NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 1 Discussion
Prescriptive Practice in Psychiatric Nursing
Toward a New Understanding of Mental Illness (3:05 minutes)
Toward a New Understanding of Mental Illness Video Transcript
To complete this discussion
Compare the Ted Talk video to the NY Times article by Carlat, D. (2010). Mind Over Meds (PDF), and answer the following questions:
How do you view the role of psychiatric medication in the promotion of patient well-being?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a psychopharmacologist versus also integrating psychotherapy in your clinical practice?
What does the literature say (that is, support for or lack of evidence) for integration of psychotherapy and prescribing by the same clinician (APRN or MD)?
What evidence supports the use of both psychotherapy and psychopharmacology as the role for the PMHNP to improve patient outcomes?
Instructions
Carefully read the questions presented.
Reflect on the assigned materials from this week and consider experiences from your own practice to support your ideas. Please use proper citations and APA format.
You may wish to refer to outside sources as well to support your statements.
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 2 Discussion
Neurotransmitters
Initial Post
By now, you have chosen your neurotransmitter topic for this discussion forum.
Topic 1: Dopamine
Topic 2: Norepinephrine
Topic 3: Gaba-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
Topic 4: Serotonin
Topic 5: Glutamate
For this discussion, each student will create a four to five slide PowerPoint presentation including voice-over, that will be used to educate your fellow classmates on your chosen topic. Be creative in presenting your topic and include at least two references (in APA format) beyond Stahl for your information.
Each student is to create a PowerPoint for their topic and submit to this discussion forum when complete.
Please answer the following questions in your presentation.
What is the function of your neurotransmitter?
What is the pathway of origin and projections?
Is your neurotransmitter excitatory or inhibitory?
What behaviors are associated with this neurotransmitter?
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 3 Discussion
DQ1 Enzymes
Initial Post
By now, you have chosen your enzyme topic for this discussion forum.
Topic 1: CYP 1A2 enzyme
Topic 2: CYP 2D6 enzyme
Topic 3: CYP 3A4 enzyme
For this discussion, each student will create a four to five slide PowerPoint presentation including voice-over, that will be used to educate your fellow classmates on your chosen topic. Be creative in presenting your topic and include at least two references (in APA format) beyond Stahl for your information.
Each student is to create a PowerPoint for their topic and submit to this discussion forum when complete. Please answer the following questions in your presentation.
What is your enzyme?
Why is it important?
What does it do in the human body?
What are the common medications that inhibit the enzyme, including any substrates?
What are the important medication restrictions regarding this enzyme?
DQ2 Psychotropic Drugs
Overview
For this assignment, you will choose one psychotropic drug that is metabolized by CYP450 enzymes and complete the following steps:
Create a brief PowerPoint presentation, including voice-over, hypothesizing the outcome of prescribing your chosen drug in the presence of its CYP450 inhibitor and inducer.
Answer the following questions:
What are examples of drugs that will inhibit and induce the psychotropic drug you chose to study? What will happen, e.g., side effects, symptoms in the patient if the psychotropic drug was prescribed along with either its (1) inhibitor or (2) inducer?
For which CYP450 enzyme/s is it a substrate?
What are the pharmacokinetic considerations when prescribing this medication (absorption, distribution, elimination)? Dietary considerations? Dosing times
Initial Post
Once you have created your summary and presentation, submit under the appropriate discussion thread topic.
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 6 Discussion
Depression Scenarios
Initial Post
For this discussion you will build on your treatment plan from Week 5 Assignment 1: Depression Case Study. You will be seeing your patient at the six-week follow-up.
Describe your treatment plan for your patient in each of these three scenarios. This means that you will have a treatment plan for each separate scenario.
Your initial post should be in APA format with evidence-based references to support your statements.
Scenarios
There is no response to the medication.
There is a partial response to the medication. Mood has lifted but energy and motivation are still poor.
Mood is improved but the patient has sexual side effects that interfere with quality of life.
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 9 Discussion
Harold or Greg ADHD Case Study
Initial Post
You will need to use the following log-in information to access these videos (all case sensitive):
Video Login Site
Username: RegisNursing
Password: Regis0908
To access the site, choose the login button from the upper right corner of the screen.
Enter the login criteria.
View the following case study videos and choose one for your discussion post by clicking on the links (You must be logged in to access the video links):
Harold Case Study Video
Harold Case Study Video Transcript
Greg Case Study Video
Greg Case Study Video Transcript
Answer the following questions and post to this discussion forum:
What symptoms of ADHD does your patient present with?
What are other possible causes of his symptoms?
What further information, if any, would you like about this case?
With the assumption that the patient does have ADHD, what medication would you prescribe (list name and dose)? Why?
