NURS 6670 Week 2 Depressive Disorders Essay Assignment

I have no one. My wife died suddenly 4 years ago and I know it was my fault. She had been complaining she was sick for a year, but the doctors kept saying it was nothing. When they finally found the cancer, it had spread throughout her body. I should have listened to her. She might have survived and I would not be alone. I seem to cry for no reason and my children don’t understand why I don’t want to go out of the house. This is where her memories are. Why would I want to leave?

Jose, age 75

The National Institutes of Mental Health acknowledges that depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States. It is associated with significant disability, fiscal impact, and considerable personal suffering. It may have significant impact on the individual, their family, and their social network. The PMHNP must be capable of providing comprehensive care for depressive disorders, including both psychotherapy and psychopharmacologic approaches.

This week, you will become “captain of the ship” as you take full responsibility for a client with a depressive disorder. You will recommend psychopharmacologic treatment and psychotherapy, identify medical management needs and community support, and recommend follow-up plans. You will also explore how to obtain a DEA license and the responsibilities for safe prescribing and prescription monitoring.

Assignment 1: “Captain of the Ship” Project – Depressive Disorder

As nurse practitioners strive to achieve full-autonomous practice across the country, it should be noted that many states grant this ability to practice independently to psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners. To that end, you will be engaging in projects this semester that assume that you are practicing in a state that allows full-practice authority for NPs, meaning that the PMHNP may be the “captain of the ship” concerning caring for a patient population. The “captain of the ship” is the one who makes referrals to specialists, coordinates care for their patients/clients, and is responsible and accountable for patient/client outcomes overall. This is a decided change from a few decades ago when physicians were the “captain of the ship” and NPs played a peripheral role.

In this Assignment, you will become the “captain of the ship” as you provide treatment recommendations and identify medical management, community support resources, and follow-up plans for a client with a depression disorder.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Recommend psychopharmacologic treatments based on therapeutic endpoints for clients with depression disorders
Recommend psychotherapy based on therapeutic endpoints for clients with depression disorders
Identify medical management needs for clients with depression disorders
Identify community support resources for clients with depression disorders
Recommend follow-up plans for clients with depression disorders

To prepare for this Assignment:

Select an adult or older adult client with a depressive disorder you have seen in your practicum.

In 3–4 pages, write a treatment plan for your client in which you do the following:

Describe the HPI and clinical impression for the client.
Recommend psychopharmacologic treatments and describe specific and therapeutic endpoints for your psychopharmacologic agent. (This should relate to HPI and clinical impression.)
Recommend psychotherapy choices (individual, family, and group) and specific therapeutic endpoints for your choices.
Identify medical management needs, including primary care needs, specific to this client.
Identify community support resources (housing, socioeconomic needs, etc.) and community agencies that are available to assist the client.
Recommend a plan for follow-up intensity and frequency and collaboration with other providers.

By Day 7

Submit your Assignment.

Assignment 2: Week 2 Practicum Journal: Safe Prescribing

There is probably no greater responsibility that the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner assumes than the responsibility of prescribing medications. While someone can be harmed by psychotherapy, the level and intensity of the harm generally does not come to the same level of harm that can occur from improper prescribing. The PMHNP must understand his/her responsibility both at a state and federal level when it comes to prescribing medications.

In this Practicum Journal Assignment, you will explore the legalities associated with prescribing controlled substances, as well as what a DEA number is, how to obtain one, and, most importantly, how to prescribe controlled substances in your state.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Analyze roles of the Drug Enforcement Administration
Analyze PMHNP responsibilities when issued a DEA number
Analyze DEA number application procedures
Analyze state requirements for safe prescribing and prescription monitoring
Analyze PMHNP responsibilities for safe prescribing and prescription monitoring
Analyze Schedule II-V drug levels

** Assigned in Week 2 and submitted in Week 4.

To prepare for this Practicum Journal:

Review the Learning Resources.

In 2-3 pages:

Describe the role of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as it pertains to the PMHNP.
Explain your responsibilities when having a DEA number.
Explain how you apply for a DEA number.
Explain your state’s requirements for a safe prescribing and prescription monitoring program. Explain your responsibility as a PMHNP to follow these requirements.
Provide an example of a drug you may prescribe from each of the Schedule II-V drug levels.

By Day 7

Submit by Day 7 of Week 4.

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