NURS6630 week 7 assignment

week_7_Assessing_and_Treating_Clients_With_Pain.doc (56 KB)

Week 7 assignment
Assignment: Assessing and Treating Clients With Pain
Pain can greatly influence an individual’s quality of life,
as uncontrolled pain negatively impacts mood, concentration, and the overall
physical and mental well-being of clients. Although pain can often be
controlled with medications, the process of assessing and treating clients can
be challenging because pain is such a subjective experience. Only the person
experiencing the pain truly knows the intensity of the pain and whether there
is a need for medication therapies. Sometimes, beliefs about pain and
treatments for pain can have an adverse effect on the provider-client
relationship. For this Assignment, as you examine the interactive case study
consider how you might assess and treat clients presenting with pain.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
Assess client factors and history to develop personalized
therapy plans for clients with pain
Analyze factors that influence pharmacokinetic and
pharmacodynamic processes in clients requiring therapy for pain
Evaluate efficacy of treatment plans for clients presenting
for pain therapy
Analyze ethical and legal implications related to
prescribing therapy for clients with pain
Learning Resources
Note: To access this week’s required library resources,
please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course
Materials section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings
Note: All Stahl
resources can be accessed through the Walden Library using this link. This link
will take you to a log-in page for the Walden Library. Once you log into the
library, the Stahl website will appear.
Stahl, S. M. (2013).
Stahl’s essential psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific basis and practical
applications (4th ed.). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
To access the following chapters, click on the Essential
Psychopharmacology, 4th ed tab on the Stahl Online website and select the
appropriate chapter. Be sure to read all sections on the left navigation bar
for each chapter.
Chapter 10, “Chronic Pain and Its Treatment”
Stahl, S. M., & Ball, S. (2009a). Stahl’s illustrated
chronic pain and fibromyalgia. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
To access the following chapter, click on the Illustrated
Guides tab and then the Chronic Pain and Fibromyalgia tab.
Chapter 5, “Pain Drugs”
Stahl, S. M. (2014b). The prescriber’s guide (5th ed.). New
York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
To access information on the following medications, click on
The Prescriber’s Guide, 5th ed tab on the Stahl Online website and select the
appropriate medication.
Review the following medications:
For insomnia
amitriptyline
amoxapine
carbamazepine
clomipramine
clonidine (adjunct)
desipramine
dothiepin
doxepin
duloxetine
gabapentin
imipramine
lamotrigine
levetiracetam
lofepramine
maprotiline
memantine
milnacipran
nortriptyline
pregabalin
tiagabine
topiramate
trimipramine
valproate (divalproex)
zonisamide
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and
statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Note: Retrieved from Walden Library databases.
National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2016). Pain: Hope through research.
Retrieved from
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/chronic_pain/detail_chronic_pain.htm#3084_2
Required Media
Laureate Education
(2016a). Case study: A Caucasian man with hip pain [Interactive media file].
Baltimore, MD: Author
Note: This case study will serve as the foundation for this
week’s Assignment.
To prepare for this Assignment:
Review this week’s Learning Resources. Consider how to
assess and treat clients requiring therapy for pain and sleep/wake disorders.
The Assignment
Examine Case Study: A Caucasian Man With Hip Pain. You will
be asked to make three decisions concerning the medication to prescribe to this
client. Be sure to consider factors that might impact the client’s
pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes.
At each decision point stop to complete the following:
Decision #1
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
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
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.