Week 10 Therapy for Patients with Impulsive/Substance Use Disorders Discussion Paper

Week 10 Therapy for Patients with Impulsive/Substance Use Disorders Discussion Paper

Week 10 Therapy for Patients with Impulsive/Substance Use Disorders Discussion Paper

Substance use disorders (SUD) are complex mental and societal problems. They involve a problematic pattern of substance use that results in mild to severe clinically significant impairment or distress. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is one of the SUD and is characterized by a problematic pattern of alcohol intake that causes clinically significant distress or impairment. The purpose of this paper is to discuss a case scenario of a patient with AUD and outline the treatment interventions.

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Introduction to the Case

            Mrs. Perez is a 53-year-old female who reports having an embarrassing problem with alcohol intake. She has had alcohol consumption problems since she was a teenager and has been part of Alcoholics Anonymous, although irregularly, for 25 years. Mrs. Perez’s drinking problems have worsened since a casino was opened near home two years ago. She got hooked the first time she visited the casino and now gets high when gambling. She states that she takes some drinks when gambling to calm her in win-or-lose games, and taking alcohol makes her gamble more recklessly. The client’s cigarette smoking has also worsened in the past two years, and she worries about her health.

Although she has tried to stop alcohol intake, gambling makes her high, and she usually needs some drinks to calm her. She has noticed that she smokes less when she drinks but smokes more when gambling. Excessive alcohol consumption has led to a significant weight gain of 7lbs. Furthermore, Mrs. Perez has accumulated gambling debts and borrowed more than $50,000. MSE findings are unremarkable except for eye contact avoidant, a sad self-reported mood, and impaired impulse control. The patient gets a diagnosis of Gambling disorder and alcohol use disorder. The specific patient factors influencing decision-making when prescribing medication for this patient include age, comorbid medical and psychiatric disorders, response to previous AUD medications, current treatments, patient preferences, and available non-pharmacological therapies.

Decision #1

Vivitrol (naltrexone) injection, 380 mg IM in the gluteal region 4-weekly.

Why did you select this decision?

Naltrexone was prescribed because it decreases alcohol intake in patients with AUD since it mediates alcohol’s pleasurable effects, thus reducing alcohol cravings (Fairbanks et al., 2020). According to Groves et al. (2020), naltrexone decreases heavy drinking days, promotes abstinence, and helps to manage alcohol cravings.

Why did you not select the other two options provided in the exercise?

Antabuse was not ideal because it reacts with alcohol if taken, resulting in unpleasant symptoms like flushing, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, and headache, which limit compliance (Patel & Balasanova, 2021). Campral was not also selected because it is usually effective in reducing heavy drinking and maintaining abstinence in already sober individuals (Fairbanks et al., 2020). It was not ideal for this patient because she had not abstained from alcohol during the assessment.

What were you hoping to achieve by making this decision?

The clinician hoped that naltrexone would reduce the patient’s alcohol consumption and the rewarding effect associated with alcohol, reducing cravings. According to Fairbanks et al. (2020), naltrexone decreases alcohol’s rewarding effects resulting in reduced alcohol consumption. Naltrexone is well-tolerated, is effective in minimizing relapse rates, and does not result in habit-forming (Groves et al., 2020).

How ethical considerations may impact the treatment plan and communication

The PMHNP has an obligation to uphold beneficence by prescribing medication associated with the best outcomes, which may affect the treatment plan. For example, the clinician-administered naltrexone because substantial evidence supports its efficacy in treating AUD and preventing relapse. Respect for autonomy may impact communication since the clinician must engage the patient in treatment decisions. For instance, the PMHNP had to involve the patient in selecting the medication and explain the potential benefits and side effects.

Decision #2

Refer Mrs. Perez to a counselor to address gambling issues.

Why did you select this decision?

The patient was referred to a counselor because her gambling behavior worsened her financial situation and made her smoke more. Menchon et al. (2018) assert that psychological therapies are the most effective for treating gambling disorders and result in significant short- and long-term improvements. Ribeiro et al. (2021) found that counseling significantly improved gambling behavior and severity.

