PMHNP Board Certification
2025 – ANCC Exam Review,
Practice Questions & Success
Strategies REAL EXAM!!!!
CAGE - ANSWER ✔---items responses are scored either 1 or 0. A score 2 or higher is considered
clinically significant
OCD - ANSWER ✔---obsessive thoughts interfere with your daily life
-are you concern about things being contaminated, keeping things in perfect order
-do you feel driven to perform certain acts over and over again?
-have unwanted images or thought that you cant seem to get out of your head
layman's explanation of mental illness - ANSWER ✔---Abnormal functioning of
neurotranswermitters. Neuroanatomical differences have been found in some cases.
-can arise from multiple sources, not a single or consistent cause has been established
biomedical psychiatry - ANSWER ✔---mental illness is conceptualized as a disorder of the brain
circuit caused by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factor
,state-dependent learning - ANSWER ✔---when a memory is formed a new neural pathway is
created. If the memory was formed under specific chemical conditions (on a drug, manic), then the
pathway will be primed to work most effectively under these circumstances.
-state-dependent learning in bipolar. Bipolar individuals in a depressed episode may not be able to recall
details of manic episodes. Corroboration is needed.
Assessment tools to screen for cognitive impairment - ANSWER ✔----folstein mini-mental: perfect
score is 30. <24 impairment. If only 9th grade education <17
Abnormal sodium levels - ANSWER ✔----increased: dehydration, methyldopa,
-decreased: SIADH, heart failure, nephrotic syndrome, hepatic disease.
Abnormal Potassium levels - ANSWER ✔---Increased: amiloride, spirolactone, lithium, propranolol.
Decreased
alpha 1 antagonists - ANSWER ✔----vasodilator and used for hypertension
-raynauds
-PTSD and GAD
-benign prostatic hyperplasia (tamsulosin)
-agonism: vasoconstrictor
-trazadone and many antipsychotics
ESR-erythrocyte sedimentation rate - ANSWER ✔---high values indicate autoimmune, malignancies,
infections
absolute neurophil count calculations - ANSWER ✔---total WBC x percentage of neurophil in
differential=ANC
Calcium - ANSWER ✔----increased: >10.8 caused by hyperparathyroidism from tumor of renal
disease, lithium
, PET vs. fMRI - ANSWER ✔---measures brain activity by associated changes in blood flow. Relies on
fact that cerebral blood flow and neuronal activity are coupled.
-In addition, PET has the advantage of being able to identify specific receptors associated with
neurotranswermitter through its ability to image radioactive ligands
ELISA testing - ANSWER ✔----first screen with ELISA. ELISA tests for HIV antibodies. Vast majority of
HIV positive people have detectable antibodies by 3 months after exposure.
Splitting - ANSWER ✔---the individual segregates experiences in to all-good or all-bad, with no
room for ambiguity or ambivalence.
displacement - ANSWER ✔---separation of emotion from it object of discontent and redirected to a
less threatening and intimidating
--example: displaced aggression- If expressing or dismay to the source of the anger could lead to
negative consequences, we may rather than express our angry to a person or object that pose no threat.
introjecion - ANSWER ✔---a process whereby an individual unconsciously incorporates the qualities
of another person into his or her ego structure
Gestalt Therapy - ANSWER ✔---emphasizes personal responsibility. Cultivate a greater self-
awareness and mindfulness.
-greater self-awareness of mind and body
-chair technique: a role-playing exercise. The client is asked to adopt one role in one chair, and another
in the other chair (e.g. plays parent and then plays child)
Hyperprolactinemia and Risperidone - ANSWER ✔----prolactin levels peak the first 6 to 8 weeks
-returns to normal range in 3 t0 5 months
-hyperprolactinemia is dose-dependent
-osteopenia, amenorrhea, galactorrhea, gynecomastia
-get baseline, repeat in two months. ask about nipple discharge, menstruation, sexual dysfunction. If the
patient has elevated prolactin after 2 months but no symptoms, repeat test in two months.
