Course description

At times, psychotherapy is not enough to alleviate the emotional difficulties that some patients face. To that end, psychopharmacologic approaches are needed. Psychiatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) must have a strong basis in psychopharmacology, extending from a prior education in pharmacology, to make appropriate medication choices for their patients. Learners in this course consider psychopharmacologic approaches to major behavioral health disorders including, but not limited to, major depressive disorders, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and psychotic disorders. Learners explore key considerations associated with medication selection, monitoring efficacy, and long-term management.

What will i learn?

  • Evaluate foundational neuroscience as it relates to caring for patients with psychiatric disorders across the lifespan
  • Analyze the impact of non-adherence on treatment success and strategies to mitigate risk factors with non-adherence
  • Assess mechanisms of action of medications used to treat psychiatric conditions
  • Apply patient-centric concepts and evidence-based medicine to select appropriate psychopharmacologic agents
  • Synthesize pathophysiology and health assessment concepts in the psychopharmacologic treatment of behavioral health disorders
  • Analyze ethical and legal implications of prescribing psychotropic medications across the lifespan
  • Evaluate the efficacy and adverse reactions of psychotropic medications

Requirements

  • MSN core courses (NURS 6002/6003, 6050, 6051, 6052, 6053)
  • NURS 6501: Advanced Pathophysiology
  • NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology
  • NURS 6512: Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning

Frequently asked question

As a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner, before you can recommend potential pharmacotherapeutics to address a patient’s condition or disorder, you must understand the basic function and structure of the neuron and central nervous system. For this Assignment, you will review and apply your understanding of neuroanatomy by addressing a set of short answer prompts. To Prepare: • Review the Learning Resources for this week in preparation to complete this Assignment. • Reflect on the basic function and structure of the neuron in relation to the central nervous system. • Reflect on the inter-connectedness between neurons and the central nervous system, including the pathway and distribution of electrical impulses. • Reflect on how neurons communicate with each other and review the concept of neuroplasticity. Address the following Short Answer prompts for your Assignment. Be sure to include references to the Learning Resources for this week. 1. In 4 or 5 sentences, describe the anatomy of the basic unit of the nervous system, the neuron. Include each part of the neuron and a general overview of electrical impulse conduction, the pathway it travels, and the net result at the termination of the impulse. Be specific and provide examples. 2. Answer the following (listing is acceptable for these questions): o What are the major components that make up the subcortical structures? o Which component plays a role in learning, memory, and addiction? o What are the two key neurotransmitters located in the nigra striatal region of the brain that play a major role in motor control? 3. In 3 or 4 sentences, explain how glia cells function in the central nervous system. Be specific and provide examples. 4. The synapse is an area between two neurons that allows for chemical communication. In 3 or 4 sentences, explain what part of the neurons are communicating with each other and in which direction does this communication occur? Be specific. 5. In 3–5 sentences, explain the concept of “neuroplasticity.” Be specific and provide examples.

For this assignment, you will develop a patient medication guide for treatment of depressive disorders in a vulnerable population (your choice for one vulnerable patient population to choose from: children, adolescents, older adults, dementia patients, pregnant women or one not listed of your choice!). Be sure to use language appropriate for your audience (patient, caregiver, parent, etc.). You will include non-copyright images and/or information tables to make your patient medication guide interesting and appealing. Limit your patient medication guide to 5 pages. You will create this guide as an assignment; therefore, a title page, introduction, conclusion, and reference page are required. You must include a minimum of 3 scholarly supporting resources outside of your course provided resources. In your patient guide, include discussion on the following: • Depressive disorder causes and symptoms • How depression is diagnosed for the vulnerable population of your choice, why is this population considered vulnerable • Medication treatment options including risk vs benefits; side effects; FDA approvals for the vulnerable population of your choice • Medication considerations of medication examples prescribed (see last bullet item) • What is important to monitor in terms of labs, comorbid medical issues with why important for monitoring • Special Considerations (you must be specific, not general and address at least one for EACH category; you must demonstrate critical thinking beyond basics of HIPPA and informed consent!): legal considerations, ethical considerations, cultural considerations, social determinants of health • Where to follow up in your local community for further information • Provide 3 examples of how to write a proper prescription that you would provide to the patient or transmit to the pharmacy.

Post a response to each of the following: 1. Explain the agonist-to-antagonist spectrum of action of psychopharmacologic agents, including how partial and inverse agonist functionality may impact the efficacy of psychopharmacologic treatments. 2. Compare and contrast the actions of g couple proteins and ion gated channels. 3. Explain how the role of epigenetics may contribute to pharmacologic action. 4. Explain how this information may impact the way you prescribe medications to patients. Include a specific example of a situation or case with a patient in which the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner must be aware of the medication’s action. Read a selection of your colleagues' responses. Foundational Neuroscience Question One Agonists and antagonists have been hypothesized to perform important responsibilities in the body's functioning and operate in various manners. The antagonist works to counteract the agonists' activities. All are crucial to the human body and aid in mobility. Additionally, they support the human body's psychopharmacological functions. The antagonist prevents the activities carried out by similar neurotransmitters, while the agonist is made up of a chemical substance necessary for imitating the behavioral

Nursing Guru

As a professional instructor with a lot of experience in healthcare education, I want to help shape the next generation of healthcare workers by teaching courses like NHS-FPX4000: Developing a Healthcare Perspective. Learners explore more about healthcare systems, policies, and ethics issues in this class. This helps them get through complicated healthcare settings and fight for patient-centered care. In NURS-6521 Advanced Pharmacology, students learn about the pharmacological principles that make treatments work to alleviate and control different health problems. With an emphasis on practice that is founded on evidence, students acquire the ability to think analytically about medications and make choices that will help patients the most. As part of NURS-6501 Advanced Pathophysiology, students learn more about the changes in the body that cause diseases. This helps them comprehend the causes, progression, and symptoms of common health problems. This basic information is what clinical thinking and differential diagnosis are based on. In DNRS-6630A-4/DNRS-6630-4/NURS-6630N-4 Approaches to Treatment, students learn about different types of treatment for people of all ages, such as drug-based, talk therapy, and alternative methods. Students learn how to give evidence-based care to a wide range of patients by closely analyzing different types of treatment and how well they work. Advanced health assessment methods, health history taking, and diagnostic reasoning are some of the things that students learn in NURS 6512 Advanced Health Assessment that help them get better at evaluating people. Students are taught to do full health assessments and make individualized care plans with an emphasis on ethnically mindful and all-around care. As a teacher, I want to create a dynamic learning space in which learners are pushed to think critically about course materials, work together, and use what they've learned in clinical practice. I want to give my students the tools they need to become skilled, caring, and culturally aware health care workers through engaging lectures, case studies, and hands-on activities.

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$249

Lectures

13

Skill level

Advanced

Expiry period

Lifetime

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