ANCC PMHNP case studies
ANCC PMHNP · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Across the Lifespan) certification, often referred to as PMHNP-BC, is a credential offered through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), part of the American Nurses Enterprise. It is designed for advanced practice registered nurses who assess, diagnose, and treat mental health conditions across the lifespan, and it serves as third-party validation that a nurse has met a specialty standard beyond initial licensure. The ANCC PMHNP case studies are 5 cases and about 2,997 words.
1The Sleepy Patient on an MAOI
L, 44, has treatment-resistant depression and has taken tranylcypromine 30 mg BID for eight months with partial response. He presents to your outpatient clinic reporting two weeks of worsening low mood, hypersomnia, and a 5-lb weight gain.
608 words, about 3 min2The Adolescent Who Won't Take Her Meds
Sofia, 15, was hospitalized three weeks ago after a suicide attempt (overdose of her mother's sertraline) and was discharged on fluoxetine 20 mg daily with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder and a plan for weekly therapy. At today's visit she is flat, answers in monosyllables, and her mother reports she has not been taking the fluoxetine for at least 10 days.
655 words, about 3 min3The Veteran Who Wants His Guns Back
K, 52, a veteran with PTSD and alcohol use disorder, has been in your care for 18 months. Six months ago, during a severe depressive episode with active suicidal ideation and a plan involving a firearm, he voluntarily gave his two handguns to his brother.
641 words, about 3 min4The Pregnant Patient on Lithium
R, 29, has bipolar I disorder and has been stable on lithium 900 mg daily (level 0.8 mEq/L) for three years. She is now 8 weeks pregnant (unplanned) and presents urgently, worried about the medication.
539 words, about 3 min5The Older Adult with New Psychosis
T, 78, lives alone and is brought in by her daughter, who reports three weeks of worsening confusion, visual hallucinations of "men in the yard," and one episode of her mother striking her. T has hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and osteoarthritis.
554 words, about 3 min