Pearls and Prep

NP Z | PMHNP Boards Prep
  • 5.0 (11)
  • Education
  • Biweekly

There are two kinds of clinicians — the ones who follow algorithms, and the ones who understand the "why." Be the second: https://www.patreon.com/PearlsandPrep — study guides, psychopharm deep dives & practice questions. 📚 Get the 100 Psychiatric Interview Tips For Your 1st Eval E-Book — $39.99 in the shop (free for Boss Pearl members): https://www.patreon.com/c/pearlsandprep/shop Pearls and Prep: Psychiatric Case Studies helps you get the why and build clinical confidence. Each episode walks you through a real-world psychiatric case — from chart review to treatment plan — covering psychopharmacology (SSRIs, SNRIs, SGAs, mood stabilizers), DSM-5-TR differential diagnosis, and evidence-based prescribing. 💊 Psychopharmacology breakdowns: mechanisms, half-lives, side-effect pearls 🧠 DSM-5-TR differential diagnosis deep-dives 📌 Memory hooks, screening questions & documentation phrases 🎯 Built for PMHNP students prepping for ANCC/AANP boards — and clinicians sharpening their edge New episodes every Tuesday. Hosted by NP Z, Duke-trained Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.

PEARLS AND PREP PREMIUM

Two exclusive patient encounters a month

$4.99/month or $49.99/year

  1. 3d ago · Subscribers Only

    Dana: PTSD or Panic Disorder?

    Dana is a 30-year-old real estate agent, seven weeks out from a freeway rear-end collision. She can't get back on the freeway, her heart pounds out of nowhere, and she needs to know what's happening to her. In this encounter: PTSD vs. panic disorder — the two diagnoses her story keeps pointing at, and the details that finally separate them. What this is: a mock patient encounter — the reps between school and your first real patient. You hear a simulated patient first, then NP Z thinking out loud in real time: what he's hearing, what he's weighing, what he'd ask next, and where the nuance actually lives. The patient returns with more of the story, and then NP Z commits — a ranked differential, the first moves, and the one pearl to carry into clinic. No scripts read aloud, no criteria recited at you: this is stream-of-thought clinical reasoning, the way a real visit actually unfolds. How to listen: when the patient pauses, commit. Say your own differential out loud before NP Z says his. That pause-and-commit rep — holding two or three live possibilities and letting the patient's answers kill the wrong ones — is the skill this series trains, and it's the one a textbook can't give you. Patient voices are fictional, AI-generated performances. No real patient information is used. This episode is education, not medical advice, and does not create a clinician–patient relationship.

  2. 4d ago

    Bipolar I vs II Made Easy: Psychosis, Hospitalization & the Rules Students Mix Up

    There are two kinds of clinicians—the ones who follow algorithms, and the ones who understand the “why.” Patients know the difference. Know the WHY! Join our clinical library today on PATREON! 👉 https://www.patreon.com/PearlsandPrep Bipolar I vs Bipolar II can get confusing fast. Does psychosis automatically mean Bipolar I? Can someone with Bipolar II experience psychosis? Does psychiatric hospitalization automatically qualify as mania? And do you really need seven days of symptoms to diagnose a manic episode? In this episode of Pearls and Prep, NPZ breaks down mania vs hypomania and the key diagnostic distinctions between Bipolar I and Bipolar II. We cover how hospitalization affects the duration requirement for mania, why a major depressive episode is not required for Bipolar I, how psychosis during an elevated mood episode changes the diagnosis, and why psychosis during a depressive episode is a different story. If you’re a psychiatric nurse practitioner student, PMHNP, psychiatry student, or mental health clinician trying to finally understand Bipolar I vs Bipolar II, mania, hypomania, psychotic features, and DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria, this episode makes the distinctions easy to remember. 37 Bipolar I vs II Made Easy: Psychosis, Hospitalization & the Rules Students Mix Up Pearls and Prep pearlsandprep@mail.com https://patreon.com/PearlsandPrep?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink https://patreon.com/PearlsandPrep?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink https://patreon.com/PearlsandPrep?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink https://patreon.com/PearlsandPrep?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink https://patreon.com/PearlsandPrep?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink https://patreon.com/PearlsandPrep?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

