PMHNP Certification Q & A

The PMNP is evaluating a patient who is being treated for obsessive compulsive disorder with fluoxetine 60 mg daily. The patient has been on fluoxetine for months without any concerning adverse effects, but today the patient reports that for the past few weeks she has had a distinct sense of agitation, racing heart, nausea, and has been really clumsy. Suspecting serotonin syndrome, the NP assess for: 

A. New onset delusional thought 

B. Constipation 

C. Irritability 

D. Recent use of OTC cough medicine

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcyTSz7d4M4&list=PLf0PFEPBXfq5HGfNV-GbOlYHtDwd35OeG&index=76

The PMHNP is on call at the residential treatment facility and is called to urgently see a patient being treated for methamphetamine use disorder. The patient was admitted earlier this day and being and was still being assessed for appropriate psychotherapy and medication needs. Facility staff was performing routine observation rounds and found the patient unresponsive. You arrive at the bedside and find the patient to be unresponsive, with a blood pressure of 78/50 mm Hg and a respiratory rate of 7 breaths/minute. 

The appropriate response is to: 

A. Immediately review the records for all known substances of abuse 

B. Administer intranasal naloxone 

C. Begin CPR 

D. Place oxygen and IV access 

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQTxgzSWDgk&list=PLf0PFEPBXfq5HGfNV-GbOlYHtDwd35OeG&index=75

A 32-year-old female patient tells the PMHNP in the course of an office visit that her toddler’s pediatrician has suggested that the 3-year-old be referred for further assessment because his MCHAT-R score was high. Your patient is upset and does not think that the result was correct. Which of the following findings in the child would support an elevated MCHAT R score? 

A. The child is mostly non-verbal and uses gestures to communicate

B. The child’s growth is not maintaining a consistent pattern 

C. A 5 day history of painful vesicular lesions over the penile glands, with some lesions now crusting over.

D. A one week history of N void dysuria without penile discharge.

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xazBfI7jZE&list=PLf0PFEPBXfq5HGfNV-GbOlYHtDwd35OeG&index=74

Which of the following is a true statement with respect to the CAGE-AID questionnaire? 

A. It is a 5-item questionnaire used to screen for alcohol use disorder 

B. A “yes” answer to 1 item is considered highly sensitive for use disorder

C. A positive CAGE questionnaire mandates intervention for use disorder 

D. Volume of alcohol or drug use is not a factor in a positive result

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HCBrL4iP7o&list=PLf0PFEPBXfq5HGfNV-GbOlYHtDwd35OeG&index=73

The PMHNP has ordered a comprehensive metabolic panel, CBC, TSH, and HgbA1c as part of a new patient screening panel to evaluate very generic complaints of fatigue, decreased motivation, and unplanned weight gain of 15 lbs in the last 6 months, insomnia and increased irritability. The patient believes he is depressed and is asking for an antidepressant, but the NP has concerns that the history provided is not complete and wants to ensure there is not an underlying organic etiology. 

Which of the following abnormal results offers the best explanation for all reported symptoms? 

A. A HgbA1c of 6.8% 

B. An eGFR of 58 mL/min/1.73 m² 

C. A Hgb of 13.1 g/dL 

D. A GGT of 85 IU/L 

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXLFFzW6XyY&list=PLf0PFEPBXfq5HGfNV-GbOlYHtDwd35OeG&index=72

The PMHNP is seeing a patient who has been in Exposure-Response Therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder for the last four months with suboptimal clinical improvement. After consulting with the therapist the PMHNP is discussing the addition of pharmacotherapy with the patient. The patient is advised that SSRIs may be helpful, and the most appropriate treatment expectations include: 

A. Allowing at least 12 weeks for onset of action then maintenance for at least one year. 

B. Realizing that SSRIs are not as efficacious for OCD as they are for depression and anxiety disorders and that remission is unlikely. 

C. The likelihood that change in therapeutic technique will probably be necessary as an adjunct to medication. 

D. Some degree of gastrointestinal side effects likely due to the higher doses of SSRIs needed for OCD. 

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y36NRk-2Oic&list=PLf0PFEPBXfq5HGfNV-GbOlYHtDwd35OeG&index=71

Developmental theorists often assert that dysfunction of some sort during growth and development may result in psychopathological traits in adulthood. 

According to Erikson’s Developmental Theory, which of the following maladaptive developmental conflicts increases the risk of obsessive-compulsive disorder in adulthood? 

A. Trust versus mistrust 

B. Autonomy versus shame and doubt 

C. Initiative versus guilt 

D. Industry versus inferiority 

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQPxhPvMuPA&list=PLf0PFEPBXfq5HGfNV-GbOlYHtDwd35OeG&index=70

A 15-year-old male patient reveals that he does not feel comfortable in his body. 

When considering a diagnosis of gender dysphoria the PMHNP recognizes that which of the following must be present to constitute this diagnosis?

A. A strong desire to be of a gender other than assigned at birth 

B. Feelings associated with clinically significant distress 

C. A need to be treated as the gender not assigned by birth 

D. Plans for gender reassignment treatment 

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwlAnOL5o38&list=PLf0PFEPBXfq5HGfNV-GbOlYHtDwd35OeG&index=69

A 27-year-old female presents for therapy because she and her new husband are having difficulty adjusting to their new roles as spouses sharing a household who both work full time. There have been some struggles with regard to household tasks, communicating expectations, and other adjustments. After identifying the patient’s primary concerns the therapist determines that Interpersonal Therapy is the most appropriate approach to the patient. Therapeutic techniques are likely to include any of the following except: 

A. Role playing 

B. Communication analyses 

C. Clarifying incidents 

D. Examining motivation 

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruwc_xl8EL4&list=PLf0PFEPBXfq5HGfNV-GbOlYHtDwd35OeG&index=68

The PMHNP is evaluating a patient in follow-up and despite appropriate pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy the patient has not achieved a successful remission. The patient states that his therapist is very nice, but that therapy is not really helping. The patient relates that the therapist keeps talking about “phases of change” and steps like engagement, focusing, evoking, and planning.  The PMHNP recognizes that the therapist is using which of the following? 

A. Lewin’s Change Theory 

B. Motivational Interviewing 

C. Interpersonal Therapy 

D. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_Ijalm5sNg&list=PLf0PFEPBXfq5HGfNV-GbOlYHtDwd35OeG&index=67