List any relevant safety information and screening (labs, etc) related to your medication choice.
Your initial post should be in APA format with evidence-based references to support your statements.
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 10 Discussion
DQ1 Opioid Use
Initial Post
View the Opioid Use Disorders Video | Opioid Use Disorder Moderate Transcript
You will need to use the following log-in information to access this video (all case sensitive):
Username: RegisNursing
Password: Regis0908
To locate the film, press CTRL + F to bring up a search area in the top right hand corner of the website. Enter F11.20 in the search box. You will see arrows in the search area to scroll through the options. You are looking for F11.20 Opioid Use Disorder; Moderate located under the DSM 5 heading and Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders subheading. Note: Please be sure to search for the heading (Substance Related Addictive Disorders) first and then the specific case study (F11.20) to ensure you locate the correct film.
Answer the following questions:
What symptoms of Substance Abuse Disorder does the individual in the video present with?
What are other possible causes of his symptoms?
What additional information would you like to have about this case?
Would you prescribe for this individual? Why or why not?
What would your next steps be for this individual? What would your treatment plan be?
Your initial post should be in APA format with evidence-based references to support your statements.
DQ2 Groups Work on Pediatric Clinical Reference Tool
Overview
For this discussion, you will work in a group of two to three students to create a Pediatric Clinical Reference Tool for a disorder to be used in clinical practice and that can be shared with your peers. Please note, this discussion is not graded and is used as your tool of communication with your group.
Each student will be randomly assigned to a group that is associated with a topic. Here is a list of the topics and their associated groups:
Topic 1: Generalized Anxiety (Group 1)
Topic 2: Depression (Group 2)
Topic 3: Bipolar Disorder (Group 3)
Topic 4: Autism Spectrum Disorder (Group 4)
Topic 5: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (Group 5)
Topic 6: Schizophrenia/Psychotic Disorders (Group 6)
Topic 7: Aggression (Group 7)
Topic 8: Addiction (Group 8)
Once you are placed in the groups, you can use this discussion forum to determine which method you will use to communicate within your groups. You may use Zoom, email, phone, or any other agreed upon method.
Within your group, complete the Pediatric Clinical Template (PDF) to answer the following questions:
How does the topic present in children and, if applicable, how does that presentation differ in adults?
What are the treatment recommendations for children? Adolescents? (Use available resources including but not limited to linked treatment guidelines, The Carlat Child Psychiatry Report, UptoDate, etc..
Which treatment recommendations are off-label? FDA approved?
What are the relevant safety issues? (This may include risks associated with the topic or with the treatment.) Do these safety issues differ from adults?
Your response should include evidence of review of the course material through proper citations using APA format.
Check with the Pediatric Grading Rubric for evaluating your Pediatric Clinical Template.
When the group assignment is complete, select one group member to upload it to the Week 11 Discussion 1: Pediatric Clinical Reference Tool for your peer discussion. Please ensure that all group members are listed on the Pediatric Treatment Reference assignment so that everyone in the group will receive a grade for the submission.
Note: You will also need to individually submit the Pediatric Clinical Template (PDF) in Week 11 Assignment: Pediatric Treatment Reference.
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 11 Discussion
Pediatric Clinical Reference Tool
Initial Post
Choose one group member to upload the Pediatric Clinical Reference Tool for your group to this discussion forum. Please ensure that all group members are listed on the Pediatric Treatment Reference assignment so that everyone in the group will receive a grade for the submission.
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 13 Discussion
DQ1 Pregnancy and Lactation Research
Initial Post
Note: Consider your prior case studies for Depression in Module 5 and Bipolar Disorder in Module 7. Revisit and thoroughly review them.
How would your treatment plan (medications, therapy, etc) change for the pregnant female in Module 5 with Depression and Module 7 with Bipolar Disorder?
How would this change if the female were lactating (breastfeeding)?
What patient teaching would you include?
Please use proper citations and APA format.
DQ2 Choosing the Non-Herbal Topic for the Complementary Treatment Discussion
Initial Post
Identify a non-herbal complementary treatment with purported mental health benefits. Examples include but are not limited to: light boxes, fidget toys, aromatherapy, yoga, meditation, Tai Chi, Qigong, breath exercises, massage, mental health apps, laughter yoga, acupuncture, aerobic exercise, guided imagery, mandalas, labyrinths, foot care, Himalayan salt lamps, etc. You are encouraged to choose a topic of interest to you.
Important!
Only one complementary treatment is to be chosen per student. Before you begin to answer the questions posted in the Week 14 discussion forum, review this discussion board to determine which treatments have already been chosen.
