Depressive Disorders

The National Institutes of Mental Health acknowledges that depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States. It is associated with significant disability, fiscal impact, and considerable personal suffering. It may have significant impact on the individual, their family, and their social network. The PMHNP must be capable of providing comprehensive care for depressive disorders, including both psychotherapy and psychopharmacologic approaches.

This week, you will become “captain of the ship” as you take full responsibility for a client with a depressive disorder. You will recommend psychopharmacologic treatment and psychotherapy, identify medical management needs and community support, and recommend follow-up plans. You will also explore how to obtain a DEA license and the responsibilities for safe prescribing and prescription monitoring.

 

                                               “Captain of the Ship” – Depressive Disorder

As nurse practitioners strive to achieve full-autonomous practice across the country, it should be noted that many states grant this ability to practice independently to psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners. To that end, you will be engaging in projects this semester that assume that you are practicing in a state that allows full-practice authority for NPs, meaning that the PMHNP may be the “captain of the ship” concerning caring for a patient population. The “captain of the ship” is the one who makes referrals to specialists, coordinates care for their patients/clients, and is responsible and accountable for patient/client outcomes overall. This is a decided change from a few decades ago when physicians were the “captain of the ship” and NPs played a peripheral role.

In this Assignment, you will become the “captain of the ship” as you provide treatment recommendations and identify medical management, community support resources, and follow-up plans for a client with a depression disorder.

                                              Learning Objectives

Students will:

· Recommend psychopharmacologic treatments based on therapeutic endpoints

for clients with depression disorders

· Recommend psychotherapy based on therapeutic endpoints for clients with

depression disorders

· Identify medical management needs for clients with depression disorders

· Identify community support resources for clients with depression disorders

· Recommend follow-up plans for clients with depression disorders

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