MAC (NBCRNA) study plan

Build a one-page diagnostic decision tree that walks from presenting concern to differential diagnosis for the four most common adult presentations, citing DSM-5-TR criteria you write out yourself.

List the six most frequently tested ethical principles and, for each, write two original vignettes where two principles collide and state which governs and why.

Define the limits of confidentiality, including mandated reporting thresholds for suspected child and elder abuse, and record the exact statutory language you would be expected to know.

Create a spaced-repetition deck of 60 cards covering diagnostic criteria, specifiers, and ethics terms, and complete the first two review cycles.

Distinguish the screening, assessment, and diagnosis phases by writing a worked case in which you show what data belongs in each phase and what tool you would use.

Compare at least five standardized instruments (for depression, anxiety, substance use, trauma, and suicide risk) on purpose, administration time, cutoffs, and cultural limitations.

Draft a written suicide risk assessment template that includes ideation, intent, plan, means, protective factors, and documentation of the level-of-care decision.

Explain how to conduct a mental status exam and integrate it into a diagnostic formulation, writing one full MSE from a fictional case.

Map the major theoretical orientations (psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, systemic) to specific interventions and articulate the mechanism of change each assumes.

Write treatment plans for three fictional cases that each contain measurable goals, objectives, interventions, and a stated review timeline.

Identify the informed consent elements required before treatment, and draft a consent script that covers risks, benefits, alternatives, fees, and limits of confidentiality.

Describe the ethical decision-making process step by step and apply it to one boundary-crossing scenario, documenting each step in writing.

Complete a timed 60-question mixed practice set across assessment, treatment, and ethics, and log every missed item with the underlying concept rather than the answer.

Re-teach the five weakest concepts from that set in your own words in a written summary of at least 200 words each.

Review the documentation standards for clinical records, including what must be included in progress notes and how to correct an error in a record.

Write a short comparison of when to refer out versus when to continue treatment, grounded in competence boundaries and scope of practice.

Differentiate the supervisory roles (clinical supervisor, administrative supervisor, consultant) and specify what each may and may not do.

Draft a supervision contract that covers goals, methods, evaluation, documentation, and due-process steps for remediating a struggling supervisee.

Outline a model for giving formative and summative feedback, including a written template for a mid-rotation evaluation.

Explain the ethical and legal obligations that attach to supervision, including vicarious liability, informed consent for supervisees' clients, and dual-relationship risks.

Describe the core practice-management functions: scheduling, billing and coding basics, record retention, and responding to a records request or subpoena.

Identify the key components of a risk-management plan for a small practice, including malpractice coverage, emergency coverage, and termination procedures.

List the special-population considerations (children, older adults, LGBTQ+ clients, court-involved clients, clients with disabilities) and state at least two adaptations for each.

Explain how cultural humility and implicit bias affect assessment and diagnosis, and write one case formulation that names specific cultural factors you would explore.

Distinguish the major models of co-occurring disorder treatment (sequential, parallel, integrated) and state the evidence-based rationale for integrated care.

Explain how substance withdrawal, intoxication, and medication interactions complicate the assessment and treatment of co-occurring mental health conditions.

Write a treatment plan for a fictional client with co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorder that sequences interventions and names the specific modality used.

Identify the screening tools appropriate for co-occurring disorders and describe how to interpret a positive screen in the presence of another condition.

Complete two full-length timed practice exams under test conditions and record domain-level accuracy for each.

Revisit every error-log entry from weeks 4 and 8 and mark each as resolved, still unclear, or needs a new resource.

Rebuild the week 1 reference sheet from memory and compare it against the original to identify remaining gaps.

Write a final one-page summary of the five highest-yield concepts per domain and a short plan for continued review after the exam.