Your initial post is to let your peers know what complementary treatment you are choosing so no one else chooses the same treatment. When you have posted your complementary treatment choice to this discussion board, move on to the Week 14 Discussion 1: Complementary Treatment discussion and complete. Where appropriate, please use proper citations and APA format.
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 14 Discussion
Complementary Treatment
Initial Posts
At this point: You should have chosen and posted your non-herbal complementary treatment topic.
For this discussion will complete the following in a one-page summary:
Describe the complementary treatment.
What is it?
What are its proposed benefits?
Are there any risks?
Describe access to the treatment - where do you find it, what are its costs?
Is there evidence for your treatment? Expert opinion? If so, what is it?
Based on your findings would you recommend this treatment? If yes, do you have population-specific recommendations?
Use proper citations with APA format.
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 2 Assignment
Neurotransmission
Instructions
Tell a ‘story’ by describing how a neuronal impulse creates a cascade of events to occur within the neuron and between neurons. Imagine that you are explaining how neuronal activation occurs, and what the step-by-step processes are, as you would, to a fellow nurse practitioner that has not specialized in psychiatric nursing but is familiar with medical/biology terminology.
Concepts/words that must be incorporated and explained throughout your ‘story’ includes:
Neurotransmitter
Synaptic Cleft
Receiving Neuron
Signal Transduction Cascade
Voltage-gated and Ligand-ion channels
G-protein-linked Receptor
Agonist, Partial Agonist, Antagonist, and Inverse Agonist and their Role in Signal Transduction
Please follow the Assignment Rubric. The expected length of the submission is 1-2 pages and include at least three scholarly references in your work.
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 5 Assignment
Depression Treatment Guidelines
Overview
Review the depression treatment guidelines (APA, VA/DoD, NICE) in clinical resources and compare the recommendations. Which guidelines do you find most useful? Least useful? Why? Compare and contrast each of the guidelines, and provide rationale for which one you are most likely to use as a first-line reference tool going forward in your practice.
Instructions
Read the questions for this assignment.
Reflect on what is being asked. Consider the learning materials you learned this week in the course.
Fully answer each of the questions posed to you. It should be 2-3 pages in length, excluding title and reference page, in APA format, with a minimum of 3 peer-reviewed references. Grammar, punctuation and spelling should be appropriate.
Your assignment should be in APA format with evidence-based references to support your statements.
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 7 Assignment
Introduction to the PMHNP SOAP Note
Introduction
The PMHNP SOAP note is a tool utilized to guide clinical reasoning to assess, diagnosis, and develop a treatment plan for a patient based on information presented and current evaluation of the patient. These notes serve as an important source of information about the health status of the patient and can be used to communicate this status to other health care professionals.
Instructions
Review the following resources:
SOAP Note Presentation (PowerPoint)
SOAP Note Presentation Transcript
SOAP Note Template (Word)
Complete the SOAP Note Questionnaire (Word) and submit to this assignment.
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 9 Assignment
Pediatric ADHD Education
Overview
You are meeting with the parents of a child being evaluated for ADHD. The child meets criteria based on DSM5 for an ADHD diagnosis through the subjective and objective data provided.
What is DSM5 criteria that must be met through subjective and objective data for the accurate diagnosis of ADHD?
What information/resources would you use to discuss this diagnosis?
What information would you provide to educate parents/caretakers regarding etiology and symptoms of ADHD?
What treatment options would you discuss with the parents/caretakers?
What non-pharmacological treatment has been useful in treating children with ADHD? Why is it helpful?
What are the long-term effects on the brain of children who have used medication for ADHD? What are the possible long-term benefits and negative impacts of those medications on both the brain and body overall?
Your assignment should be in APA format with evidence-based references to support your statements.
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 10 Assignment
Exploration of Bluelight
Overview
Go to BlueLight Discussion Forums
This is a site where addicted individuals share information about drugs of abuse including misuse of many prescription drugs.
Browse, research a recreational or prescription drug.
Post your findings in a brief summary. (1-2 pages).
What is "the word on the street?"
Did anything about this surprise you?
No references are required; APA format not required. Appropriate spelling and grammar are required.
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 11 Assignment
Pediatric Clinical Reference Tool
Overview
Submit the complete Pediatric Clinical Reference Tool here for individual grading. Each member of each group must submit a copy of their groups Pediatric Treatment Reference for individual grading.
Your assignment should be in APA format with evidence-based references to support your statements.
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 14 Assignment
Continuing Education Plan
Overview
With a well thought out plan, you can achieve virtually any goal you set for yourself. And making a plan is crucial for continuing your education to build further skills and knowledge that can be applied to your work.
