Posted: January 18th, 2023

Week 8: Pharmacology for Psychological Disorders

NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology
Week 8: Pharmacology for Psychological Disorders
How does an advanced practice nurse determine the best treatment option or pharmacotherapeutic to recommend for patients with psychological disorders?

Much like assessing or recommending pharmacotherapeutics for other conditions or disorders, as an advanced practice nurse, you may encounter a patient who presents with a psychological disorder. Understanding the guiding principles related to treating patients with psychological disorders as well as the effects of pharmacotherapeutics on a patient’s overall health and well-being is critical for the safe and effective delivery of care NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology.

This week, you examine types of drugs prescribed to patients with psychological disorders. You also examine potential impacts of pharmacotherapeutics used to treat psychological disorders on a patient’s pathophysiology.

Learning Objectives
Students will:

Evaluate patients for treatment of psychological disorders
Analyze decisions made throughout the diagnosis and treatment of patients with psychological disorders
Analyze impacts of pharmacotherapeutics for psychological disorders on patient pathophysiology
Evaluate patients for treatment of neurological and musculoskeletal disorders
Analyze decisions made throughout the diagnosis and treatment of patients with neurological and musculoskeletal disorders
Justify decisions made throughout the diagnosis and treatment of patients with neurological and musculoskeletal disorders
Learning Resources
Required Readings (click to expand/reduce)
Required Media (click to expand/reduce)
Discussion: Decision Making When Treating Psychological Disorders
Psychological disorders, such as depression, bipolar, and anxiety disorders can present several complications for patients of all ages. These disorders affect patients physically and emotionally, potentially impacting judgment, school and/or job performance, and relationships with family and friends. Since these disorders have many drastic effects on patients’ lives, it is important for advanced practice nurses to effectively manage patient care. With patient factors and medical history in mind, it is the advanced practice nurse’s responsibility to ensure the safe and effective diagnosis, treatment, and education of patients with psychological disorders NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology.

Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

For this Discussion, you will select an interactive media piece to practice decision making when treating patients with psychological disorders. You will recommend the most effective pharmacotherapeutic to treat the psychological disorder presented and examine potential impacts of pharmacotherapeutics on a patient’s pathophysiology.

To Prepare
Review this week’s interactive media pieces and select one to focus on for this NURS 6521: Advanced Pharmacology Discussion.
Reflect on the decision steps in the interactive media pieces, and consider the potential impacts from the administration of the associated pharmacotherapeutics on the patient’s pathophysiology.
By Day 3 of Week 8
Post a brief explanation of the psychological disorder presented and the decision steps you applied in completing the interactive media piece for the psychological disorder you selected. Then, explain how the administration of the associated pharmacotherapeutics you recommended may impact the patient’s pathophysiology. How might these potential impacts inform how you would suggest treatment plans for this patient? Be specific and provide examples.
-SAMPLE ANSWER-
I selected the interactive media piece on “Treatment of Schizophrenia” for this discussion. The psychological disorder presented in the interactive media piece is schizophrenia, which is a chronic mental health condition characterized by a range of symptoms including delusions, hallucinations, disordered thinking, and disordered behavior.
In completing the interactive media piece, I applied the following decision steps:
Assessed the patient’s symptoms and history to determine if the patient meets the criteria for a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Reviewed the patient’s medical history and current medications to check for any potential contraindications or interactions with the recommended pharmacotherapeutics.
Considered the patient’s preferences and treatment goals in making my recommendations.
Reviewed the most current guidelines and literature on the treatment of schizophrenia to inform my decision.
Based on the information presented in the interactive media piece and my decision steps, I recommended the use of a second-generation antipsychotic medication such as risperidone for the treatment of schizophrenia. These medications work by blocking the dopamine receptors in the brain, which helps to reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia such as hallucinations and delusions.
The administration of the associated pharmacotherapeutics recommended may impact the patient’s pathophysiology in several ways. For example, the use of second-generation antipsychotics can cause changes in the patient’s body mass index (BMI) and glucose levels, which can increase the risk of diabetes and other metabolic disorders. Additionally, these medication may cause extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), which are a group of movement disorders that can include akathisia, Parkinsonism, and dystonia.
To mitigate these potential impacts, I would suggest monitoring the patient’s weight, BMI, and glucose levels regularly, and be prepared to adjust the treatment plan if necessary. If the patient does experience EPS, we would need to add an anticholinergic agent or switch to another atypical antipsychotic. To ensure the best outcome for this patient, the treatment plan should be reviewed and updated regularly, and the patient should be involved in the decision-making process, so they understand their treatment options and can make an informed choice.
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By Day 6 of Week 8
Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses and respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days who selected a different interactive media piece on a psychological disorder, and provide recommendations for alternative drug treatments to address the patient’s pathophysiology.

Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by clicking on the “Post to Discussion Question” link, and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click on Submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and you cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before clicking on Submit!

Submission and Grading Information
Grading Criteria
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Week 8 Discussion Rubric

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