Why did you not select the other two options provided in the exercise?

Adding Valium to manage the reported anxiety was inappropriate because gambling is associated with anxiety. Counseling was a more effective way of controlling anxiety than medication (Menchon et al., 2018). Adding Chantix (a drug used to promote smoking cessation) was inappropriate because the patient’s smoking behavior depended on gambling (Jordan & Xi, 2018). Therefore, addressing the gambling issue first would eventually promote reduced smoking. 

What were you hoping to achieve by making this decision?

The PMHNP hoped that counseling would help the patient address her gambling behavior, resulting in reduced smoking and decreased financial problems. Ribeiro et al. (2021) found that patients in counseling reported a reduced gambling frequency and money and time spent gambling. During counseling, patients examine their problematic gambling behavior to promote a behavioral change since they are empowered to identify and efficiently solve their doubts about change.

How ethical considerations may impact the treatment plan and communication

The treatment plan may be affected by the patient’s right to autonomy, particularly involving informed consent since the patient has to consent to the treatment interventions. For example, the patient had to give consent to be initiated counseling, and the plan would be affected if she declined. Confidentiality affects communication since the clinician has to assure the patient that her information will be kept private. For instance, the PMHNP assured the patient that her information would be shared if she gave consent, affecting the practitioner’s communication with the client.

Decision #3

Explore the issue that Mrs. Perez is having with her counselor, and encourage her to continue attending the Gamblers Anonymous meetings

Why did you select this decision?

Mrs. Perez mentioned that she did not like her counselor, which led to the decision to examine the issues she has to promote a strong therapeutic relationship (TR). Barbisan et al. (2022) explain that counseling is conducted in the context of a TR, which is subject to the client’s and counselor’s characteristics to establish and sustain therapy. The client’s and therapist’s perception of a strong TR is vital for improving the patient’s functioning and wellbeing (Prusiński, 2022).

Why did you not select the other two options provided in the exercise?

The PMHNP did not encourage the patient to continue seeing the current therapist because she had a negative attitude towards the counselor, which affected the TR and would impact the treatment outcome (Barbisan et al., 2022). Besides, naltrexone was not stopped because it was associated with reduced alcohol craving and cessation of alcohol consumption. Stopping naltrexone at this point increases the risk of the patient having a relapse, which would hinder the attainment of the desired outcomes (Patel & Balasanova, 2021).

What were you hoping to achieve by making this decision?

The practitioner hoped that exploring the client’s issues with the counselor would help her establish a more effective TR and get the maximum benefit from therapy (Barbisan et al., 2022). Prusiński (2022) explains that the working alliance is the most important part of the patient–counselor relationship, and the patient must exhibit a conscious need for cooperation with the counselor.

How ethical considerations may impact the treatment plan and communication

            Nonmaleficence may affect the treatment plan since the clinician has a moral duty to prevent harm to the patient. For example, the PMHNP had first to identify the issues Perez had with the counselor to avoid causing more psychological harm if she was subjected to counseling sessions where she hated the therapist. Confidentiality affects communication since the provider is prohibited from sharing patient information without consent. In this case, the PMHNP had to maintain the confidentiality of the conversations with the patient on why she did not like her counselor.

Conclusion

Mrs. Perez has alcohol use disorder and gambling disorder based on her problematic alcohol consumption and gambling behavior. The patient was first prescribed Naltrexone IM monthly injection since it is well-tolerated and has no dependency. Naltrexone mediates the pleasurable effects of alcohol, resulting in reduced alcohol cravings (Fairbanks et al., 2020). However, Antabuse was not prescribed because of its undesirable symptoms when it reacts with alcohol, which affects adherence to treatment (Patel & Balasanova, 2021). Campral was also not prescribed because it is indicated in persons already sober, which was not the case for Mrs. Perez (Fairbanks et al., 2020).

