PMHNP Certification Q & A

Jan 28 2025 54 ep. 6 mins 31

PMHNP Certification Q & A Podcast artwork

This podcast is for NP students studying to pass their PMHNP certification exam. Expert Fitzgerald faculty clinicians share their knowledge and experience to help you dissect the anatomy of a test question so you can better understand how to arrive at the correct test answer.

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Insomnia in Adolescents

Jan 28 2025 6 mins

A 14-year-old patient is being managed for social anxiety by a therapist and is doing well. However, she reports having difficulty falling asleep most nights and is asking for medication to help her sleep. Her mother acknowledges the problem and is open to the option of sleeping medication as this has been a long-term problem. The PMHNP knows that the approach to an adolescent pati

Managing Bipolar I Disorder

Jan 21 2025 5 mins

A 32-year-old female is diagnosed with bipolar I disorder. While discussing with her information about her diagnosis, medications, and anticipated course of illness, the patient asks if she will need to be on medication forever of if this is something that will get better as she ages. The PMHNP advised the patient that: A. With good medication adherence, exacerbations will fade as

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Findings

Jan 14 2025 7 mins

The PMHNP is evaluating a 4-year-old male patient who is presented to care by his new adoptive parents. The patient has been in a variety of foster homes since birth but is now finally in a stable adoptive home. The adoptive mother is concerned that he might have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder because he literally cannot sit still. He is constantly moving, and seems to sh

Withdrawn Child

Jan 07 2025 5 mins

A 4-year-old child presents for care with his new adoptive mother. The child has had a difficult first years of life, having been separated from his mother at birth because she was incarcerated. He was placed in foster care, but his experiences were inconsistent and he was moved around frequently as a result of various relatives trying to get custody. His adoptive mother initially

Suspected ADD

Dec 31 2024 6 mins

The PMHNP is conducting a new patient intake for a 6-year-old male. The patient’s mother made the appointment because she is afraid that her son has ADD. She reports that for the last few years he has been increasingly difficult at home. He is constantly difficult, seems to be purposefully disobeying her rules, and is always “getting into things.” He does not get along well w

Unresponsive ED Visit

Dec 24 2024 5 mins

The PMHNP is called to the emergency room for a stat consult on a patient who reportedly was transferred in by ambulance after “acting weird at a party.” Upon arrival to the ED the NP finds the patient unresponsive. His respiratory rate is 7 bpm, his blood pressure is 70/48 mm Hg and pulse is 40 bpm. The skin is pale and clammy and his pupils are 1 mm. The most appropriate init

Anticipated Abnormalities

Dec 17 2024 5 mins

The PMHNP is evaluating a 14-year-old girl who is encouraged to care by her parents because they are concerned that she has an eating disorder. Physical examination reveals a cachectic female who, at 5’4” tall weighs 96 lbs for a BMI of 16.4. She appears clinically dehydrated, with poor skin turgor. Her vital signs reveal a temperature of 96.0o F, pulse of 48 bpm, respiratory r

Unexpected Symptoms

Dec 10 2024 5 mins

A 51-year-old female is referred from her primary care provider. The patient had a 27-year-old son who died two years ago after inadvertently running in front of a car while intoxicated on hallucinogens. The patient continues to struggle with the loss of her son, and even two years later is preoccupied with thoughts of him on a daily basis. She is persistently talking about him, po

SSRI Response

Dec 03 2024 7 mins

An 82-year-old man with a long history of depression has been treated over the years with various pharmacologic agents with little improvement. Last week the PMHNP decided to try vortioxetine as the patient is clearly despondent, has not responded to several SSRI options, and is not interested in discussing ECT. At this visit the patient appears markedly brighter. He engages in con

Agitated Elderly Patient

Nov 26 2024 6 mins

The PMHNP on call gets a call from the assisted living facility to advise that his 78-year-old patient is acutely confused. The patient, who is treated with mirtazapine for anxiety, insomnia, and decreased appetite, is normally oriented x 3. Today however, she does not recognize the staff at the facility and insists that she has to go home right now as her husband is waiting for he