  3. Oct 17

    Strattera (Atomoxetine) vs Wellbutrin (Bupropion): Non-Stimulant Uses | PMHNP Boards

    💎 Try Boss Pearl FREE for 7 days — the full library: every deep dive, the Diagnosing curriculum, and both books free the moment you're in — so you're ready for that first patient, not just studied for it. Then $20/month, cancel anytime: https://www.patreon.com/checkout/pearlsandprep?rid=29362056 🎁 Join as a free member to access 50 Pearls from Pearls & Prep — 50 super high-yield pearls to sharpen your practice. 📚 Members get both books free — Board Bombs: PMHNP 250 Questions ($49.99) and the 100 Psychiatric Interview Tips E-Book ($39.99). Not a member yet? Both are in the shop: https://www.patreon.com/c/pearlsandprep/shop ⭐ Enjoying the show? Please rate and review Pearls and Prep on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it really helps! 🌐 PearlsandPrep.com — scan this episode's Street Takes card, read the deep-dive articles, and unlock the full clinical library: https://pearlsandprep.com ✉️ Questions or a case you want covered? Write to NP Z: pearlsandpreppodcast@gmail.com Atomoxetine (Strattera) and bupropion (Wellbutrin) both influence norepinephrine, ease attention difficulties, and carry no controlled-substance burden — yet they serve very different clinical purposes. This episode uses real-world psychopharmacology reasoning to compare them, so you grasp the why behind each choice rather than memorizing a list. Focused PMHNP boards prep that builds the clinical confidence to select the right non-stimulant option for the right patient. 🎧 Pearls & Prep — new episodes every Tuesday. Hosted by NP Z, Duke-trained Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. ⚖️ Disclaimer: Pearls and Prep is an educational podcast and is not medical advice. All views expressed are exclusively those of NP Z and do not represent — and are not endorsed by — any other entity or organization. These perspectives are offered solely to build conceptual appreciation of psychiatric topics; they are not a substitute for clinical judgment, current clinical guidelines, or primary references. Always use appropriate resources and your own clinical judgment when making decisions about individual patients. Nothing in this episode creates a clinician–patient relationship. 🎓 NP Z's Most Recommended Resources — Pass Your Boards & See Your First Patient The exact shelf behind this podcast: the textbooks open on NP Z's desk, and his own BOARD BOMBS™ + Interview Tips. 👉 pearlsandprep.com/resources Your board date is already on the calendar, and your first patient is already on someone's schedule. Build the shelf they're both counting on — start today.

  4. Oct 13

    Saphris (Asenapine): Bipolar Mania & Schizophrenia Prescribing | PMHNP Boards

    💎 Try Boss Pearl FREE for 7 days — the full library: every deep dive, the Diagnosing curriculum, and both books free the moment you're in — so you're ready for that first patient, not just studied for it. Then $20/month, cancel anytime: https://www.patreon.com/checkout/pearlsandprep?rid=29362056 🎁 Join as a free member to access 50 Pearls from Pearls & Prep — 50 super high-yield pearls to sharpen your practice. 📚 Members get both books free — Board Bombs: PMHNP 250 Questions ($49.99) and the 100 Psychiatric Interview Tips E-Book ($39.99). Not a member yet? Both are in the shop: https://www.patreon.com/c/pearlsandprep/shop ⭐ Enjoying the show? Please rate and review Pearls and Prep on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it really helps! 🌐 PearlsandPrep.com — scan this episode's Street Takes card, read the deep-dive articles, and unlock the full clinical library: https://pearlsandprep.com ✉️ Questions or a case you want covered? Write to NP Z: pearlsandpreppodcast@gmail.com Asenapine (Saphris) remains one of the most overlooked second-generation antipsychotics in psychopharmacology. This episode maps exactly where it fits — bipolar I disorder, acute mania, mixed episodes, and schizophrenia — and explains why Saphris is dosed sublingually and what makes its receptor profile distinctive. You will leave understanding the why behind this SGA's niche, with sharper clinical confidence for PMHNP boards and real-world prescribing. 🎧 Pearls & Prep — new episodes every Tuesday. Hosted by NP Z, Duke-trained Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. ⚖️ Disclaimer: Pearls and Prep is an educational podcast and is not medical advice. All views expressed are exclusively those of NP Z and do not represent — and are not endorsed by — any other entity or organization. These perspectives are offered solely to build conceptual appreciation of psychiatric topics; they are not a substitute for clinical judgment, current clinical guidelines, or primary references. Always use appropriate resources and your own clinical judgment when making decisions about individual patients. Nothing in this episode creates a clinician–patient relationship. 🎓 NP Z's Most Recommended Resources — Pass Your Boards & See Your First Patient The exact shelf behind this podcast: the textbooks open on NP Z's desk, and his own BOARD BOMBS™ + Interview Tips. 👉 pearlsandprep.com/resources Your board date is already on the calendar, and your first patient is already on someone's schedule. Build the shelf they're both counting on — start today.

