About ICU Basics

Who makes ICU Basics, who reviews it, and how the questions are written.

Clinical reviewer: Alex G, BSN, RN, CEN, CCRN, CMC, NREMT-P, ICU nurse educator

Publisher: Grip Theory LLC, which makes ICU Basics, RN Basics and Medic Basics

What ICU Basics is

ICU Basics is a free practice-question app for the CCRN, PCCN, CEN, CMC, CSC, ACLS and NBRC respiratory therapy exams. It runs on the App Store, on Google Play and in any web browser. Every question comes with a rationale for every answer choice, and the mock exams follow each exam's published length, time limit and topic mix.

Free, no account, no ads

There are no subscriptions, in-app purchases, ads or accounts. Your progress stays on your device. The only data sent is optional anonymous usage analytics, which you can turn off in Settings → Your Data; see the privacy policy.

How questions are written and reviewed

Every question and case is original. None are taken from a real exam. They are written to the published test plans of the AACN (CCRN, PCCN, CMC, CSC), BCEN (CEN), the American Heart Association (ACLS) and the NBRC (Respiratory Therapy Exam).
Each question is checked against the sources listed under its rationale: wherever possible the references the exam bodies publish, and the current guideline the question tests.
Questions are also checked for the "tells" that let test-wise candidates guess.
New questions and one-pagers stay hidden from the apps and this site until they have been clinically reviewed.
Each one-pager lists its sources and the month it was last checked against them.

Reporting an error

Under every explanation in the app there is a "Report a problem with this question" link. It opens an email with the question already filled in. Every report is reviewed, and corrections ship in the next update. You can also write to contact@rnbasics.com.

Independence

ICU Basics is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by AACN Certification Corp., the American Heart Association, BCEN, or the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). Content is for exam preparation and education and is not a substitute for clinical judgment or institutional protocols.