Naltrexone effectively reduced the patient’s alcohol cravings and alcohol consumption but did not solve the gambling behavior. Thus, the PMHNP referred the patient for counseling to help address the problematic gambling behavior. This is because psychological strategies are the most effective for treating gambling disorders and result in significant short- and long-term improvements (Menchon et al., 2018). However, the patient reported not liking her counselor, although she felt supported in the Alcohol Anonymous groups. The PMHNP examined the client’s problems with the counselor and encouraged her to continue attending the GA meetings to help her address the gambling problem. It was crucial to examine these issues since the patient’s and therapist’s perception of a strong therapeutic relationship is important for improved patient functioning and wellbeing (Prusiński, 2022). The PMHNP upheld the ethical principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence, confidentiality, and respect for patient autonomy, which affected the treatment plan and communication with the client. 

References

Barbisan, G. K., de Pieri, L. Z., Gonçalves, L., Rebouças, C., & da Rocha, N. S. (2022). Positive Association Between Therapeutic Alliance and Quality of Life in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and Interpersonal Therapy: The Patient’s Perspective. Frontiers in psychiatry, 12, 613627. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.613627

Fairbanks, J., Umbreit, A., Kolla, B. P., Karpyak, V. M., Schneekloth, T. D., Loukianova, L. L., & Sinha, S. (2020, September). Evidence-based pharmacotherapies for alcohol use disorder: clinical pearls. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 95, No. 9, pp. 1964-1977). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.01.030

Jordan, C. J., & Xi, Z. X. (2018). Discovery and development of varenicline for smoking cessation. Expert opinion on drug discovery, 13(7), 671–683. https://doi.org/10.1080/17460441.2018.1458090

Groves, C., Griffin, L., Bradford, J. L., & Auten, B. (2020). Alcohol Use Disorder: Pharmacologic Treatment Options. American Family Physician, 102(7).

Menchon, J. M., Mestre-Bach, G., Steward, T., Fernández-Aranda, F., & Jiménez-Murcia, S. (2018). An overview of gambling disorder: from treatment approaches to risk factors. F1000Research, 7, 434. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.12784.1

Patel, A. K., & Balasanova, A. A. (2021). Treatment of alcohol use disorder. JAMA, 325(6), 596-596. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.2012

Prusiński, T. (2022). The Strength of Alliance in Individual Psychotherapy and Patient’s Wellbeing: The Relationships of the Therapeutic Alliance to Psychological Wellbeing, Satisfaction With Life, and Flourishing in Adult Patients Attending Individual Psychotherapy. Frontiers in psychiatry, 13, 827321. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.827321

Ribeiro, E. O., Afonso, N. H., & Morgado, P. (2021). Non-pharmacological treatment of gambling disorder: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. BMC Psychiatry, 21(1), 1-15.

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Syllabus

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Student Support and Calendar Information

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This Syllabus, including the Course Schedule that is linked on this page as a PDF
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Credit Hours

5 credits in 11 weeks

Walden University assigns credit hours based on the number and type of assignments that enable students to achieve the course learning objectives. In general, each semester credit equals about 42 hours of total student work and each quarter credit equals about 28 hours of total student work. This time requirement represents an approximate average for undergraduate work and the minimum expectations for graduate work. The number and kind of activities estimated to fulfill time requirements will vary by degree level and student learning style, and by student familiarity with the delivery method and course content.
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.
Course Prerequisites

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

Course Learning Outcomes

By the conclusion of this course, you should be able to:

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

College of Nursing Alignment of Learner Outcomes

Click on the following link to access the College of Nursing Alignment of Learner Outcomes:

Document: NURS 6630 SON Alignment of Learning Outcomes (PDF)

Course Materials

Please visit the university bookstore via your Walden student portal to ensure you are obtaining the correct version of any course texts and/or materials noted in the following section. When you receive your materials, make sure that all required items are included.
Course Text

Stern, T. A., Favo, M., Wilens, T. E., & Rosenbaum, J. F. (2016). Massachusetts General Hospital psychopharmacology and neurotherapeutics. Elsevier.

The following course text is available through the Walden Library:

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Association.

Note: If the print edition of these books are referenced here, electronic versions also may be available and may be acceptable for use in this course. If an electronic version is listed, no print version is available.

