Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)

PMHNP examination applications will be available January 2024. PMHNP testing appointments will be available in spring 2024.

The PMHNP certification examination is an entry-level competency-based examination that tests clinical knowledge in psychiatric mental health in individuals across the life span.

How many questions are on the examination?

PMHNP EXAMINATION BLUEPRINT


DOMAIN I - Domains

# items

% items

DOMAIN II - Patient Age Category *

# items

% items

01 - Assess

45

33%

Infant and Child

8

6%

02 - Diagnose

28

21%

Pre-Adolescent

11

8%

03 - Plan

35

26%

Adolescent

22

16%

04 - Evaluate

27

20%

Adult

67

50%

TOTAL

135

100%

Older adult

27

20%

 

 

 

TOTAL

135

100%

Age Parameters are not defined for any population. AANPCB uses growth and development for constructing the certification exams.


DOMAINS AND TASKS


DOMAIN 01 - ASSESS DOMAIN 02 - DIAGNOSE DOMAIN 03 - PLAN DOMAIN 04 - EVALUATE

APPLIED KNOWLEDGE AREAS


Scientific Foundations
  • Anatomy and physiology
  • Neuroanatomy and neurophysiology
  • Pathophysiology
  • Epidemiology of psychiatric disorders
  • Psychiatric and medical comorbidities
  • Growth and development
Pharmacology
  • Pharmacologic therapies, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Interactions between classes of medication
  • Medication monitoring
  • Polypharmacy
  • Pharmacogenetic testing
  • Complementary and alternative medicine
Nonpharmacological Therapies
  • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
  • Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)
  • Complementary and alternative therapies
Psychotherapies
  • Psychotherapeutic foundations
  • Individual psychotherapy theories and methods
  • Group psychotherapy theories and methods
  • Family psychotherapy theories and methods
  • Theories of change
Assessment and Diagnosis
  • Clinical interviewing
  • Components of a psychiatric evaluation
  • Components of a targeted physical assessment
  • Mental health screening and assessment instruments
  • Diagnostic and laboratory tests
  • Diagnostic decision-making using DSM
Care Practices
  • Developmentally- and age-appropriate care practices
  • Mental health promotion and preventive health
  • Risk assessment and safety planning
  • Harm reduction
  • Crisis management and de-escalation techniques
  • Least restrictive interventions
  • Vulnerable populations
  • Trauma-informed care
  • Cultural awareness and humility
  • Social determinants of health
Professional Role
  • Evidence-based practice
  • Ethical issues and legal requirements
  • Scope and standards
  • Interprofessional practice
  • Professional boundaries
  • Provider self-care and wellness
  • Therapeutic communication
  • Implicit biases
  • Health systems and levels of care
  • Quality improvement
  • Electronic medical records and informatics
  • Billing and coding schemes
  • Telehealth

DISORDERS


Disorders

Test items on the PMHNP exam may relate to clinical disorders from the current version of the DSM. These disorders are organized into three major groupings indicating the general frequency with which items will be sampled on any given exam form. Disorders in the first group will be more frequently included on a given exam form; disorders in the second group will be included somewhat frequently on a given exam form; and disorders in the third group will be included least frequently or rarely on a given exam form.


Most Frequently Included
  • Depressive disorders
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Bipolar and related disorders
  • Trauma- and stressor-related disorders
  • Substance-related and addictive disorders
  • Sleep-wake disorders
  • Personality disorders
Somewhat Included
  • Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders
  • Neurodevelopmental disorders
  • Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
  • Disruptive, impulse-control and conduct disorders
  • Neurocognitive disorders
  • Breathing-related sleep disorders
  • Gender dysphoria
  • Sexual dysfunctions
  • Somatic symptom and related disorders
  • Feeding and eating disorders
Least Frequently Included
  • Parasomnias
  • Other mental disorders
  • Dissociative disorders
  • Elimination disorders
  • Paraphilic disorders