilator only
- D. High-flow oxygen regardless of saturation
Answer: B. Opioids are first-line for the sensation of breathlessness at end
of life. Benzodiazepines may help associated anxiety but are not first-line for dyspnea itself. - A dying patient has noisy “terminal” respiratory secretions. The best initial
approach is to:- A. Perform deep suctioning
- B. Reposition, reassure the family, and consider an
anticholinergic - C. Start IV fluids
- D. Increase the opioid dose
Answer: B. Repositioning plus family reassurance is first-line; an
anticholinergic (e.g., glycopyrrolate) may reduce secretions. Deep suctioning is distressing and
usually avoided. - Under the Medicare hospice benefit, eligibility generally requires a prognosis of:
- A. 12 months or less
- B. 6 months or less if the disease runs its usual course
- C. 3 months or less
- D. No prognosis requirement
Answer: B. Two physicians certify a prognosis of six months or less if the
illness follows its expected course. Understanding the hospice benefit is essential CHPN knowledge.
How did you do?
If the conversions or the benefit rules felt shaky, that’s what practice is for. Our bank has
590+ CHPN questions across 4 timed simulators with rationales like these, plus a free sample test.
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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).