Locate one (1) library article and one (1) online resource that discusses the characteristics of successful online learners.
  Assignment Instructions: In APA format (no title page, abstract, or running head required for this assignment) write 300 words or more paper that addresses the following:
1. Analyze the two resources
2. Analyze your personal learning characteristics
3. Write a plan for enhancing your online learning experience.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                4. Proofreading for spelling, grammar, and punctuation along with APA formatting. Refer to your APA Manual or apastyle.org for assistance.

One thing is for sure: religions certainly play a major role in how people think about morality. In fact, religion undergirds such a vast portion of

human society that it’s difficult to even imagine how we’d formulate our questions about ethics outside of religious frameworks. (Even modern

secular cultures are still deeply informed by Christian language and themes.) Thorny questions like the relationship of religion and morality do

accomplish one thing, though: they show that we need to understand religion if we want to understand ourselves, including our moral

behavior.

Review these 15 common principles found in nearly all religions and focus on five (5) of these that relate back to the moral/ethical concepts described in your readings. Write a one paragraph response to how each of the 5 principles you’ve chosen to write about has influenced the formation of moral reasoning. There should be 5 paragraphs written for this assignment.

Choose a healthcare topic that interests you. It can be any topic of your choice but must be related to healthcare or the healthcare professions. During this course, you will be researching this topic and writing a formal paper about it. For this week’s discussion, we will do step 1: Pick and state your topic. Then explain why you have chosen it and how it relates to healthcare. Your discussion board posting should reflect the correct tone for academic threads.

DQ1 UMBO –4. >>> those are accreditation codes to link the discussion with the program learning outcomes; No need to do anything with those. 
DQ1 PLG –2
DQ1 CLO –2

The intro post is not mandatory; it is an opportunity to get to know your classmates. 🙂

This week’s assignment is due next Monday, April 5th and it has two parts; make sure to submit both

Part 1

Part 1: An important behavior of successful students pertains to establishing a weekly study schedule. This may sound overly elementary, but, to the contrary, high-performing college students know exactly every hour of their day/week and how they will use their time. As part of this week’s assignment, please complete the attached ‘study calendar’ and describe how you will use it in a Word document to prepare for this and next week’s assignments. That is, what exactly will you do tomorrow, this weekend, next Monday to breakdown your work into manageable pieces at the right pace? What are your most ideal times in the upcoming week, based on your calendar template, when will you have blocks of extended time to work on your Aspen courses and weekly assignments? It is best to make those days/times “significant and protected time,” time when there are no interruptions, and you can totally focus on getting your schoolwork done. Hold preciously to these time blocks for school work. If so, you will produce higher quality work and be less stressed as you earn your degree at Aspen. Utilize the Study Calendar found in the Writing Center for this process. Click the calendar link here to download

Part 2

Part 2: To work on narrowing down your topic chosen in the discussion board, choose an invention strategy (clustering, listing, freewriting, or outlining) to brainstorm the subject you narrowed down. Complete the Invention Strategy you choose and attach your strategy work either in the same document of part 1 or submit it as a separate file

• Conclusion paragraph: Answer these questions in a well-developed paragraph discussion. Which strategy did you choose, and why? How did the strategy work for you? Will you use it again in the future? (place into the Part 1 document labeled Part 2).

Assignment Expectations

Length: Part 1 can be a list or a paragraph; Part 2 is the invention strategy work and conclusion paragraph answering the questions

Structure: Place all parts in one document if possible clearly marking them to show which part is being addressed; a copy of invention strategy work can be uploaded as a separate picture/document or placed in the same document as a picture or list

References: N/A

Please place all assignments into one paper.  The different questions should be clearly marked, so your professor knows which question you are addressing. Your paper should be two pages or less

Three top healthcare issues with room for improvement in Rockford, Illinois, are opioid abuse, high blood pressure, and obesity (NYU Langone Health, 2021). Obesity is a significant contributor to multiple chronic diseases and metabolic disorders (Jakobsen et al., 2018). Chronic diseases accounted for most US healthcare costs and decreased productivity (Chapel et al., 2017). Global Burden of Disease researchers (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, 2021) acknowledge that these diseases increase societal costs, morbidity, and mortality by limiting healthy days lived.

