ACM-RN study plan

Map the care management and coordination process end to end, from referral through closure, and label each step with the domain-1 competency it tests

Compare case management models (for example, chronic care model versus intensive case management) and write a one-paragraph contrast of each

Identify the standardized screening and assessment instruments commonly used in care management and state what each one measures

Explain how coordination differs from advocacy and from transition planning, with a clinical example of each

Draft a care plan for a hypothetical complex patient that includes measurable goals, interventions, responsible parties, and review dates

Differentiate the case manager's roles of coordinator, navigator, and advocate in three short scenarios

Describe how interdisciplinary team meetings are structured and what the case manager contributes to them

List the warning signs of an unsafe or stalled transition and the action to take for each

Outline the case management approach to the major chronic conditions (diabetes, heart failure, COPD, and hypertension), including monitoring parameters and escalation triggers

Explain how multimorbidity changes prioritization and care planning

Describe the principles of motivational interviewing and write two sample exchanges that apply them

Identify the components of a self-management support plan and how to tailor it to health literacy level

Build a teaching plan for a newly diagnosed patient that accounts for readiness to learn, literacy, culture, and language

Distinguish patient education from patient counseling and from shared decision-making

Describe how to assess and document a patient's understanding using teach-back

Explain the case manager's duty when a patient declines a recommended intervention

Screen a hypothetical patient for depression, anxiety, and substance use using validated tools, and interpret the scores

Describe how to respond to disclosed intimate partner violence, suicidal ideation, and suspected elder mistreatment, including reporting obligations

Explain how social determinants (housing, food, transportation, social isolation) shape the care plan

Distinguish the case manager's scope in behavioral health from the role of the licensed behavioral health clinician

Define the quality measures most relevant to case management, including readmission rate, adherence, and patient-reported outcomes

Explain how to select and interpret outcome, process, and balancing measures

Describe basic program evaluation designs and when each is appropriate

Identify how to use data to justify a change to a care management program

Apply the core ethical principles (autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice) to three case management dilemmas

Explain confidentiality, HIPAA, and the limits of disclosure in care coordination

Describe informed consent, advance directives, and surrogate decision-making

Identify the elements of negligence and how scope of practice and documentation protect the case manager

Complete a timed full-length practice assessment and score it by domain

Review every missed item and write the underlying concept, not just the correct answer

Re-drill the two weakest domains with targeted review

Rehearse the exam-day plan, including pacing and how to approach scenario questions