Other readings (journal articles, websites, book excerpts, etc.) are assigned throughout the course and may be found within each Module.
Media

Assigned course media elements may be found in one or more modules of the course and are available via a streaming media player or a hyperlink to the individual item.
Primary and Secondary Sources

Review the following information prior to selecting resources for assignments.

Primary: A primary source is an original document that is the first account of what happened. A research report is primary, and you can tell because it includes materials and methods demonstrating how the research was done. Some creative work is also primary, such as poetry, novels, and interviews of people who experienced something firsthand. In nursing, which is an evidence-based discipline, we strive to use primary research that is published in scholarly, peer-reviewed journals.

Scholarly, peer-reviewed journal: Scholarly journals publish papers by professional authors and experts in the field using a peer-review process to review the work and assure quality before publishing. The focus of a scholarly journal is to provide accurate information for scholars and other researchers. The focus is on content rather than advertising, a direct contrast to popular media. Scholarly journals publish both primary and secondary papers, the former usually is noted as original research and the latter as reviews and commentaries. Letters to the editor may also be published but should be recognized as opinion pieces.

Note: When selecting articles for course assignments, you are advised (unless you are referencing seminal information) to focus on work published within the past 5 years.

Secondary: A secondary source is one step removed from the original source. This work interprets and often compiles other work, and it includes review articles, textbooks, fact sheets, and commentaries about a topic. It also includes news reports of original research. Secondary work is more prone to error and bias than primary work because it is being filtered through an additional person or persons. Review papers can be useful to glean information about a topic and to find other sources from the reference list, but it is the original, primary research that should be relied on most heavily in demonstrating scholarship, depth, and validation of factual information.
Course Assignments

1. Participation in weekly Discussions: The exchange of ideas among colleagues engaged in scholarly inquiry is a key aspect of learning and is a requisite activity in this course. You are expected to participate each week that a Discussion is assigned by posting a response to a prompt or question in the weekly Discussion area. In addition, you are expected to respond to your fellow students’ postings. To count as participation, responses need to be thoughtful; that is, they must refer to the week’s readings, relevant issues in the news, information obtained from other sources, and/or ideas expressed in the postings of other class members. You may ask questions or offer further information or links about the subject. Please pay attention to grammar and spelling, as consistently poorly written posts will receive grade penalties. In grading the required Discussion postings, your Instructor will be using the Discussion Posting and Response Rubric, located in the Course Information area.

Note: Unless otherwise noted, initial postings to Discussions are due on or before Day 3, and response postings are due on or before Day 6. You are required to participate in the Discussion on at least 3 different days (a different day for main post and each response). It is important to adhere to the weekly time frame to allow others ample time to respond to your posting. In addition, you are expected to respond to questions directed toward your own initial posting in a timely manner.

2. Assignments: The Assignments provide you with the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge gained through the Learning Resources and the practicum experience. See the Assignment area of specific weeks for detailed descriptions of the Assignments. In grading the required Assignments, your Instructor will be using rubrics located in the Course Information area.

Note: The course Assignments will require that you completely and accurately demonstrate critical thinking via assimilation and synthesis of ideas when using credible outside and course-specific resources (i.e., video, required readings, textbook), when comparing different points of view, highlighting similarities, differences, and connections, and/or when lending support to your Assignment responses.

Academic Integrity Originality Policy

Walden encourages students to use critical thinking to produce original thoughts in discussion posts, assignments, and other scholarly work. This “…will require that you completely and accurately demonstrate critical thinking via assimilation and synthesis of ideas when using credible, outside and course specific resources (i.e., video, required readings, textbook); when comparing different points of view, highlighting similarities, differences, and connections; and/or when lending support to your responses.” Using too many direct quotes or ineffective paraphrasing does not demonstrate originality.

To demonstrate originality requires the use of paraphrasing. According to the Walden Writing Center (n.d.), “Paraphrasing in academic writing is an effective way to restate, condense, or clarify another author’s ideas while also providing credibility to your own argument or analysis” (“Introduction to Paraphrasing”). “As you discuss those sources, paraphrasing allows you to use your own words and sentence structure to talk about the information you gleaned from those sources.” (Walden Writing Center, n.d., “Introduction to Paraphrasing”).

