NURS – 6630 – Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of Psychopathology

NURS – 6630 – Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of Psychopathology

Syllabus

Student Support and Calendar Information

So you have all key information available to you off-line, it is highly recommended that you print the following items for your reference:

• This Syllabus, including the Course Schedule that is linked on this page as a PDF
• Course Calendar
• Student Support

Credit Hours

• 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.

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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 mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) 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 mental health disorders including but not limited to major depressive disorders, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, as well as psychotic disorders. Learners explore key considerations associated with medication selection, monitoring of efficacy, and long-term management. NURS – 6630 – Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of Psychopathology

Course Prerequisites

PMHNP Program Core Coures & NURS-6521

Course Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will:

1. Evaluate foundational neuroscience as it relates to caring for clients with psychiatric disorders across the lifespan
2. Assess mechanisms of action of medications used to treat a variety of psychiatric conditions
3. Compare evidence-based practices to select appropriate psychopharmacologic agents
4. Synthesize pathophysiology and health assessment concepts in the psychopharmacologic treatment of psychiatric mental health disorders
5. Evaluate ethical and legal implications of prescribing psychotropic medications across the lifespan
6. Evaluate the efficacy and adverse reactions of psychotropic medications
7. Recommend strategies to become a social change agent for individuals with psychiatric mental health issues

Click on the following link to view the Outcomes/Alignment map for NURS 6630:

Document: NURS 6630 Outcomes/Alignment (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 Texts

These course texts are available through Stahl Online Resources http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://stahlonline.cambridge.org/

Stahl, S. M. (2013). Stahl’s essential psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific basis and practical applications (4th ed.). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Stahl, S. M. (2014b). The prescriber’s guide (5th ed.). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. NURS – 6630 – Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of Psychopathology

This course text is available through the Walden Library:

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

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

Other readings (journal articles, websites, book excerpts, etc.) are assigned throughout the course and may be found within each week. NURS – 6630 – Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of Psychopathology

Course Readings List

The Course Readings List contains all of the required Walden Library resources for this course. Please click on the following link to access the list:

NURS 6630 Course Readings List

Media

Assigned course media elements are found within the weekly Learning Resources pages and are available via a streaming media player or a hyperlink to the individual item.

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.

Grading Scale

Letter grades will be assigned as follows:

90%–100% = A

80%–89%   = B

70%–79%   = C

<70%   = F

Please see below for the policy on Incomplete (I) grades. NURS – 6630 – Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of Psychopathology

Important Note: This course contains weighted grading. Assignments are weighted differently depending on their type. The total points achieved for each assignment will be weighted based on the percentage values noted in the Weighted Total (%)column of the table that follows.

* Each Discussion requires that you make one initial posting and at least two response postings to colleagues. See the Formative Evaluative Criteria for Discussion Board Assignments for posting details.

Note: All assignments must be completed in order to receive a grade for the course. NURS – 6630 – Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of Psychopathology

Dedicated Support for Course Media

You may use the following e-mail address and toll-free number for any questions or concerns you have about media in the course.

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: 1-877-238-2963

Course Assignments

Online Discussion and Blog Assignment

The exchange of ideas between colleagues engaged in scholarly inquiry is a key aspect of graduate-level learning and is a requisite activity in this course.

Requirements: You are expected to participate at least two separate days a week in the weekly Discussion area. Discussion topics/questions are provided in the 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 other class members’ postings. Where appropriate, you should use references to support your position. Most weeks have at least one Discussion question. The Discussion questions require a response to one other student’s posting; it should be no more than two paragraphs long. NURS – 6630 – Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of Psychopathology

All Discussion postings need to be made in each week’s Discussion area of the course, unless otherwise stated. Please do not e-mail postings to the Instructor or other students. Refer to the Discussion area for specific instructions.

Discussions will be graded according to the Discussion Rubric found in the Course Information area.

Assignments and Projects

An Assignment or Project often is a writing assignment submitted to the Instructor for evaluation. Complete Assignment or Project directions are in the Assignments or Projects areas, including how and where to submit the Assignment or Project and the due date. Please note that you should keep copies of your Assignments and Projects on your computer in case of any technical difficulties.

Information on scholarly writing may be found in the APA manual and at the Walden Writing Center website.

Please refer to the APA Guide or visit the Walden University Online Writing Center at http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/

Walden University expects you to act with integrity and honesty in your academic courses. Refer to the Guidelines and Policies and Academic Integrity areas for more details.

Check the Course Information area for any rubrics relating to the Assignments and Projects.

All assignments must be completed to pass the course.

Preferred Methods for Delivering Assignments

Submitting Course Postings to the Weekly Discussion Areas

Be sure that you post to the correct Discussion area each week. Do not e-mail 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’ 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. NURS – 6630 – Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of Psychopathology

Submitting Assignments and Projects

Assignments and Projects are submitted according to the instructions in the Assignments or Projects areas and are named according to the week in which the Assignment or Project is submitted. Directions for naming each Assignment or Project are included in each week’s Assignment or Project area. NURS – 6630 – Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of Psychopathology

E-mailing Your Instructor

When e-mailing the Instructor, please use the following heading for your e-mail subject line: last name + your first initial + course number (e.g., RideSHUMN6815) so that your Instructor will recognize and read your e-mail. NURS – 6630 – Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of Psychopathology .

Policies on Late Assignments

Discussion and Assignment Postings

No credit will be given for Discussion and Assignment postings made after the week in which they are due unless prior arrangements are made with the Instructor. Exceptions will be made only for those rare situations that legitimately prevent a student from posting on time. Points will be deducted from late postings.

Assignments

Assignments are due by Day 7 of the week in which they are assigned unless otherwise noted. Failure to meet the deadline without prior approval will result in at least a 3-point deduction per day. Any Assignment submitted after Day 4of the week following that in which it is assigned will receive zero points.

Projects

Projects are due by Day 7 of the week in which they are assigned unless otherwise noted. Failure to meet the deadline without prior approval will result in at least a 3-point deduction per day. Any Project submitted after Day 4 of the week following that in which it is assigned will receive zero points.

No Assignment or Project will be accepted after the last day of the quarter (Week 6, Day 7) unless prior approval is obtained.

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 disability services at [email protected] or at 1-800-925-3368, ext. 312-1205 and +1-612-925-3368 or https://www.waldenu.edu/contact 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. NURS – 6630 – Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of Psychopathology

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. NURS – 6630 – Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of Psychopathology .

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

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

For full assignment details and directions, refer to each week 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. NURS – 6630 – Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of Psychopathology

To view the Course Calendar:

Course Calendar

To View a Printable Course Schedule

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

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

Document: NURS 6630 Course Schedule (PDF)

Checklist

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. NURS – 6630 – Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of Psychopathology