NURS 6521 Week 6 Discussion: Pharmacotherapy for Endocrine and Musculoskeletal Disorders

Patients with endocrine and musculoskeletal disorders often require long-term treatment and care resulting in the need for extensive patient education. By appropriately educating patients, advanced practice nurses can assist patients with the management of their disorders. In clinical settings, patients with endocrine and musculoskeletal disorders typically seek treatment for symptoms that pose problems to their everyday lives as ordinary tasks may become difficult to complete. For instance, patients might have difficulty walking short distances, preparing meals, or even running errands. To reduce these symptoms and additional health risks, it is essential to develop drug therapy plans with individual patient factors in mind.

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To prepare for NURS 6521 Week 6 Discussion: Pharmacotherapy for Endocrine and Musculoskeletal Disorders:

Select one of the following endocrine or musculoskeletal disorders: thyroid disease, osteoarthritis, rheumatic arthritis, gout, multiple sclerosis, or fibromyalgia. Consider the types of drugs that would be prescribed to patients to treat symptoms associated with this disorder.

Select one of the following factors: genetics, gender, ethnicity, age, or behavior. Reflect on how this factor might impact the effects of prescribed drugs, as well as any measures you might take to help reduce negative side effects.

With these thoughts in mind:

By Day 3

Post a description of the endocrine or musculoskeletal disorder you selected including types of drugs that would be prescribed to patients to treat associated symptoms. Then, explain how the factor you selected might impact the effects of prescribed drugs, as well as any measures you might take to help reduce negative side effects.

By Day 6

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses and respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days who selected a different endocrine or musculoskeletal disorder than you did. Provide recommendations for alternative drug treatments and patient education strategies for treatment and management.

Week 7 Discussion: Pharmacotherapy for Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Disorders

Gastrointestinal (GI) and hepatobiliary disorders affect the structure and function of the GI tract. Many of these disorders often have similar symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramping, constipation, nausea, bloating, and fatigue. Since multiple disorders can be tied to the same symptoms, it is important for advanced practice nurses to carefully evaluate patients and prescribe treatment that targets the cause rather than the symptom. Once the underlying cause is identified, an appropriate drug therapy plan can be recommended based on medical history and individual patient factors. In this Discussion, you examine a case study of a patient who presents with symptoms of a possible GI/hepatobiliary disorder, and you design an appropriate drug therapy plan.

Consider the following case study:

Patient HL comes into the clinic with the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The patient has a history of drug abuse and possible Hepatitis C. HL is currently taking the following prescription drugs:

Synthroid 100 mcg daily

Nifedipine 30 mg daily

Prednisone 10 mg daily

To prepare:

Review this week’s media presentation on pharmacology for the gastrointestinal system.

Review the provided case study. Reflect on the patient’s symptoms, medical history, and drugs currently prescribed.

Think about a possible diagnosis for the patient. Consider whether the patient has a disorder related to the gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary system or whether the symptoms are the result of a disorder from another system or other factors such as pregnancy, drugs, or a psychological disorder.

Consider an appropriate drug therapy plan based on the patient’s history, diagnosis, and drugs currently prescribed.

With these thoughts in mind:

By Day 3

Post an explanation of your diagnosis for the patient including your rationale for the diagnosis. Then, describe an appropriate drug therapy plan based on the patient’s history, diagnosis, and drugs currently prescribed.

By Day 6

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses and respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days who diagnosed the patient differently than you did, in one or more of the following ways:

Provide alternative recommendations for drug treatments.

Offer and support an alternative perspective using readings from the classroom or from your own research in the Walden Library.

Validate an idea with your own experience and additional research.

NURS 6521 Week 6 Discussion: Pharmacotherapy for Endocrine and Musculoskeletal Disorders