Study Plan

Strengths and Opportunities for Improvement

In order to prepare for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) certification exam, there needs to be a structured strategy that leverages my strengths but also addresses areas that can be improved upon. My diagnostic skills were strong, with an overall score of 67% in my Week 2 practice exam, but I was weak in treatment interventions. I am able to distinguish psychiatric pathologies but cannot decide on an appropriate treatment plan, both in psychotherapy and psychopharmacology: Study Plan.

Furthermore, while the available time for taking the exam was enough, I devoted too much time to case-based treatment questions, which indicates the necessity of improving time management and test-taking skills. By addressing these areas, a structured study plan will make me more confident during my certification exam.

Study Plan and SMART Goals

To improve my knowledge and go over my test-taking strategies, I have created a study plan with SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals.

Strengthen Knowledge of Treatment Interventions

First, I want to broaden my understanding of psychopharmacology, psychotherapeutic techniques, and evidence-based treatment. For the next six weeks, I will set aside 10 hours per week to study treatment interventions in Stahl’s Essential Psychopharmacology. Additionally, I will review the psychotherapy approach of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) (Thordarson et al., 2024).

Timetable and Progress Measurement

• Weeks 1–2: Study psychopharmacology concepts and complete two sets of 25 treatment-focused practice questions.
• Weeks 3–4: Focus on psychotherapy techniques and answer 50 additional treatment-related questions per week.
• Weeks 5–6: Take two full-length practice exams and aim to achieve 80% or higher in treatment-related sections.

I will do weekly quizzes to track my progress and revise my study plan based on the results of the quizzes.

Improve Clinical Decision-Making for Case-Based Questions

I will concentrate on cognitive skills of clinical reasoning and decision-making to improve my ability to answer case-based treatment questions. Every week, I will complete two case-based practice exams and review the incorrect answers to find the patterns in my mistakes. As asserted by Pérez-Perdomo and Zabalegui (2024), I shall be able to participate in weekly study group discussions to engage with peers in critically discussing complex psychiatric cases. I will also follow American Psychiatric Association (APA) guidelines in order to strengthen my evidence-based decision-making.

Timetable and Progress Measurement

• Weeks 1–3: Complete two case-based exams each week and review wrong answers.
• Weeks 4–6: Attend weekly study group to work through challenging cases.
• Weeks 7–8: Take full-length case-based mock exams and focus on obtaining 85% in case-based questions.

Weekly quiz results and study group participation will be used to monitor progress so that progress continues.

Enhance Test-Taking Strategies and Time Management

I will take full-length, timed practice exams every two weeks to build up better pacing in order to improve time efficiency and optimize my performance. Using the “one minute per question” strategy, I will effectively distribute time (Metz et al., 2024). I will also use relaxation exercises like deep breathing for dealing with test anxiety.

Timetable and Progress Measurement

• Weeks 1–2: I will take one full-length timed exam and assess how much time I spent on each section.
• Weeks 3–4: Use the strategy of one minute per question and fine-tune time allocation.
• Weeks 5–6: Take two full-length practice exams, finishing 90% of the exam in time.

By the sixth week, I will consistently achieve 90% on all practice exams with time allocated, and I will be able to pace myself well enough to have after the actual test.

Resources for Exam Preparation

To accomplish my goals, I will utilize multiple resources, including review courses, online question banks, study groups, and memory aids. Enrolling in Barkley & Associates and Fitzgerald Health Education Associates review courses will provide structured content reviews and expert-led sessions.

I will also use question banks from UWorld and BoardVitals to reinforce learning and familiarize myself with the exam format. Weekly study groups will provide opportunities to clarify complex concepts and strengthen clinical reasoning. Additionally, mnemonics and flashcards will enhance memory retention, especially for psychopharmacology content.

Measuring Progress

Tracking my progress is essential to ensure continuous improvement. I will assess my weekly quiz scores, study group participation, and full-length practice exam results. My performance will be evaluated based on achieving the following benchmarks:

• 80% or higher on treatment-based assessments
• 85% accuracy on case-based questions
• 90% completion rate of timed practice exams

A study journal will help document my progress, challenges, and necessary adjustments.

References

Metz, C. J., Metz, M. J., & Falcone, J. C. (2024). A toolbox of strategies to improve test-taking skills: A comparison of student perceptions. AJP Advances in Physiology Education. https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00067.2024

Pérez-Perdomo, A., & Zabalegui, A. (2024). Teaching strategies for developing clinical reasoning skills in nursing students: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Healthcare, 12(1), 90. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12010090

Thordarson, M. A., Sullivan, P. J., Baweja, R., Zucker, J., Neelley, M., Xie, I. Y., & Friedberg, R. D. (2024). Cognitive-behavioral and dialectical behavior therapy in high-intensity settings. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 63(10), 956–960. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2024.04.014

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Based on your practice exam question results from Week 2, identify strengths and areas of opportunity and create a tailored study plan to use throughout this course to help you prepare for the national certification exam. This will serve as an action plan to help you track your goals, tasks, and progress. You will revisit and update your study plan in NRNP 6675, and you may continue to refine and use it until you take the exam.

TO PREPARE

• Reflect on your practice exam question results from Week 2. Identify content-area strengths and opportunities for improvement.
• Also reflect on your overall test taking. Was the length of time allotted comfortable, or did you run out of time? Did a particular question format prove difficult?
  

  Study Plan

THE ASSIGNMENT

• Based on your practice test question results, and considering the national certification exam, summarize your strengths and opportunities for improvement. Note: Your grade for this Assignment will not be derived from your test results but from your self-reflection and study plan.
• Create a study plan for this quarter to prepare for the certification exam, including three or four SMART goals and the tasks you need to complete to accomplish each goal. Include a timetable for accomplishing them and a description of how you will measure your progress.
• Describe resources you would use to accomplish your goals and tasks, such as ways to participate in a study group or review course, mnemonics and other mental strategies, and print or online resources you could use to study.

BY DAY 7 OF WEEK 3

• Submit your study plan.

NOTE: You will save a graded copy of this assignment to submit in your NRNP 6675 course.

Client’s Notes:

• My score Percentage was 67%. Diagnostic was my strength and treatment intervention was my weakness.