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Sarah Michelle NP Reviews (SMNP)
Nurse Practitioner Blog

At SMNP Reviews, we believe in empowering our NP community with the knowledge and skills they need to become successful, confident nurse practitioners. That’s why we’ve created this blog to provide you with all the resources you need to stay up to date with the latest and greatest information to help you excel in your career. Our goal is to make your lives easier by creating a hub where you can find, explore, and delve into the plethora of resources we offer.

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Ep #101: Your Clinical Experience: From Dread to Excitement

The clinical experience can feel very stressful, overwhelming, and intimidating. Whether you’re preparing for your first-ever clinical rotation as a Nurse Practitioner student or you’re about to complete the last rotation of your program, this episode is full of gems that will help you navigate it with more ease. If you’re ready to look forward

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A Day in the Life of a Nurse Practitioner: Primary Care Pediatrics

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to work with children as a primary care nurse practitioner? Maybe you aren’t sure about working with kids, and you’re wondering if it’s for you. If so, this post may help you decide! I’ll walk you through how I became a family nurse practitioner (FNP)

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Ep #100: SOAP Notes: Do’s and Don’ts for Clinical Documentation

This week, Anna and I are here to dive into a super important topic all Nurse Practitioners must be skilled at: clinical documentation. The most common and widely accepted format of clinical documentation is the SOAP note. It addresses the legal aspect of documenting the care you provide, but it also allows for consistency across

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Sarah Michelle NP Reviews Joins Forces with NPHub

In a strategic alliance, Sarah Michelle NP Reviews, a leader in nurse practitioner board exam preparation, and NPHub, a front-runner in healthcare technology platforms, are uniting their strengths. This partnership is engineered to provide nurse practitioner students with superior access to clinical placement solutions via NPHub’s robust app, and exhaustive board exam preparation resources from

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What Are the Different Nurse Practitioner Specialties and How Do You Choose One?

Deciding to become a nurse practitioner (NP) can be one of the most significant choices in your life. Your career options are diverse, and the demand for your services is limitless. However, you’ll encounter some crucial decisions on your journey towards your dream career. One of these decisions will involve selecting the nurse practitioner specialty

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Common Studying Mistakes & Tips to Improve Your NP Board Prep

So, you’re studying for your upcoming NP board exam. That’s great! But are you making these common mistakes that are hindering your progress? In this Sarah Michelle NP video, “Common Studying Mistakes and Tips to Improve Them” by FNP Ashton Glover, you’ll learn about four pitfalls to avoid when preparing for your NP board exam:

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Ep #99: Mental Health as a New NP

This week, Anna and I are here to discuss a topic that is near and dear to our hearts: mental health and self-care for Nurse Practitioners. If you’ve taken any of our classes, you’ll know that we focus on stress and anxiety management as you prepare for boards, but prioritizing your mental health is vital

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Elevating Your NP Exam Prep: Three New SMNP Qbank Exams and the Qbank App is here!

Explore the latest additions to the SMNP Qbank – three new exams exactly aligned with ANCC and AANP exam blueprints. And, get ready to effortlessly study on-the-go with the SMNP Qbank App. Are you ready to pass your nurse practitioner exam the first time? We’re thrilled to share the latest updates to the SMNP Qbank

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Understanding Metabolic Syndrome as a Nurse Practitioner

It’s a pretty safe bet you’ll come across questions about metabolic syndrome on your upcoming NP board exam. That’s a complicated topic, one that can be tough to prepare for, but also one so important to recognize for future practice as well. In this Sarah Michelle NP video, “Understanding Metabolic Syndrome,” FNP Brittney Olsen breaks it down

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Ep #98: Telemedicine

When the pandemic hit in 2020, the awareness and importance of telemedicine went through the roof. But telemedicine wasn’t just designed to be helpful during a pandemic. There are tons of benefits to virtual care, and as technology continues to advance, telemedicine has become a vital tool for Nurse Practitioners. What is telemedicine, what are

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Understanding Lupus vs Fibromyalgia: Differentiating Between Causes of Pain and Fatigue

If you’re preparing to take the NP board exam, you’ll want to sharpen your differential diagnosis skills! This is especially true when it comes to lupus and fibromyalgia, which have similar symptoms and may, at least initially, be difficult to distinguish from one another. In this Sarah Michelle NP Video, “Understanding Lupus and Fibromyalgia: Differentiating

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The AANP FNP Pass Rate is Down to 75%. Here’s What to Know to Decrease Your Anxiety and Pass the Exam

In the last year, the AANP FNP pass rate declined from 85% in 2021 to 75% in 2022. Understandably, we’ve seen an increase in anxiety around this exam and some questions from students wondering why the pass rate dropped nearly 10%. Here at SMNP Reviews, we know that anxiety is one of the greatest obstacles

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Nurse Practitioner Board Prep: Conductive vs. Sensorineural Hearing Loss

A common concern in primary care is hearing loss. There are two different types of hearing loss: conductive vs sensorineural. If you’re preparing to take the nurse practitioner board exam, you’ll want to study up on what each of these are, how these can be diagnosed, and how those forms of hearing impairment are treated.

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Ep #97: Physical Assessment and Examination Skills

Anna and I are talking about a topic that is at the very heart of nursing practice this week: physical assessment and examination skills. These skills are the cornerstone of effective patient care, diagnosis, decision making, and all the important things we do as Nurse Practitioners. Physical assessments are a critical part of your job

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Shadowing a Nurse Practitioner: Get a Glimpse of Your Future Role

One of the most significant career transitions that a nurse can make is from the bedside to an advanced practice role. Advanced practice nursing as a nurse practitioner carries with it a lot of responsibility as an independent provider, but it can also be very rewarding! Before you start working as a nurse practitioner, you

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Ep #96: NP Residency Programs

Anna and I are here this week to talk about a wonderful opportunity available for additional clinical experience, not only for Nurse Practitioner students but also for brand-new real-deal NPs too, and that is Nurse Practitioner residency programs. The role of Nurse Practitioners have grown, both in complexity and in significance within the healthcare system.

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