     Several national initiatives are underway that have a local impact on this burden of disease. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) endorses using Medication-Assisted Therapy (MAT) to mitigate opioid abuse and the societal effects of chronic substance abuse (SAMHSA, 2020). The American Heart Association provides a comprehensive public health education program on steps to control high blood pressure to reduce heart disease and strokes (American Heart Association, 2021). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021) offers multiple interventions to reduce obesity in the Healthy People 2030 goals outlined by the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity.

     Concerned voters could influence local policymakers to transfer these national initiatives to Rockford with an informed advocate, such as the DNP scholar. The advocate starts by building a grassroots coalition of the voting public to endorse specific improvements to existing health policy. Next, prepare a health policy brief, then research and contact the policymakers to open discussion. The brief should specify the problem and current policy while providing a rationale for change that includes the impact of the health problem on the constituency. Harnessing the power of multiple voters increases the likelihood that those in power will actively consider a policy change. Social media, like Twitter, can be used to build this coalition. My suggested tweet is #HealthyPeople 2030, #Healthy Rockford! Improve our community step by step! Healthy People 2030 | Data & Statistics | DNPAO | CDC (Links to an external site.)

     Dr. Riley presented her case to Congressman Aiken just as recommended. The DNP scholar was prepared and researched the issue and her audience’s stance on healthcare access. Dr. Riley met with stakeholders to inform discussion with the congressman on the impacts and relevance of improving access to transportation in her community. Dr. Riley introduced herself as a concerned health professional and advocate, presented the pros and cons of the proposed clinic bill, and stated appreciation for partial gains while remaining open to future improvements. She was thankful and expressed her willingness to offer professional support on future projects.  Dr. Riley’s approach left Congressman Aiken with a positive memory of Dr. Riley, specifically, and the profession of nursing and nurse practitioners as collaborative partners in health policy. She could have provided a business card, including email in parting. A follow-up email thanking the congressman would support this memorable encounter.

References

American Heart Association. (2021). Five steps to control your blood pressure. Five Simple Steps to Control Your Blood Pressure | American Heart Association (Links to an external site.)

Centers for Disease Control and Health Prevention. (2021). Healthy People 2030: Indicators and objectives align with DNPAO’s work. Healthy People 2030 | Data & Statistics | DNPAO | CDC (Links to an external site.)

Chapel, J.M., Ritchey, M.D., Zhang, D., & Wang, G. (2017). Prevalence and medical costs of chronic diseases among adult Medicaid beneficiaries. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 53(6, S2), S143-S154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2017.07.019 (Links to an external site.)

Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. (2021). GBD Compare. GBD Compare | IHME Viz Hub (healthdata.org) (Links to an external site.)

Jakobsen, G.S., Smastuen, M.C., Sandbu, R., Nordstrand, N., Hofso, D, Lindberg, M., Hertel, J.K., & Hjelmesaeth, J. (2018). Association of bariatric surgery vs. medical obesity treatment with long-term medical complications and obesity-related comorbidities. JAMA 319(3), 291-301. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.21055 (Links to an external site.)

NYU Langone Health. (2021). City Health Dashboard: Rockford, Illinois. Rockford, IL – City Highlights | City Health Dashboard (Links to an external site.)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2020). Naltrexone. Naltrexone | SAMHSA

I NEED A COMMENT FOR THIS DICUSSION BOARD WITH AT LEAST 2 PARAGRAPHS AND USE 3 SOURCES NO LATER THAN 5 YEARS

Respond to two colleagues in one of the following ways:

If your colleagues’ posts influenced your understanding of these   concepts, be sure to share how and why. Include additional insights you   gained.

