Respond  of your colleagues who were assigned to a different case than you. Explain how you might apply knowledge gained from your colleagues’ case studies to you own practice in clinical settings.

                                               Main Post

                                  Sleep/Wake Disorders

The patient is an obese 70-year-old female with a chief complaint of “being sad.” Her husband passed away several years ago due to coronary artery disease (CAD). She lives at home alone and has a home health aide help her. Her son comes to visit her often. She was feeling well until her hearing began to diminish in both ears. Her mobility has declined, so she has not been able to get out as much. She is often lonely at home. She has daily crying spells, is often very tired, has good insight to her illness, and wants to get better. 

Three Questions to Ask the Patient and Why            

The case study mentioned that the patient is a candidate for cochlear implants, but it is a long way off. Thus, my first question to ask the patient is what is preventing her from getting cochlear implants?  

She began experiencing sadness when she began to lose her hearing and mobility. Therefore, regaining her hearing may help decrease the depression. If its financial reasons, maybe there are resources that can help her. Finding out the reason the patient isn’t getting the implants can help the provider and patient find solutions.             

The patient also mentioned that her sleep was “awful”, stating her legs “ache and jump”, she takes frequent naps during the day, and admits to snoring frequently. Thus, the second question I would ask is what are her sleeping habits like? 

Individuals who have good sleep habits sleep better. Getting better sleep can be obtained by being consistent by going to bed at the same time each night and waking up the same time each day (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, [CDC], 2016).  Individuals can make sure the room is dark, quiet, and cool (CDC, 2016). Additionally, remove electronic devices, avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol can help with getting better sleep (CDC, 2016).              My third question would be what do you do when you are sad? Individuals who are depressed often have a negative view of the world and often think of themselves as worthless (This Way Up, n.d.). They often blame themselves when something bad happens and feel like they are unlucky (This Way Up, n.d.). Thus, helping individuals identify negative thinking and reframe the way they think about life can help improve depressive symptoms (This Way Up, n.d.). 

People to Speak to with Specific Questions to Ask 

The first person I would want to speak to is the patient’s son. The case study states the son visits her often so he should know the patient’s habits. First, I would ask him the same questions I asked the patient such as what is preventing the patient from getting cochlear implants, what are her sleep habits, and what does she do when she is sad? By asking the son the same questions, insight can be shown on how the son views things and how the patient views things. I would also him when he began to notice her depressive symptoms because that will help provide a timeline as to when it all began.             

The second person I would talk to is her home health aide because she is familiar with the patient. I would ask her what the patient’s home life is like such as how is she maintaining her house? Is she able to clean up after herself? How is she doing with activities of daily living? 

These questions can provide insight on the severity of the patient’s depressive symptoms. 

Physical Exams and Diagnostic Tests and How Results Would Be Used            

The first diagnostic test I would want to perform on the patient is the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The PHQ-9 is a screening tool for major depression (Na et al., 2018). The test is a reliable and valid measurement of depressive symptoms that also asks about the individual’s thoughts of death or self-injury within the last two weeks (Na et al., 2018). The results would be used to determine the severity of her depression. Another diagnostic test that can be performed on this patient is a polysomnography. A polysomnography is a sleep study that helps providers diagnose sleep apnea, periodic limb movement disorder, restless leg syndrome (RLS), insomnia, and nighttime behaviors (National Sleep Foundation, n.d.). The results would be used to can help determine the cause of her daytime sleepiness such as sleep apnea or RLS. I would also want to run a complete blood count (CBC) with differential on the patient. I would specifically want to obtain a red blood cell count (RBC) and white blood cell count (WBC). Thus, a CBC with differential would help determine if the patient is fatigued due to anemia or an underlying infection.

 Three Differential Diagnosis and Why

The three potential differential diagnoses include:Major Depressive DisorderPersistent Insomnia Disorder Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypopnea The most likely differential diagnosis is major depressive disorder (MDD). The diagnostic criteria for MDD is five or more symptoms during the same 2-week period and a change from previous functioning (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).  The symptoms include: depressed mood most of the day, marked diminished interest or pleasure in all or almost all activities most of the day, significant weight loss or weight gain, insomnia or hypersomnia neatly every day, psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day, fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day, feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day, diminished ability to concentrate, and recurrent thoughts of death (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The patient fits this diagnosis as evidence by depressed mood, diminished interest in activities she used to enjoy, fatigue, diminished ability to concentrate, and psychomotor retardation.