“Ineffective paraphrasing occurs when authors paraphrase a source but do not use their own sentence structure or vocabulary to effectively reword that source. The issue here is often that the student’s paraphrase simply uses synonyms for the source’s original wording and is not different enough from the original source’s wording. Ineffective paraphrasing can occur when an author does not use his or her own wording or voice to paraphrase entire paragraphs or individual sentences.” (Walden Writing Center, n.d., “Examples of Paraphrasing,” slide 10).

For more information, refer to the Writing Center’s Introduction to Plagiarism & Intellectual Property at https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/modules/plagiarism#s-lg-box-8548804

Assignments, discussion posts, or other scholarly work that does not demonstrate originality and/or lacks proper citation to credit original sources/authors will receive a grade reduction amounting up to 10%.
Grading Criteria and Total Components of a Grade

Course grades will be based on participation (postings) and completion of assignments listed below.

Note: All assignments must be completed to pass the course.

Letter grades will be assigned as follows:

90%–100% = A
80%–89% = B
70%–79% = C
< 70% = F

Note: Please see below the policy on Incomplete (I) grades.

Assignment Total Points Percentage
(Weighted)

Discussion

Participation in Discussion*
(2 @ 100 points)

200

10%

Assignments

Short Answer Assessments

(2 @ 75 points each)

Study Guide

(1 @ 100 points)

250

8%

Decision Tree Assignments

(6 @ 100 points each)
600 30%

Self Assessments x 2
0

0%

Midterm Exam (100 points)

Final Exam (100 points)
200 52%
Practicum Application Assignment
(1 @ 0 points [graded S/U]) S/U 0%

Total

1,250

100%

* Each Discussion requires that you make one initial posting and at least two response postings to colleagues. See the Discussion Posting and Response Rubric for posting details.
Incomplete Grade Policy

Per University policy, Incomplete grades can be granted only to students who have already met the minimum criteria for active weekly participation in a course (including weekly postings in online courses) and have completed at least 80% of other coursework. Incompletes can be awarded when, because of extenuating circumstances, a student has not met additional course requirements, including but not limited to written assignments, group projects, and research papers, as applicable. All Incomplete grades are awarded at the discretion of the course Faculty.

Students who are eligible for an Incomplete must contact the course Faculty to request the grade as soon as possible. Students who do not meet the criteria listed above will not be allowed to earn an Incomplete. If the Incomplete is approved, the Faculty Member will work with the student to outline the due date(s) for remaining work. Under no circumstances will the new due dates extend beyond 50 days from the last day of the term. Faculty will then have 10 days to assess the work and post the permanent grade before the University-allotted Incomplete time limit of 60 days expires. All Incomplete grades not resolved within the time allotted will convert to permanent grades of F.
Instructor Feedback Schedule

The Instructor will log in to the course during the week to monitor the weekly Discussion area. Feedback will be provided via the My Grades area, the Discussion area, and/or the Announcements page.

You can expect your weekly assignment grades to be posted within 10 calendar days of a due date. Instructor feedback and explanation is provided whenever full credit is not achieved. Depending on the nature of the feedback, Instructor responses may be posted to the Discussion area or included in the My Grades area. The goal of your Instructor is to act as a discussion and learning facilitator rather than a lecturer. The Instructor will not respond to every posting by every individual, so please feel free to ask your Instructor if you would like some personal feedback on a particular assignment posting or anytime you have any questions regarding your assignments or your grade.
Course Procedures