  5. Oct 11

    Wellbutrin (Bupropion) vs Trintellix (Vortioxetine) After SSRI Failure | PMHNP Boards

    💎 Try Boss Pearl FREE for 7 days — the full library: every deep dive, the Diagnosing curriculum, and both books free the moment you're in — so you're ready for that first patient, not just studied for it. Then $20/month, cancel anytime: https://www.patreon.com/checkout/pearlsandprep?rid=29362056 🎁 Join as a free member to access 50 Pearls from Pearls & Prep — 50 super high-yield pearls to sharpen your practice. 📚 Members get both books free — Board Bombs: PMHNP 250 Questions ($49.99) and the 100 Psychiatric Interview Tips E-Book ($39.99). Not a member yet? Both are in the shop: https://www.patreon.com/c/pearlsandprep/shop ⭐ Enjoying the show? Please rate and review Pearls and Prep on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it really helps! 🌐 PearlsandPrep.com — scan this episode's Street Takes card, read the deep-dive articles, and unlock the full clinical library: https://pearlsandprep.com ✉️ Questions or a case you want covered? Write to NP Z: pearlsandpreppodcast@gmail.com When depression lifts on an SSRI but joy, motivation, and emotional range stay flat, is it residual depression or SSRI-induced emotional blunting? This episode compares bupropion (Wellbutrin) and vortioxetine (Trintellix) for exactly that stuck moment in practice. You will learn the psychopharmacology reasoning that separates the two, sharpening your differential diagnosis skills and building clinical confidence for PMHNP boards — so you understand the why before you switch. 🎧 Pearls & Prep — new episodes every Tuesday. Hosted by NP Z, Duke-trained Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. ⚖️ Disclaimer: Pearls and Prep is an educational podcast and is not medical advice. All views expressed are exclusively those of NP Z and do not represent — and are not endorsed by — any other entity or organization. These perspectives are offered solely to build conceptual appreciation of psychiatric topics; they are not a substitute for clinical judgment, current clinical guidelines, or primary references. Always use appropriate resources and your own clinical judgment when making decisions about individual patients. Nothing in this episode creates a clinician–patient relationship. 🎓 NP Z's Most Recommended Resources — Pass Your Boards & See Your First Patient The exact shelf behind this podcast: the textbooks open on NP Z's desk, and his own BOARD BOMBS™ + Interview Tips. 👉 pearlsandprep.com/resources Your board date is already on the calendar, and your first patient is already on someone's schedule. Build the shelf they're both counting on — start today.

