NURS 6670 Week 5 Bipolar Disorders Essay Assignment

I am finally doing everything right. I stayed up all night studying for my final exams and even managed to clean out my closet and order a whole new bedroom from the Internet. I know I will ace all my exams. Nothing can go wrong like they did a few months ago. I was so low and was sleeping all the time. I did not think I would ever be happy again, but now I know I can do anything.

Jessica, age 22

Bipolar disorder is relatively rare with around only 3% of the population diagnosed with one of them. Although being relatively rare in terms of lifetime prevalence, bipolar disorder is burdensome to the individual and health care system because of its early onset, severity, and chronic nature. The average age of onset is around 25 and affects men and women equally. The importance of evidence-based intervention for treatment in persons with bipolar disorder cannot be underestimated. Unstable mood can result in repeat chronic hospitalizations. Developing a good rapport and relationship with the client can make a difference in the course, symptom management, and stability of the person with bipolar disorder.

This week, you will once again become “cCaptain of the Sship” as you take full responsibility for a client with a bipolar disorder by recommending psychopharmacologic treatment and psychotherapy, identifying medical management needs and community support, and recommending follow-up plans. You will use the decision tree format to justify your rationale for diagnosis, pharmacological treatment, and psychotherapy of a patient with a mental illness. You also will evaluate the results of your Fitzgerald University Exit Comprehensive Exam and, based on those results, develop a plan of action to prepare for the certification exam.

Assignment 1: “Captain of the Ship” Project – Bipolar Disorders

Bipolar disorders are severe disorders of mood that include both depressive episodes and expansive, grandiose, or manic episodes. During these times, the person may engage in activities with little awareness of the consequences because of accompanying psychosis. A diagnosis of bipolar disorder includes periods of mania or hypomania and periods of depression where the mood is down, hopeless, and suicidal. The neurovegetative symptoms of bipolar depression can be incapacitating. It is also important to differentiate the psychosis of bipolar disorder from schizophrenia.

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 bipolar disorder.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

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

To prepare for this Assignment:

Select an adult or older adult client with a bipolar disorder that 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 end points 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 3:
Practicum: Decision Tree

For this Assignment, as you examine the client case study in this week’s Learning Resources, consider how you might assess and treat adult and older adult clients presenting symptoms of a mental health disorder.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Evaluate clients for treatment of mental health disorders
Analyze decisions made throughout diagnosis and treatment of clients with mental health disorders

Examine Case 2: You will be asked to make three decisions concerning the diagnosis and treatment for this client. Be sure to consider co-morbid physical, as well as mental factors that might impact the client’s diagnosis and treatment.

At each Decision Point stop to complete the following:

- Decision #1: Differential Diagnosis
  - Which Decision did you select?
  - Why did you select this Decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
  - What were you hoping to achieve by making this Decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
  - Explain any difference between what you expected to achieve with Decision #1 and the results of the Decision. Why were they different?
- Decision #2: Treatment Plan for Psychotherapy
  - Why did you select this Decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
  - What were you hoping to achieve by making this Decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
  - Explain any difference between what you expected to achieve with Decision #2 and the results of the Decision. Why were they different?
- Decision #3: Treatment Plan for Psychopharmacology
  - Why did you select this Decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
  - What were you hoping to achieve by making this Decision? Support your response with evidence and references to the Learning Resources.
  - Explain any difference between what you expected to achieve with Decision #3 and the results of the decision. Why were they different?

Also include how ethical considerations might impact your treatment plan and communication with clients and their family.

Note: Support your rationale with a minimum of three academic resources. While you may use the course text to support your rationale, it will not count toward the resource requirement.

By Day 7 of Week 7

Submit your Assignment.

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