Writing questions for the CPAN® and CAPA® Examinations – A Great Experience!

By Ruth Joy Shiller, RN, BSN, MS, CAPA

As I walked into the door returning home from work I was told, “Don’t do another thing until you read your e-mail!”  It was exciting news:  “You are invited to serve as a member of the Item-Writer/Reviewer Committee for ABPANC (American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing Certification, Inc.).”  I was thrilled and immediately accepted.  After a notice arrived in the mail a few weeks later requesting the submission of test questions, my mind was preoccupied with writing questions and distracters.  It seemed I carried textbooks and JOPAN journals with me wherever I went.

We met in November, 2006 in Seattle, WA.  We were a group of 12 nurses – 6 CAPA® and 6 CPAN® certified, from different parts of the United States, and an age span of over 30 years apart.  We were from a variety of work settings - rural, specialty, free-standing, major medical center hospitals and even the military. The nurses represented staff level, management, and educational positions.  After the ABPANC’s testing director from Professional Examination Service (PES) reviewed how to write multiple-choice question based on the CPAN® and CAPA® test blueprints, we worked in groups of three. For three days we diligently worked together in one room continuously referring to a mound of books and journals.  Throughout the process, each question that had been submitted was evaluated, scrutinized, and re-written to meet the specified criteria.  We frequently consulted each other for feedback regarding questions within our specialty areas. We located references to support the answer to each question. Then each question was categorized and carefully validated on three scales by a second group. In the end, we contributed 130 questions to the item banks – a record number!  We were delighted and proud of our accomplishment.

Despite our varied backgrounds and the cerebral intensity required to fulfill our endeavor, never before have I worked with such as cohesive group of nurses.  There was nothing but respect for each other’s opinions and expertise.  Not once was there ever a word of conflict. Even when several of the questions I had submitted were either rejected or totally re-worked, it was done tactfully by the other nurses on the committee. We ate breakfast and lunch together at the hotel and then in our free time we continued to enjoy the camaraderie we had developed exploring Seattle.  After returning home there were numerous e-mails with words of appreciation and gratitude.  There were photographs, Christmas cards, and emails that still continue.

This experience was one of the highlights of my 40 years as a nurse. Never before have I worked so intensely and achieved such an accomplishment as with the exceptional nurses who attended this meeting.  I’ve always felt blessed for the rewards of nursing at the bedside but this experience has given me a gift that extends beyond the clinical realm unlike anything before in my career.  If you are a CPAN® and/or CAPA® certified nurse and would like to be considered for service on this committee, consider attending the ABPANC Item Writing/Review Workshop being held in conjunction with the 2008 ASPAN National Conference, Grapevine, TX.  For information, see the ASPAN Conference brochure at www.aspan.org.