NRNP 6665 Week 3 Assignment 1 Prescribing For Children and Adolescents

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NRNP 6665 Week 3 Assignment 1 Prescribing For Children and Adolescents – Step-by-Step Guide

The first step before starting to write the NRNP 6665 Week 3 Assignment 1 Prescribing For Children and Adolescents, it is essential to understand the requirements of the assignment. The first step is to read the assignment prompt carefully to identify the topic, the length and format requirements. You should go through the rubric provided so that you can understand what is needed to score the maximum points for each part of the assignment. 

It is also important to identify the audience of the paper and its purpose so that it can help you determine the tone and style to use throughout. You can then create a timeline to help you complete each stage of the paper, such as conducting research, writing the paper, and revising it to avoid last-minute stress before the deadline. After identifying the formatting style to be applied to the paper, such as APA, you should review its use, such as writing citations and referencing the resources used. You should also review how to format the title page and the headings in the paper.

How to Research and Prepare for NRNP 6665 Week 3 Assignment 1 Prescribing For Children and Adolescents

The next step in preparing for your paper is to conduct research and identify the best sources to use to support your arguments. Identify the list of keywords from your topic using different combinations. The first step is to visit the university library and search through its database using the important keywords related to your topic. You can also find books, peer-reviewed articles, and credible sources for your topic from PubMed, JSTOR, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar. Ensure that you select the references that have been published in the last words and go through each to check for credibility. Ensure that you obtain the references in the required format, for example, in APA, so that you can save time when creating the final reference list. 

You can also group the references according to their themes that align with the outline of the paper. Go through each reference for its content and summarize the key concepts, arguments and findings for each source. You can write down your reflections on how each reference connects to the topic you are researching about. After the above steps, you can develop a strong thesis that is clear, concise and arguable. Next you should create a detailed outline of the paper so that it can help you to create headings and subheadings to be used in the paper. Ensure that you plan what point will go into each paragraph.

How to Write the Introduction for NRNP 6665 Week 3 Assignment 1 Prescribing For Children and Adolescents

The introduction of the paper is the most crucial part as it helps to provide the context of your work, and will determine if the reader will be interested to read through to the end. You should start with a hook, which will help capture the reader’s attention. You should contextualize the topic by offering the reader a concise overview of the topic you are writing about so that they may understand its importance. You should state what you aim to achieve with the paper. The last part of the introduction should be your thesis statement, which provides the main argument of the paper.

How to Write the Body for NRNP 6665 Week 3 Assignment 1 Prescribing For Children and Adolescents

The body of the paper helps you to present your arguments and evidence to support your claims. You can use headings and subheadings developed in the paper’s outline to guide you on how to organize the body. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence to help the reader know what point you will be discussing in that paragraph. Support your claims using the evidence conducted from the research, ensure that you cite each source properly using in-text citations. You should analyze the evidence presented and explain its significance and how it connects to the thesis statement. You should maintain a logical flow between each paragraph by using transition words and a flow of ideas.

How to Write the In-text Citations for NRNP 6665 Week 3 Assignment 1 Prescribing For Children and Adolescents

In-text citations help the reader to give credit to the authors of the references they have used in their works. All ideas that have been borrowed from references, any statistics and direct quotes must be referenced properly. The name and date of publication of the paper should be included when writing an in-text citation. For example, in APA, after stating the information, you can put an in-text citation after the end of the sentence, such as (Smith, 2021). If you are quoting directly from a source, include the page number in the citation, for example (Smith, 2021, p. 15). Remember to also include a corresponding reference list at the end of your paper that provides full details of each source cited in your text. An example paragraph highlighting the use of in-text citations is as below:

The integration of technology in nursing practice has significantly transformed patient care and improved health outcomes. According to Smith (2021), the use of electronic health records (EHRs) has streamlined communication among healthcare providers, allowing for more coordinated and efficient care delivery. Furthermore, Johnson and Brown (2020) highlight that telehealth services have expanded access to care, particularly for patients in rural areas, thereby reducing barriers to treatment.

How to Write the Conclusion for NRNP 6665 Week 3 Assignment 1 Prescribing For Children and Adolescents

When writing the conclusion of the paper, start by restarting your thesis, which helps remind the reader what your paper is about. Summarize the key points of the paper, by restating them. Discuss the implications of your findings and your arguments. End with a call to action that leaves a lasting impact on the reader or recommendations.

How to Format the Reference List for NRNP 6665 Week 3 Assignment 1 Prescribing For Children and Adolescents

The reference helps provide the reader with the complete details of the sources you cited in the paper. The reference list should start with the title “References” on a new page. It should be aligned center and bolded. The references should be organized in an ascending order alphabetically and each should have a hanging indent. If a source has no author, it should be alphabetized by the title of the work, ignoring any initial articles such as “A,” “An,” or “The.” If you have multiple works by the same author, list them in chronological order, starting with the earliest publication. 