Two Pharmacological Agents and Dosing and Why 

One pharmacologic agent that can be tried is doxepin 3 mg at bedtime for insomnia. Doxepin works by boosting serotonin and norepinephrine by blocking the serotonin reuptake pump and norepinephrine reuptake pump (Stahl, 2017). At hypnotic doses, doxepin blocks histamine-1 receptors, which promotes sleep (Stahl, 2017). Doxepin is a substrate for CYP450 2D6 and has a half-life of 8-24 hours (Stahl, 2017). In the elderly, the recommended dose for insomnia is 3 mg per day (Stahl, 2017).             Another pharmacologic agent that I would like to start the patient on is bupropion (extended release) XL 150 mg daily in the morning. Bupropion is used to treat MDD and works by boosting norepinephrine and dopamine by blocking the norepinephrine reuptake pump and dopamine reuptake pump (Stahl, 2017). Bupropion inhibits CYP450 2D6, has a parent half-life of 10-14 hours, and a metabolite half-life of 20-27 hours (Stahl, 2017). Thus, since bupropion blocks the dopamine reuptake pump and norepinephrine reuptake pump, this medication is beneficial in improving symptoms of loss of happiness, joy, interest, pleasure, energy, enthusiasm, alertness, and self-confidence (Stahl, 2013). Thus, because of bupropion’s mechanism of action and the patient’s symptoms, I would want this patient to try this medication. 

Lessons Learned  

Lessons learned during this case study is that geriatric depression can be difficult to treat. They often have multiple comorbidities with the possibility of more pronounced side-effects (Stahl, 2008). Additionally, medications can have contraindications that do not previously exist prior to the patient being put on medication. Thus, providers must be aware of new and old warnings on medications in the event there are changes made to medications. I will apply this information when I am in practice by paying close attention to dosages, side effects, and potential contraindications when providing medication to the geriatric population. 

                                                  References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual od mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Tips for better sleep. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.htmlNa, P. J., Yaramala, S. R., Kim, J. A., Kim, H., Goes, F. S., Zandi, P. P.,…Bobo, W. V. (2018). The PHQ-9 item 9 based screening for suicide risk: a validation study of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)-9 item 9 with the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Journal of Affective Disorders, 232, 34-40. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.02.045National Sleep Foundation. (n.d.). Sleep apnea. Retrieved from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-apneaThis Way Up. (n.d.). How do you feel? Retrieved from https://thiswayup.org.au/how-do-you-feel/sad/Stahl, S. M. (2008). Essential psychopharmacology online. Retrieved from https://stahlonline-cambridge-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/viewPdf?page=csEP_16.pdf&vol=2Stahl, S. M. (2013). Stahl’s essential psychopharmacology: Neuroscientific basis and practical    applications (4th ed.). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Stahl, S. (2017). Stahl’s essential psychopharmacology: Prescriber’s guide (6th ed.). San Diego,  CA: Cambridge University Press. 

Discussions (10% of grade), PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL and FOLLOW CLOSELY: There will 4 discussions during the semester and will be count as participation points.  The discussion board points count towards your final grade. All assigned postings must be completed by the deadline in the schedule for posting AND responding or no credit is given.  Discussions are not just opinion to obtain full points, postings must be based on supported fact, not simply opinion. Posting should be a minimum of one short paragraph and a maximum of two paragraphs.  Word totals for each post should be in the 100-200 words range.  Whether you agree or disagree explain why with supporting evidence and concepts from the readings or a related experience.  Include a reference, link, or citation when appropriate. APA 6th edition format for references as well as in-text citations is expected.

Application of Health Literacy & Motivational Interviewing Concepts to Promote Wellness

Health literacy is not simply the ability to read health information. The National Institutes of Health defines health literacy as the ability to read, comprehend, and analyze information; decode instructions, symbols, charts, and diagrams; weigh risks and benefits; and ultimately make decisions and take action.

After the reading the following HRSA guideline https://www.hrsa.gov/advisorycommittees/bhpradvisory/actpcmd/Reports/twelfthreport.pdf

Discuss how shared decision making , motivational interviewing, and best practices of models of care can improve the health literacy of a especial popualtion ( children ,elderly, veterans). NO PLAGIARISM…

You have been assigned 4 patients on an Intermediate Medical Care Unit. Two of the patients are post myocardial infarctions at various stages of their infarctions with multiple types of arrhythmias, the third patient is having drastic blood sugar fluctuations 218 down to 50 within minutes and its rebounds back up with changes in mentation and the fourth is reported to be having frequent TIA’s. One of the MI patients is having some dizziness and your TIA patient is presenting signs of impending stroke.