For this assignment, you are going to develop a plan for continuing education in psychopharmacology. The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize you with continuing education materials and to begin developing habits that will keep your psychopharmacology skills and knowledge up to date.
Familiarize yourself with various learning resources and continuing education opportunities including but not limited to reference books, clinical journals, newsletters, professional organizations, conferences, CME events, local psychiatry grand rounds, psychiatry podcasts (several universities podcast their grand rounds).
Identify the resources that you find most useful. What do you like about them?
Which resources are appropriate for use on a routine basis for point of care clinical information?
Which resources are helpful for staying current with emerging information in psychopharmacology?
Which resources are useful for in depth learning on topics of interest?
What is the feasibility of these resources in terms of cost, time and travel?
Develop a continuing education plan. This is your commitment to independent learning. Identify the actions that you plan to take:
On a routine basis, when questions arise at point of care.
On a weekly or monthly basis - subscriptions, online readings, etc.
On an annual basis, such as conferences or symposiums.
Include resources that will provide a meet a variety of learning needs - guide clinical decision making at point of care, provide current information on new drugs or new safety information and deepen your understanding of particular topics.
Write a summary of your plan. How do your chosen resources support your learning goals? Why did you choose them?
Please provide references and links to your educational resources.
Submit your plan to Moodle.
The main ideas are to:
Identify your psychopharmacology learning goals. Research available resources including journals, newsletters, lecture series (such as grand rounds), conferences. Then, create a learning plan to meet your learning goals.
Note when you would like to complete each goal and the feasibility of the time range.
Note future plans for your continuing education that would allow to reach your goals.
Your assignment should be in APA format with evidence-based references to support your statements.
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 15 Assignment
Current Trends and Topics
Pharmacogentics:
What is your personal perspective on the application of this practice in the provision of psychiatric care?
Is there a difference in efficacy of pharmacogenetic testing for adults versus children?
Give an example in the form of a research article that shows this practice is evidence based. (Share link to article and discussing findings in a short paragraph)
Do you see a role for your future practice?
Telepsychiatry:
How is this practiced in your state?
What legal aspects surround telepsychiatry in your state of clinical practice?
Give an example in the form of a research article that shows this practice is evidence based. (Share link to article and discussing findings in a short paragraph)
Do you see a role for your future practice?
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 4 Assignment
Psychosis Case Study
Instructions
In this assignment, you will review the Psychosis Interactive Case Study patient scenario and analyze the data to determine the health status of the patient. You will need a minimum of two evidence-based practice articles to support your work.
Use the Psychosis Case Study Questions (Word) document to complete the case study assignment.
Follow the requirements posted in the rubric.
Interactive case studies should be three to five pages, excluding title and references pages.
All papers must conform to the most recent APA standards.
Psychosis Case Study Transcript
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 5 Assignment
Depression Case Study
Instructions
In this assignment, you will review the Depression Interactive Case Study patient scenario and analyze the data to determine the health status of the patient. You will need a minimum of two evidence-based practice articles to support your work.
Use the Depression Case Study Questions (Word) document to complete the case study assignment.
Follow the requirements posted in the rubric.
Interactive case studies should be three to five pages, excluding title and references pages.
All papers must conform to the most recent APA standards.
Depression Interactive Case Study Transcript
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 7 Assignment
Bipolar Case Study
Instructions
In this assignment, you will review the Bipolar Interactive Case Study patient scenario and analyze the data to determine the health status of the patient. You will need a minimum of two evidence-based practice articles to support your work.
Use the Bipolar Case Study Questions (Word) document to complete the case study assignment.
Follow the requirements posted in the rubric.
Interactive case studies should be three to five pages, excluding title and references pages.
All papers must conform to the most recent APA standards
Week 8 Assignment
Anxiety Case Study
Instructions
In this assignment, you will review the Anxiety Interactive Case Study patient scenario and analyze the data to determine the health status of the patient. You will need a minimum of two evidence-based practice articles to support your work.
Use the Anxiety Case Study Questions (Word) document to complete the case study assignment.
Follow the requirements posted in the rubric.
Interactive case studies should be three to five pages, excluding title and references pages.
All papers must conform to the most recent APA standards
NU643 Advance Psychopharmacology
Week 12 Assignment
Geriatric Case Study
Instructions
In this assignment, you will review the Geriatric Interactive Case Study patient scenario and analyze the data to determine the health status of the patient. You will need a minimum of two evidence-based practice articles to support your work.
Use the Geriatric Case Study Questions (Word) document to complete the case study assignment.
Follow the requirements posted in the rubric.
Interactive case studies should be three to five pages, excluding title and references pages.
All papers must conform to the most recent APA standards.