All class Discussions take place in the weekly Discussion areas.
You are encouraged to post course-related questions to the Contact the Instructor area, as they may be of interest to all; however, if your question is urgent, it is often best to email the Instructor. If your emailed question is thought to be of benefit to all, it may be responded to by the Instructor via email to all or posted as an announcement.
Instructor feedback on content and writing issues that is thought to be of benefit to the entire class may be posted to the Contact the Instructor area; however, most personal critique will be done privately in the Grade Center. Be sure to check the Grade Center for comments every week even if you received full credit.
Please feel free to use the Class Café to initiate and participate in conversations not directly related to the course. This is an excellent opportunity to get to know other students better. The Instructor will browse the Class Café occasionally but generally will not respond to conversations posted there unless students have specific questions for him or her.
Check the email account you use for official Walden University business on a regular basis. The expectation is that you are checking this email account daily during the week. If you experience difficulty sending or receiving Walden email, please contact the Student Support Team right away. Contact information for the Student Support Team is located in the Student Support area.
Review all materials in the Course Information area, as well as the materials contained under each of the weekly buttons.
Resubmission of assignments is not permitted after due dates. Students are expected to review their work and submissions of work carefully prior to due dates. Faculty may open a second submission area for assignment resubmission prior to due dates if students report submission errors. Assignments are graded after due dates as the final product ready for grading. Errors in submissions noted after due dates may result in a grade of zero.

Note: There are Optional Readings located within the Learning Resources section of each week in the course. You are encouraged to explore these readings, as needed, in order to enhance your understanding of the course content.

Preferred Methods for Delivering Assignments

Be sure that you post to the correct Discussion area each week, if assigned. Do not email postings to the Instructor. For all initial Discussion postings, make sure that the first sentence of your posting reads Main Question Post. For your responses to others’ response postings, make sure that the first sentence of your response reads Response. These actions will ensure easily identifiable subject lines for your postings and responses.
Application Assignments are submitted to the SafeAssign link and named according to the week in which the Assignment is submitted. Directions for naming each Application Assignment are included in each week’s Assignment area. Please be sure that all written Application Assignments are saved and submitted as a “.doc” file.
All email correspondence must contain in the subject line “NURS 6630-XX-NAME” (XX is the section number) followed by a brief description of the subject. This subject line convention ensures that your email will be easily identified and responded to in a timely manner. It is required that the email contain a signature that matches the official name used in the course.

Late Assignment Policy

Students are expected to submit assignments by the due dates noted in the course. In extenuating circumstances, such as illness, the student must contact the Instructor as soon as possible to discuss the situation. In those circumstances, Faculty will determine the appropriate course of action for the student. Depending on the situation, these actions may include recommendations to drop the course (if within the university drop/withdrawal period), acceptance of some or all of the overdue assignments with or without penalties, or failure to accept assignments.

Assignments submitted late without the prior agreement of the Instructor, outside of an emergency absence, or in violation of agreements for late submission, will receive a grade reduction for the assignment amounting up to 20%. Each day late with result in a 4%-point deduction up to day 5. After 5 days, the assignment will be graded a zero. Students should be aware that late assignments may not receive the same level of written feedback as do assignments submitted on time.
Discussion Board, Midterm Exam, and Final Exam Late Policy

The late policy applied to discussion boards, midterms exams, and final exams are different than course assignments and are as follows. Students are expected to complete discussion boards, midterms exams, and final exams by the due dates noted in the course. If students do not complete the discussion boards or initiate exams by the due date, the grade will result in a zero. In the event of an extenuating circumstance, students must let the instructor know prior to the due date. If the student is unable to do so, he or she needs to notify the instructor as soon as possible and those circumstances will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Any exam that is permitted to be taken late or permitted a retake may be subject to proctoring with audio and video technology.
Keeping Your Coursework

You will have access to the course and your coursework from the course start date until 60 days after the course ends. After this time, you will no longer be able to access the course or related materials. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you retain copies of your completed assignments and any documents you wish to keep. The University is not responsible for lost or missing coursework.
Course Evaluation

At or near the end of the course, you will receive an email inviting you to submit an online evaluation of the course and instruction. All submitted course evaluations are confidential, and only aggregate data and comments will be shared with the Instructor and Program Director. Your feedback is vitally important to Walden University in its efforts to continuously improve programs.
Students With Disabilities

Students in this course who have a disability that might prevent them from fully demonstrating their abilities should contact the director of Student Wellness & Disability Services at disability@mail.waldenu.edu or at 1-800-925-3368, ext. 312-1205 and +1-612-925-3368 or https://www.waldenu.edu/contact-us for international toll-free numbers as soon as possible to initiate disability verification and discuss accommodations that may be necessary to ensure full participation in the successful completion of course requirements.
Classroom Participation

In accordance with U.S. Department of Education guidance regarding class participation, Walden University requires that all students submit at least one of their required Week 1 assignments (which includes posting to the Discussion Board) within each course(s) during the first 7 calendar days of class. For courses with two-week units, posting to the Discussion Board by Day 7 meets this requirement. The first calendar day of class is the official start date of the course as posted on your myWalden academic page.