How would you prioritize your assessments and activities? How would you describe your critical thinking process and how do you organize and prioritize implementation of care?

Your initial response to the post should be 200 words in length and include proper APA formatting when referencing your resources.

Write a 2 Paragraph response (with 2-3 sources) to this post offering additional/alternative ideas regarding opportunities and risks related to the observations shared.

Innovative technology in the healthcare industry has made significant strides in patient care by utilizing these advancements to diagnose health conditions and deliver effective treatment quickly. My healthcare organization has adopted the use of interpretation technology, a device that facilitates communication between patients who have limited proficiency in English and healthcare providers through a digital communication system (Scamman, 2018). At my organization, we often use the audiovisual interpretation system when we are communicating with patients with limited English proficiency. The audiovisual call is done through a touchscreen tablet on a wheeled stand that can be rolled into the patient’s room and connects to a medically trained interpreter for the language of choice within seconds. This application is used to translate pertinent information about the treatment plan, provide education, and answer patient questions. Another feature used at my organization is the mobile patient portal, a web-based application that allows patients to communicate with their providers, ask questions, schedule appointments, and review their health records.

As with most technological devices, there is always the risk of encountering a device malfunction. The use of an audiovisual interpretation system presents a risk for technical disruptions, such as sound and video quality issues or inability to connect the call. While these disruptions can be corrected through technology design and adequate internet connection, it can create feelings of frustration in providers who are unable to effectively communicate with the patient (Clay-Williams, Baysari, Taylor, Zalitis, Georgiou, Robinson, Braithwaite & Westbrook, 2017).

Another risk associated with the use of healthcare technology is a patient data breach. Even with advanced security features, electronic systems are still subject to the invasion of cyberhackers. According to Vrhovec (2016), the majority of data breaches in healthcare are directly connected with mobile device loss and theft. Cyberhackers can access patient information shared between medical providers on their personal device or gain access to the patient’s portal system, placing patients at risk for medical identity theft and violation of their privacy (Vrhovec, 2016).

Despite these risks, healthcare technology serves a significant contribution to patient care and the delivery of data. While studies show that language barriers between providers and patients may lead to inappropriate treatment and increased length of hospital stay (Fetterolf, 2017), the use of the interpretation system can mitigate this barrier. By using the audiovisual interpretation system, providers can communicate the treatment plan in a language that the patient understands, and the patient can address any concerns or questions they have. Other studies have shown that patient portals improve outcomes of preventive care and disease awareness and self-management (Alotaibi & Federico, 2017).

The healthcare technology trend, I believe, is most promising for impacting technology in nursing practice is telemonitoring, also known as remote patient monitoring (RPM). RPM uses digital technology to collect data from patients outside of a clinical setting and transmit this information to healthcare providers for further management of behaviors and trends that affect one’s health (Mcgrail, 2019). One example of the use of RPM is the Fitbit study conducted in 2018, which allowed researchers to track multiple variables that contribute to heart disease, thereby allowing providers to determine appropriate interventions (Mcgrail, 2019). Another example of RPM is the use of a remote glucose monitoring device, which provides real-time glucose readings and tracks the patient’s glucose level patterns for proper management with insulin. RPM is a beneficial tool in the management of chronic conditions. These devices allow providers to collect data about the patients’ health-related patterns in their everyday settings and modify the plan of care for improved patient outcomes.

These are the sources you used for my post this. You can use these or any others you want. I trust your judgement

Baniasadi, T., Kalhori, S.R., Ayyoubzadeh, S.M., Zakerabasali, S., & Pourmohamadkhan, M. (2018). Study of challenges to utilize mobile-based health care monitoring systems: A descriptive literature review. Journal of 

Telemedicine and Telecare, 24(10), 661–668. DOI: 10.1177/1357633X18804747

Naseribooriabadi, T., & Sheikhtaheri, A. (2015). Social media and health care: Necessity of facing their challenges. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 44(4), 596–597. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4441977/

University of Saint Mary. (n.d.). Five exciting technologies that are changing nursing practice. Retrieved from https://online.stmary.edu/msn/resources/five-technologies-changing-nursing-practice

Skiba, D. (2017). Evaluation tools to appraise social media and mobile applications. Informatics, 4(3), 32. doi:10.3390/informatics4030032