Each reference entry should include specific elements depending on the type of source. For books, include the author’s last name, first initial, publication year in parentheses, the title of the book in italics, the edition (if applicable), and the publisher’s name. For journal articles, include the author’s last name, first initial, publication year in parentheses, the title of the article (not italicized), the title of the journal in italics, the volume number in italics, the issue number in parentheses (if applicable), and the page range of the article. For online sources, include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or the URL at the end of the reference. An example reference list is as follows:

References

Johnson, L. M., & Brown, R. T. (2020). The role of telehealth in improving patient outcomes. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 35(2), 123-130. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000456

Smith, J. A. (2021). The impact of technology on nursing practice. Health Press.

NRNP 6665 Week 3 Assignment 1 Prescribing For Children and Adolescents Instructions

Off-label prescribing is when a physician gives you a drug that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved to treat a condition different than your condition. This practice is legal and common. In fact, one in five prescriptions written today are for off-label use. Have a look at NRNP 6665 Week 3 Assignment 2 Study Plan.

—Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Psychotropic drugs are commonly used for children and adolescents to treat mental health disorders, yet many of these drugs are not FDA approved for use in these populations. Thus, their use is considered “off-label,” and it is often up to the best judgment of the prescribing clinician. As a PMHNP, you will need to apply the best available information and research on pharmacological treatments for children in order to safely and effectively treat child and adolescent patients.

Sometimes this will come in the form of formal studies and approvals for drugs in children. Other times you may need to extrapolate from research or treatment guidelines on drugs in adults. Each individual patient case will need to be considered independently and each treatment considered from a risk assessment standpoint. What psychotherapeutic approach might be indicated as an initial treatment? What are the potential side effects of a particular drug?

For this Assignment, you consider these questions and others as you explore FDA-approved (“on label”) pharmacological treatments, non-FDA-approved (“off-label”) pharmacological treatments, and nonpharmacological treatments for disorders in children and adolescents.

To Prepare

  • Your Instructor will assign a specific disorder for you to research for this Assignment.
  • Use the Walden library to research evidence-based treatments for your assigned disorder in children and adolescents. You will need to recommend one FDA-approved drug, one off-label drug, and one nonpharmacological intervention for treating this disorder in children and adolescents.

The Assignment (1–2 pages)

  • Recommend one FDA-approved drug, one off-label drug, and one nonpharmacological intervention for treating your assigned disorder in children and adolescents.
  • Explain the risk assessment you would use to inform your treatment decision making. What are the risks and benefits of the FDA-approved medicine? What are the risks and benefits of the off-label drug?
  • Explain whether clinical practice guidelines exist for this disorder and, if so, use them to justify your recommendations. If not, explain what information you would need to take into consideration.
  • Support your reasoning with at least three scholarly resources, one each on the FDA-approved drug, the off-label, and a non-medication intervention for the disorder. Attach the PDFs of your sources.

By Day 7 of Week 3

Submit your Assignment. 

NRNP 6665 Week 3 Assignment 1 Prescribing For Children and Adolescents Example

Prescribing for Children and Adolescents

Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a developmental phenomenon; nonetheless, it manifests with excessive severity at a disproportionate age or in an inappropriate manner. SAD is characterized by great concern, worry, and even dread of separation from a close individual, whether actual or predicted (Feriante & Bernstein, 2020). Separation anxiety appears naturally between the ages of 6 and 12 months, persisting until around three and then lessening under normal conditions. The US Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved any drugs to treat Separation Anxiety Disorder.

Fluoxetine can be used as an off-label drug. Although some evidence supports using fluoxetine to treat separation Anxiety disorder, healthcare professionals should assess the medication’s potential advantages against its side effects (McNeil et al., 2022). This is based on the recommendations from consensus guidelines based on randomized controlled trials. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a non-drug treatment that I would suggest. It may help children learn how to deal with their anxiety better. The objective is also to assist a child in dealing with things that might make them anxious.

Numerous validated screening methods for childhood anxiety disorders are widely available. The Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) is what I would employ. The five subscale scores for the five most prevalent children’s anxiety disorders, SAD among them, make up the overall score. The SCARED evaluation instrument is considered a consistent, trustworthy, accurate, and sensitive indicator of anxiety. The SCARED screening tool has demonstrated strict invariance of measurements and test-retest solid reliability.

The use of fluoxetine has risks and benefits accompanying the off-label drug. Concerns about safety due to side effects (like an increased risk of suicidal thoughts or plans or lowered inhibitions that lead to aggression) prevent their use in pediatric populations right now unless the individual’s reaction is closely monitored or if the patient has responded well to SSRIs or SNRIs in the past (Bernstein, 2020). Except for fluoxetine, which seems to have an excellent risk-benefit ratio, the risks of giving SSRIs to children outweigh the benefits. Fluoxetine may hurt the gastrointestinal system more than other SSRIs. It should not be given to kids who are physically aggressive, whose families have a past of suicidal or parasuicidal thoughts or actions, or who are more likely to hurt themselves.