  6. Oct 6

    Vraylar (Cariprazine) vs Abilify (Aripiprazole): D2, D3 Differences | PMHNP Boards

    💎 Try Boss Pearl FREE for 7 days — the full library: every deep dive, the Diagnosing curriculum, and both books free the moment you're in — so you're ready for that first patient, not just studied for it. Then $20/month, cancel anytime: https://www.patreon.com/checkout/pearlsandprep?rid=29362056 🎁 Join as a free member to access 50 Pearls from Pearls & Prep — 50 super high-yield pearls to sharpen your practice. 📚 Members get both books free — Board Bombs: PMHNP 250 Questions ($49.99) and the 100 Psychiatric Interview Tips E-Book ($39.99). Not a member yet? Both are in the shop: https://www.patreon.com/c/pearlsandprep/shop ⭐ Enjoying the show? Please rate and review Pearls and Prep on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it really helps! 🌐 PearlsandPrep.com — scan this episode's Street Takes card, read the deep-dive articles, and unlock the full clinical library: https://pearlsandprep.com ✉️ Questions or a case you want covered? Write to NP Z: pearlsandpreppodcast@gmail.com Cariprazine (Vraylar) versus aripiprazole (Abilify): a practical, memorable comparison of two second-generation antipsychotics built around their D2 and D3 receptor differences. This episode covers the FDA indications for each SGA and the clinical reasoning behind choosing one over the other — the why that textbooks skip. Ideal PMHNP boards prep in psychopharmacology, giving new prescribers the clinical confidence to match the right antipsychotic to the right patient. 🎧 Pearls & Prep — new episodes every Tuesday. Hosted by NP Z, Duke-trained Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. ⚖️ Disclaimer: Pearls and Prep is an educational podcast and is not medical advice. All views expressed are exclusively those of NP Z and do not represent — and are not endorsed by — any other entity or organization. These perspectives are offered solely to build conceptual appreciation of psychiatric topics; they are not a substitute for clinical judgment, current clinical guidelines, or primary references. Always use appropriate resources and your own clinical judgment when making decisions about individual patients. Nothing in this episode creates a clinician–patient relationship. 🎓 NP Z's Most Recommended Resources — Pass Your Boards & See Your First Patient The exact shelf behind this podcast: the textbooks open on NP Z's desk, and his own BOARD BOMBS™ + Interview Tips. 👉 pearlsandprep.com/resources Your board date is already on the calendar, and your first patient is already on someone's schedule. Build the shelf they're both counting on — start today.

  7. Sep 29

    Panic Disorder vs PTSD: Differential Diagnosis Case Study | PMHNP Boards

    💎 Try Boss Pearl FREE for 7 days — the full library: every deep dive, the Diagnosing curriculum, and both books free the moment you're in — so you're ready for that first patient, not just studied for it. Then $20/month, cancel anytime: https://www.patreon.com/checkout/pearlsandprep?rid=29362056 🎁 Join as a free member to access 50 Pearls from Pearls & Prep — 50 super high-yield pearls to sharpen your practice. 📚 Members get both books free — Board Bombs: PMHNP 250 Questions ($49.99) and the 100 Psychiatric Interview Tips E-Book ($39.99). Not a member yet? Both are in the shop: https://www.patreon.com/c/pearlsandprep/shop ⭐ Enjoying the show? Please rate and review Pearls and Prep on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it really helps! 🌐 PearlsandPrep.com — scan this episode's Street Takes card, read the deep-dive articles, and unlock the full clinical library: https://pearlsandprep.com ✉️ Questions or a case you want covered? Write to NP Z: pearlsandpreppodcast@gmail.com A patient has panic attacks, avoids driving, and recently witnessed a traumatic accident — PTSD seems obvious, but is it? This DSM-5-TR case study dissects panic disorder versus PTSD, teaching you to distinguish trauma-related avoidance from fear of another panic attack. You will work through the differential diagnosis the way experienced clinicians do, understanding the why behind each criterion. Essential PMHNP boards prep that builds genuine clinical confidence for one of psychiatry's trickiest distinctions. 🎧 Pearls & Prep — new episodes every Tuesday. Hosted by NP Z, Duke-trained Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. ⚖️ Disclaimer: Pearls and Prep is an educational podcast and is not medical advice. All views expressed are exclusively those of NP Z and do not represent — and are not endorsed by — any other entity or organization. These perspectives are offered solely to build conceptual appreciation of psychiatric topics; they are not a substitute for clinical judgment, current clinical guidelines, or primary references. Always use appropriate resources and your own clinical judgment when making decisions about individual patients. Nothing in this episode creates a clinician–patient relationship. 🎓 NP Z's Most Recommended Resources — Pass Your Boards & See Your First Patient The exact shelf behind this podcast: the textbooks open on NP Z's desk, and his own BOARD BOMBS™ + Interview Tips. 👉 pearlsandprep.com/resources Your board date is already on the calendar, and your first patient is already on someone's schedule. Build the shelf they're both counting on — start today.