If you think your colleagues might have misunderstood these   concepts, offer your alternative perspective and be sure to provide an   explanation for them. Include resources to support your perspective.

                                                  Main Post

Agonist-to-Antagonist Spectrum

The agonist-to-antagonist spectrum of action refers to  the action  that is taken by a neurotransmitter to produces a  conformational change  (Stahl, 2013).  The spectrum starts with the  agonist action, which,  with the help of a second-messenger, can turn on  the full potential of  change (Stahl, 2013). Full agonists can be natural  transmitters used to  produce change.  An antagonist blocks the  conformational change of the  potential of the transmitter for binding  with the intended agonist  (Stahl, 2013).  The role of the antagonist is  to keep the receptors in a  baseline state in order to reverse what the  agonist has done (Stahl,  2013). This is the opposite end of the spectrum  and seeks to block  agonists.  In the middle, some partial agonists  mimic its agonist  partner to a lesser degree, and inverse agonists stop  all activity from  occurring on the receptor (Stahl, 2013).  The  conformational change is  needed for a receptor to open to the action of  drugs, particularly,  psychopharmaceutical medications in this case.

G couple proteins and Ion gated channels

G couple proteins are used at the binding site of a  neurotransmitter  to act as a conduit for enzymes (Stahl, 2013). Whereas,  ion gated  channels exist as targets to regulate chemical  neurotransmitters  (Stahl, 2013).  Ion gated channels consist of channels  and receptors  that can only be opened by the neurotransmitters.   Conversely, G couple  proteins attach to neurotransmitters and conform to  enzymes to serve  as a channel for a second messenger (Stahl, 2013).   Most psychotropic  medications aim for the ion gated channels, which open  through chemical  neurotransmission and initiate the signal transduction  cascade (Stahl,  2013).  The cascade results in faster uptake of  psychotropic  medications into the system.

The Role of Epigenetics

According to DeSocio (2016), epigenetics is the study  of how genomes  that undergo changes with certain molecular compounds and   environmental changes can leave the essential DNA unchanged.  It is a   modification of gene expression that is independent of the DNA  (DeSocio,  2016).  DNA is the code that determines much of who we are.   Changes in  that code can be seen as a result of heredity, the  environment, or  neurotransmission (Stahl, 2013).  These alterations  affect individuals  at a physical, emotional, and psychological level.   Stress and adversity  play a significant role in epigenetics by changing  the genomes, which  in turn leads to changes in a person’s DNA (Park et  al., 2019).  These  alterations influence psychological issues related  to many individuals.   It is essential to know how to combat these  changes when determining a  plan of care for clients.

Implications of Findings to Prescribing

As nurse practitioners, it is essential to have an  extensive  understanding of how the above processes affect the way we  prescribe  medications to clients.  It is also essential to take into   consideration how the environment impacts maintaining optimal health  and  healing (DeSocio, 2016).  Knowing the mechanisms of action for   medications that we are prescribing is vital to providing competent   care.  For example, a patient with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)   is prescribed Venlafaxine.  The PMHNP needs to understand that the   Venlafaxine works by boosting the serotonin, norepinephrine, and   dopamine neurotransmitters (Stahl, 2014).  This action blocks serotonin   reuptake, norepinephrine reuptake, and the dopamine reuptake (Stahl,   2014).  Each of these actions then increases these neurotransmissions  in  the brain providing therapeutic results. 

                                          References

DeSocio, J.E. (2016). Epigenetics: An emerging framework for advanced practice psychiatric nursing. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 52(3), 201-207. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppc.12118

Park, C.,  Rosenblat, J.D., Brietzke, E.,  Pan, Z., Lee, Y., Cao, B.,  Zuckerman, H., Kalantarova, A., McIntyre,  R.S. (2019). Stress,  epigenetics, and depression: A systematic review. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 102, 139-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.04.010

Stahl, S.M. (2014). The prescriber’s guide (5th ed.). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

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