Assignments submitted prior to the official start date will not count toward your participation.

Financial Aid cannot be released without class participation as defined above.

Students who are taking their first class with Walden and do not submit at least one of their required Week 1 assignments (or at least one Discussion post) by the end of the 7th day will be administratively withdrawn from the university.

Students who have already taken and successfully completed at least one or more class(es) with Walden, and who do not participate within the first 7 days, will be dropped from that class.

If you have any questions about your assignments, or you are unable to complete your assignments, please contact your Faculty Member.
Checklist

Print

The module course checklist below outlines the assignments due for the course.

For full assignment details and directions, refer to each module of the course. All assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time (MT) on the day assigned (which is 1:59 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) the next day). The time stamp in the classroom will reflect Eastern Time (ET), regardless of your time zone. As long as your submission time stamp is no later than 1:59 a.m. Eastern Time (ET), you have submitted on time.
To View the Calendar

To view the Course Calendar:

Course Calendar

To View a Printable Course Schedule

For full assignment details and directions, refer to each Module of the course.

Click on the NURS 6630 Course Schedule (PDF) link to access the Course Schedule.

Document: NURS 6630 Course Schedule (PDF)

Checklist

Module Assignment Title

Module 1

Introduction to Neuroanatomy and Adherence

Week 1

Introduction to Neuroanatomy

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Required Media

Optional Resources
Optional Discussion Forum

PMHNP Study Support Lounge

Assignment

Short Answer Assessment

Week 2

Neurotransmitters and Receptor Theory

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Required Media

Optional Resources

Discussion

Foundational Neuroscience

Week 3

Concepts in Assessing Medication Adherence and Strategies to Mitigate Non-Adherence

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Required Media

Self Assessment

Neurobiology and Medication Adherence Concepts

Module 2

Disorders With Affective Components

Week 4

Therapy for Patients With Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Medication Resources

Required Media

Optional Resources

Assignment

Assessing and Treating Pediatric Patients With Mood Disorders

Week 5

Therapy for Patients With Bipolar Disorders

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Medication Resources

Required Media

Optional Resources

Assignment

Assessing and Treating Patients With Bipolar Disorder

Week 6

Therapy for Patients With Anxiety Disorders and PTSD Treatment

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Medication Resources

Required Media

Assignment

Assessing and Treating Patients With Anxiety Disorders

Midterm Exam

Week 7

Therapy for Patients With Schizophrenia

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Medication Resources

Optional Resources

Discussion

Treatment for a Patient With a Common Condition

Assignment

Study Guide for Medication Treatment Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychosis Disorders

Week 8

Therapy for Patients With Sleep/Wake Disorders

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Medication Resources

Required Media

Assignment 1

Short Answer Assessment

Assignment 2

Assessing and Treating Patients With Sleep/Wake Disorders

Week 9

Therapy for Patients With ADHD/ODD

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Medication Resources

Required Media

Assignment

Assessing and Treating Patients With ADHD

Self Assessment

Assessing and Treating Patients With Psychopharmacology

Module 3

Disorders With Behavioral Components

Week 10

Therapy for Patients With Impulsive/Substance Use Disorders (SUD)

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Medication Resources

Required Media

Optional Resources

Discussion

Influencing Social Change

Assignment 1

Assessing and Treating Patients With Impulsivity, Compulsivity, and Addiction
Assignment 2 Practicum Application Assignment

Week 11

Therapy for Patients With Dementia/Alzheimer’s and Comorbid States

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Medication Resources

Optional Resources

Final Exam

 

Bibliography

The bibliography contains the references for all learning materials in the course. For your convenience, a link has been provided to download and save the bibliography.

To access the Bibliography:

Document: NURS 6630 Bibliography (PDF)