2025 – ANCC Exam Review,
Practice Questions & Success
Strategies REAL EXAM!!!!
CAGE - ANSWER ✔---items responses are scored either 1 or 0. A score 2 or higher is considered
clinically significant
OCD - ANSWER ✔---obsessive thoughts interfere with your daily life
-are you concern about things being contaminated, keeping things in perfect order
-do you feel driven to perform certain acts over and over again?
-have unwanted images or thought that you cant seem to get out of your head
layman's explanation of mental illness - ANSWER ✔---Abnormal functioning of
neurotranswermitters. Neuroanatomical differences have been found in some cases.
-can arise from multiple sources, not a single or consistent cause has been established
biomedical psychiatry - ANSWER ✔---mental illness is conceptualized as a disorder of the brain
circuit caused by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factor
,state-dependent learning - ANSWER ✔---when a memory is formed a new neural pathway is
created. If the memory was formed under specific chemical conditions (on a drug, manic), then the
pathway will be primed to work most effectively under these circumstances.
-state-dependent learning in bipolar. Bipolar individuals in a depressed episode may not be able to recall
details of manic episodes. Corroboration is needed.
Assessment tools to screen for cognitive impairment - ANSWER ✔----folstein mini-mental: perfect
score is 30. <24 impairment. If only 9th grade education <17
Abnormal sodium levels - ANSWER ✔----increased: dehydration, methyldopa,
-decreased: SIADH, heart failure, nephrotic syndrome, hepatic disease.
Abnormal Potassium levels - ANSWER ✔---Increased: amiloride, spirolactone, lithium, propranolol.
Decreased
alpha 1 antagonists - ANSWER ✔----vasodilator and used for hypertension
-raynauds
-PTSD and GAD
-benign prostatic hyperplasia (tamsulosin)
-agonism: vasoconstrictor
-trazadone and many antipsychotics
ESR-erythrocyte sedimentation rate - ANSWER ✔---high values indicate autoimmune, malignancies,
infections
absolute neurophil count calculations - ANSWER ✔---total WBC x percentage of neurophil in
differential=ANC
Calcium - ANSWER ✔----increased: >10.8 caused by hyperparathyroidism from tumor of renal
disease, lithium
, PET vs. fMRI - ANSWER ✔---measures brain activity by associated changes in blood flow. Relies on
fact that cerebral blood flow and neuronal activity are coupled.
-In addition, PET has the advantage of being able to identify specific receptors associated with
neurotranswermitter through its ability to image radioactive ligands
ELISA testing - ANSWER ✔----first screen with ELISA. ELISA tests for HIV antibodies. Vast majority of
HIV positive people have detectable antibodies by 3 months after exposure.
Splitting - ANSWER ✔---the individual segregates experiences in to all-good or all-bad, with no
room for ambiguity or ambivalence.
displacement - ANSWER ✔---separation of emotion from it object of discontent and redirected to a
less threatening and intimidating
--example: displaced aggression- If expressing or dismay to the source of the anger could lead to
negative consequences, we may rather than express our angry to a person or object that pose no threat.
introjecion - ANSWER ✔---a process whereby an individual unconsciously incorporates the qualities
of another person into his or her ego structure
Gestalt Therapy - ANSWER ✔---emphasizes personal responsibility. Cultivate a greater self-
awareness and mindfulness.
-greater self-awareness of mind and body
-chair technique: a role-playing exercise. The client is asked to adopt one role in one chair, and another
in the other chair (e.g. plays parent and then plays child)
Hyperprolactinemia and Risperidone - ANSWER ✔----prolactin levels peak the first 6 to 8 weeks
-returns to normal range in 3 t0 5 months
-hyperprolactinemia is dose-dependent
-osteopenia, amenorrhea, galactorrhea, gynecomastia
-get baseline, repeat in two months. ask about nipple discharge, menstruation, sexual dysfunction. If the
patient has elevated prolactin after 2 months but no symptoms, repeat test in two months.