  8. Sep 22

    Schizoid vs Schizotypal Personality Disorder: Clinical Clues | PMHNP Boards

    💎 Try Boss Pearl FREE for 7 days — the full library: every deep dive, the Diagnosing curriculum, and both books free the moment you're in — so you're ready for that first patient, not just studied for it. Then $20/month, cancel anytime: https://www.patreon.com/checkout/pearlsandprep?rid=29362056 🎁 Join as a free member to access 50 Pearls from Pearls & Prep — 50 super high-yield pearls to sharpen your practice. 📚 Members get both books free — Board Bombs: PMHNP 250 Questions ($49.99) and the 100 Psychiatric Interview Tips E-Book ($39.99). Not a member yet? Both are in the shop: https://www.patreon.com/c/pearlsandprep/shop ⭐ Enjoying the show? Please rate and review Pearls and Prep on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it really helps! 🌐 PearlsandPrep.com — scan this episode's Street Takes card, read the deep-dive articles, and unlock the full clinical library: https://pearlsandprep.com ✉️ Questions or a case you want covered? Write to NP Z: pearlsandpreppodcast@gmail.com Schizoid and schizotypal personality disorders can look identical — isolated, detached, eccentric patients — but the reason they withdraw is completely different. Using practical outpatient examples, this episode breaks down the DSM-5-TR distinction through real clinical reasoning, so you grasp the why behind each diagnosis rather than memorizing criteria. A high-yield differential diagnosis lesson for PMHNP boards that builds the clinical confidence to tell these two apart in practice. 🎧 Pearls & Prep — new episodes every Tuesday. Hosted by NP Z, Duke-trained Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. ⚖️ Disclaimer: Pearls and Prep is an educational podcast and is not medical advice. All views expressed are exclusively those of NP Z and do not represent — and are not endorsed by — any other entity or organization. These perspectives are offered solely to build conceptual appreciation of psychiatric topics; they are not a substitute for clinical judgment, current clinical guidelines, or primary references. Always use appropriate resources and your own clinical judgment when making decisions about individual patients. Nothing in this episode creates a clinician–patient relationship. 🎓 NP Z's Most Recommended Resources — Pass Your Boards & See Your First Patient The exact shelf behind this podcast: the textbooks open on NP Z's desk, and his own BOARD BOMBS™ + Interview Tips. 👉 pearlsandprep.com/resources Your board date is already on the calendar, and your first patient is already on someone's schedule. Build the shelf they're both counting on — start today.

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About

There are two kinds of clinicians — the ones who follow algorithms, and the ones who understand the "why." Be the second: https://www.patreon.com/PearlsandPrep — study guides, psychopharm deep dives & practice questions. 📚 Get the 100 Psychiatric Interview Tips For Your 1st Eval E-Book — $39.99 in the shop (free for Boss Pearl members): https://www.patreon.com/c/pearlsandprep/shop Pearls and Prep: Psychiatric Case Studies helps you get the why and build clinical confidence. Each episode walks you through a real-world psychiatric case — from chart review to treatment plan — covering psychopharmacology (SSRIs, SNRIs, SGAs, mood stabilizers), DSM-5-TR differential diagnosis, and evidence-based prescribing. 💊 Psychopharmacology breakdowns: mechanisms, half-lives, side-effect pearls 🧠 DSM-5-TR differential diagnosis deep-dives 📌 Memory hooks, screening questions & documentation phrases 🎯 Built for PMHNP students prepping for ANCC/AANP boards — and clinicians sharpening their edge New episodes every Tuesday. Hosted by NP Z, Duke-trained Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.

Information

  • Creator
    NP Z | PMHNP Boards Prep
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    131
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 NP Z | PMHNP Boards Prep
  • Show Website
    Pearls and Prep
  • Provider
    Thomas Sarti

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