NURS 6551 Week 5 Common Gynecologic Conditions Part 2 Essay

NURS 6551 Week 5 Common Gynecologic Conditions Part 2 Essay Assignment

Symptoms of gynecologic conditions vary from severe to so mild that they are unrecognizable to women as signs of a problem. Consider patients representing both ends of the spectrum—Sonja Thorkildsen and Brie-Anne Paterson. Thorkildsen experienced extremely heavy and irregular menstrual cycles for years. She only sought medical care after her condition became so severe that she believed she was hemorrhaging. Thorkildsen did not realize that her menstrual cycles were abnormal and actually signs of endometrial cancer, her underlying condition (Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, 2013). While Thorkildsen’s initial symptoms were not apparent enough to prompt her to seek medical care, Paterson’s symptoms of chronic pelvic pain were so overwhelming, she visited multiple providers and tried a variety of treatments to minimize pain. After persistently seeking medical care, she was eventually diagnosed with endometriosis, which had spread to her kidney, bladder, colon, and rectum (Yadegaran, 2010). As these two cases demonstrate, patients’ insights to their conditions will vary, making it your responsibility to recognize signs and symptoms of gynecologic conditions to ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment.

This week, as you continue exploring common gynecologic conditions, you consider diagnosis, treatment, and management strategies for patients. You also explore ways to educate patients on these conditions.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this week, students will:

Assess patients with common gynecologic conditions
Evaluate differential diagnoses for common gynecologic conditions
Analyze treatment and management plans for patients with common gynecologic conditions
Analyze strategies for educating patients on the treatment and management of common gynecologic conditions
Understand and apply key terms, principles, and concepts related to common gynecologic conditions
Evaluate common gynecologic conditions in patients
Analyze treatment modalities for common gynecologic conditions

NURS 6551 Week 5 Discussion: Diagnosing and Managing Gynecologic Conditions

Gynecologic conditions can be difficult to diagnose for a variety of reasons, including overlapping symptoms, lack of patient knowledge, or even patient fear or embarrassment about sharing information. Your role provides you the opportunity to develop a relationship of trust and understanding with these patients so that you can gather the appropriate details related to medical history and current symptoms. When caring for this patient population, it is important to make these women an integral part of the process and work collaboratively with them to diagnose and develop treatment and management plans that will meet their individual needs. For this Discussion, consider diagnosis, treatment, and management strategies for the patients in the following four case studies:

Case Study 1:

A 32-year-old African American female is concerned about increasing dysmenorrhea over the past three years. In the past year, this was associated with painful intercourse. She has been in a monogamous relationship with one male partner for the past five years. They tried to have children without success. Menarche was at age 10; menstrual cycles are 21 days apart and last for 6–7 days. The first day of her last menstrual period was 10 days ago and was normal. She denies vaginal itching or discharge. On gynecologic exam there was no swelling, external lesions, or erythema, urethral swelling, or vaginal discharge. Cervix is pink without lesions or discharge. Uterus was small, retroverted, and non-tender. Adnexa were small and non-tender. Nodules are noted along the cul de sac.

Case Study 2:

A 42-year-old African American female is in the clinic for a routine gynecologic exam. When asked, she admits to noticing bleeding in between her menstrual periods for the past several months. She has been pregnant three times and has three children. She is sexually active with one male sex partner in a monogamous relationship. During her bimanual exam, you note an irregular intrauterine non-tender mass about 4 cm in diameter. The mass is palpable abdominally. The remainder of her gynecologic exam was normal.

Case Study 3:

A 48-year-old Caucasian female is in the clinic concerned about prolonged menstrual bleeding for three weeks now. Her prior menstrual periods have been irregular for the past eight months, lasting no more than three days each. There have been one to two months when she had no menstrual cycles at all. She reports occasional hot flushes and mood swings.

Case Study 4:

A 16-year-old Caucasian female comes to the clinic concerned because she has not had a menstrual period for three months. She’s a junior in high school and active in sports. She has lost about 10 lbs. in the past two months. She is currently 5 ft. 4 in. and weighs 100 lbs.

To prepare:

Review Chapter 26 of the Schuiling and Likis text and Chapter 7 of the Tharpe et al. text.
Review and select one of the four provided case studies. Analyze the patient information.
Consider a differential diagnosis for the patient in the case study you selected. Think about the most likely diagnosis for the patient.
Think about a treatment and management plan for the patient. Be sure to consider appropriate dosages for any recommended pharmacologic and/or nonpharmacologic treatments.
Consider strategies for educating patients on the treatment and management of the sexually transmitted infection you identified as your primary diagnosis.

By Day 3

Post an explanation of the differential diagnosis for the patient in the case study you selected. Provide a minimum of three possible diagnoses and list them from highest priority to lowest priority. Explain which is the most likely diagnosis for the patient and why. Then, explain a treatment and management plan for the patient, including appropriate dosages for any recommended treatments. Finally, explain strategies for educating patients on the disorder.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days in both of the ways listed below. Respond to colleagues who selected different case studies than you did.

Explain how missing information from the patient history might change the diagnoses for the patients in the case studies your colleagues selected.
Based on your personal and/or professional experiences, expand on your colleagues’ postings by providing additional insights or contrasting perspectives.

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