Current professional guidelines for treating SAD depend. If the symptoms are minimal, encouragement, support, and awareness may be enough to assist the patient in getting back to their regular routines. Maintaining consistent routines for eating, sleeping, and exercising while removing irregular ones should be encouraged. Validated screening techniques should be used to examine anxiety symptoms periodically to check for changes. Cognitive behavioral therapy is advised as the first-line therapy when treatment is necessary (Feriante & Bernstein, 2020; Silk et al., 2020).

There are no drugs with an FDA-labeled prescription for SAD, but selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are frequently prescribed and proven effective at managing anxiety disorders (Ramsey et al., 2019). According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), patients with separation anxiety aged 6 to 18 years old may benefit more from receiving combination treatment (CBT and an SSRI) than either CBT alone or an SSRI alone (Walter et al., 2020). Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) may also be prescribed to patients with separation anxiety who are between the ages of 6 and 18.

References

Bernstein, B. E. (2020). Separation anxiety and school refusal medication: Tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, anxiolytic agents, antihistamines, beta-adrenergic blocking agents, anticonvulsants, alpha-adrenergic agents. Emedicine.medscape.com. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/916737-medication#3

Feriante, J., & Bernstein, B. (2020). Separation anxiety. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560793/

McNeil, D. W., Preston, D. L., Blackwood, M., & Porter, H. (2022). Fluoxetine used for the treatment of anxiety-induced vomiting in 3-year-old children with complex trauma and developmental concerns: A case report. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2049898/v1

Ramsey, L. B., Bishop, J. R., & Strawn, J. R. (2019). Pharmacogenetics of treating pediatric anxiety and depression. Pharmacogenomics, 20(12), 867–870. https://doi.org/10.2217/pgs-2019-0088

Silk, J. S., Pramana, G., Sequeira, S. L., Lindhiem, O., Kendall, P. C., Rosen, D., & Parmanto, B. (2020). Using a smartphone app and clinician portal to enhance brief cognitive behavioral therapy for childhood anxiety disorders. Behavior Therapy, 51(1), 69–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2019.05.002

Walter, H. J., Bukstein, O. G., Abright, A. R., Keable, H., Ramtekkar, U., Ripperger-Suhler, J., & Rockhill, C. (2020). Clinical practice guideline for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with anxiety disorders. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 59(10), 1107–1124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2020.05.00

NRNP 6665 Week 3 Assignment 1 Prescribing For Children and Adolescents Example 2

Prescribing for Children and Adolescents with Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are psychological illnesses characterized by unusual feeding habits. Types of eating disorders include bulimia, anorexia nervosa, avoidant restrictive food eating disorder, and binge eating disorder. The management of eating disorders in children and adolescents can be pharmacological or non-pharmacological (Hay, 2020). Fluoxetine is an FDA-approved drug that is used in pharmacological management. An off-label drug that can be used is olanzapine. Additionally, cognitive behavioral therapy can be used in non-pharmacological management.

The risk score for eating disorders will inform my decision for treatment. Risk assessment for eating disorders can be done using the Sick, Control, One, Fat & Food (SCOFF) Questionnaire. This is a 5-item questionnaire that asks if an individual induces vomiting, loses control over the amount they eat, if they have lost more than 15 pounds in three months, if they think they are fat, yet they are thin, and if food controls their life (Kutz et al., 2020). If two or more questions are answered positively, the patient is started on treatment.

According to Himmerich et al. (2021), fluoxetine is useful in managing eating disorders in that it alleviates anxiety or depression associated with the disease. The disadvantage of using fluoxetine is that it can cause insomnia, dry mouth, tremors, and weakness. Olanzapine also alleviates anxiety (Copur & Copur, 2020). However, it can cause respiratory depression, hyperglycemia, and anticholinergic effects like miosis.

The World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry recommends antidepressants, antipsychotics, antiepileptics, and antihistamines to manage eating disorders. It also recommends combining pharmacological with non-pharmacological treatment. Fluoxetine is an antidepressant in the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Olanzapine is a second-generation antipsychotic. These medications can be given along with psychotherapy.

References

 Çöpür, S., & Çöpür, M. (2020). Olanzapine in the treatment of anorexia nervosa: a systematic review. The Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Neurosurgery, 56(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41983-020-00195-y

Hay, P. (2020). The current approach to eating disorders: a clinical update. Internal Medicine Journal, 50(1), 24–29. https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.14691

Himmerich, H., Kan, C., Au, K., & Treasure, J. (2021). Pharmacological treatment of eating disorders, comorbid mental health problems, malnutrition, and physical health consequences. Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 217, 107667. https://doi.org/10.1080/14740338.2018.1395854

Kutz, A. M., Marsh, A. G., Gunderson, C. G., Maguen, S., & Masheb, R. M. (2020). Eating disorder screening: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the SCOFF diagnostic test characteristics. Journal Of General Internal Medicine, 35(3), 885–893. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05478-6